The Day He Arrives

Hong Sang-Soo makes films about filmmakers who make films, but also about filmmakers who don’t make films. After Woman on the Beach and Like You Know It All, his The Day He Arrives also slots into this category. In charming black-and-white, Hong follows the young director Seongjun, who after making four films has decided to work as a teacher. He’s not sure if he has stopped filming or whether he just can’t do it any more. That’s barely relevant: Hong’s film about Seongjun also surreptitiously turns into his own new film.
The Day He Arrives is a kind of Groundhog Day, in which Seongjun bumps into several actresses and his ex-girlfriend, drinks himself stupid and experiences plenty of sexual excesses. It’s not really clear whether he keeps living through the same event, or that events are completely new to him each time. Hong shows his most self reflective side here. Even though he makes consistent films about the construction of films, he gives them a fresh twist every time.