Once Upon a Time in High School

In 1978, a model student named Hyeon-su moves to a new neighborhood of Seoul with his father and enrolls at Jungmoon High School, an institution known for harsh discipline from its teachers and for the rival gangs that dominate student life. A skilled basketball player who idolizes Bruce Lee, Hyeon-su crosses paths with the older Woo-shik, and the two bond over their shared admiration for the martial arts star. As bullying at the school grows more severe, Hyeon-su trains intensely, preparing to confront the injustice around him, while a romantic thread runs through his life at the school.

The film was directed and written by Yoo Ha, following his 2002 debut Marriage Is a Crazy Thing and preceding A Dirty Carnival, A Frozen Flower and Gangnam Blues. Kwon Sang-woo leads as Hyeon-su, with Lee Jung-jin as Woo-shik, Han Ga-in as Eun-ju, and supporting turns from Lee Jong-hyuk, Park Hyo-joon and Seo Dong-won among a credited cast of 23. It was produced by Noh Jong-yun and Choi Sun-joong for CJ Entertainment and Sidus, and runs 116 minutes.

Released in January 2004, the film holds a 7.4 rating on IMDb from around 2,900 votes and a 7.3 on TMDB from roughly 96 votes, indicating a solid and widely held audience appreciation rather than a sharply divisive one.