Double Patty

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Double Patty is a 2021 South Korean drama about two young people chasing their dreams. Kang Woo-ram is a top ssireum wrestler who loses his mentor and moves from his hometown to Seoul. He takes a job as a bouncer at a drag-queen bar called Tracks. After a serious attack, he realizes this job isn’t for him. He starts visiting Burger from Heaven, where he meets Hyun-ji, a shy waitress who also dreams of becoming a TV anchor. They watch each other from afar and gradually connect, though they don’t speak much at first. Hyun-ji juggles babysitting, auditions, and studying to improve as an announcer.

Woo-ram decides to face his past by attending his mentor’s funeral, encouraged by Hyun-ji. Both pursue their goals: Hyun-ji pushes through exams and screen tests while Woo-ram trains and climbs to the lightweight wrestling finals. He faces his arch-rival in the final, loses, but Hyun-ji advances in her own career. She arrives just in time to witness Woo-ram’s comeback victory. Time passes; Hyun-ji becomes a field reporter and Woo-ram serves in the Korean military. At the base, a joke about someone eating two double-patty burgers appears, and Woo-ram smiles as he watches Hyun-ji’s news report, showing their ongoing support for each other.

Cast and production notes: The film marks the acting debut of Irene (Bae Joo-hyun) and stars Shin Seung-ho as Woo-ram. Shin trained for two months to perform the fight scenes without a stunt double. Bae also contributed an original song to the soundtrack. Filming took place from August 4 to September 12, 2020, with the movie released on February 17, 2021. The soundtrack includes A White Night and Night Sky. Double Patty was released during the pandemic but quickly drew audiences, was later available on Seezn, and received mixed reviews; one critic called it a healthy, non-traditional romance that shows how two people can support each other in real life.