People and Meat (2025)

"Because I'm old I'm supposed to stay out of sight until I die?"

In a country where 50% of the people over 76 years old live below the poverty line, meat can become a distant memory. In People and Meat three elderly citizens brooch civility and the law by dashing and dining in order to eat well.

Park Hyung Jun (80), Jang Woo Shik (78), and Baek Hwa Jin (72) are struggling financially. Despite their age, Park and Jang supplement their very meager incomes by collecting cardboard boxes. Baek sells vegetables on the corner. One day in a kerfuffle over the boxes, the three meet and later share a bowl of homemade soup. Park suggests going to a pork belly BBQ restaurant, his treat. While the food cooks, they can’t move as their eyes take in the largess before them and their mouths drool. As they finally partake of their meal, for the first time in a long time, they are satiated and full. But when the bill comes, Jang tells them he has no money and gives them the strategy to exit without paying. The three bond over their thievery and a friendship blossoms. Unfortunately, the law does not look so kindly on people dining and dashing.

I found this film to be more stressful than any heist story. Devising ways to stay ahead of the waiters giving chase over their food theft made me very uncomfortable. The focus shifted to the thrill they found from their actions rather than actually filling their stomachs. Though Jang of the three needed the meals, he was sharing a carton of milk with his cat on his limited resources. Food scarcity stopped being the motive as the antics continued. The story darkened as the consequences of their actions caught up with them. Yet they never brought up the dire circumstances for seniors when they achieved a level of notoriety.

People and Meat benefited from three veteran actors who knew how to sell their roles. And I loved the friendship that slowly developed through their misdeeds. Friendship made their lonely lives more bearable. However, the film struggled with its identity. Was it an indictment on a failing social safety net? A criticism of sweeping the elderly into the shadows? Or was it a comedic food heist film? It tried to be all three, and while I enjoyed the film, it missed the chance to pack more meaning into the finale. The film is still quite worthy of a try as it does shine a light on a segment of the population that many wish would simply disappear.

“I long to dissolve into laughter
So I dissolve into tears instead
Too fed up with living and dying
Forgetting the azure sky
Wings flutter aground
Heart full of unspoken words
I forget my hunger…
Shall I start a fire to warm my cold heart?”

19 June 2026

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Who would have thought that a movie called "People and Meat" would be this good? This is indeed a gem of a movie about the unlikely friendship between three elderly people with good balance between drama, humor and social commentary. Try avoiding the synopsis if possible, as it reveals too much of the story. While the plot revolves around eating meat, the main focus is on portraying the issues elderly people often face in Korean society.

The movie makes you instantly like the characters, largely thanks to the veteran actors who all delivered perfect performances. It feels like watching your own grandparents. In fact, after watching this movie, you should go and treat your older family members to a dish they like. This film gives us a lesson on how to live an authentic life. We might not always agree with the characters or fully understand them, but we have to respect them.

There were a few special moments during the movie when my heart just opened wide. Since I am already over 40, maybe this movie touched me more than it would younger viewers, but still, I would sincerely recommend it to everyone.

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