Seventeen Power Of Love Movie Review : An ode to all the dreamers out there that’s K-Drama level ‘kute’

STORY: SEVENTEEN’s concert-documentary film is both a homage and a little pick-me-up for CARATs: a moniker bestowed upon the 13-member boy band’s ardent fans.

REVIEW: Imagine you are a lanky, clueless kid somewhere in this obscure world, and dreaming all these ‘crazy’ dreams about being the next Jimi Hendrix—Korean version, that is—or even the next Sir Elton John, and as unattainable as that sounds, these boys are living that dream. And so much more… At the risk of undermining that ‘other’ K-Pop boy band’s body of work thus far, we are going to agree with the notion that SEVENTEEN’s the OG of K-Pop bands and the flagbearer of global attention to the now-loved Korean music.

The 100-odd-minutes concert-film bounces between flashbacks, current pandemic-induced virtual concerts and some heartwarming one-on-one interviews with the band members. Together, they blurt a loud ‘Thank You!’ out to their countless fans through honest anecdotes, deep introspection and a general need to be grateful. Their collective thankfulness towards everyone who’s ever contributed to shaping their careers, is well-defined by Jun, who states, “If there are no CARATs, there’s no SEVENTEEN.”

The boys, completely oblivious to the cultural revolution they were on the brink of ushering in, in Korea, worked their backs off—at the coveted Pledis Entertainment that helped form the team—to manifest some of their wackiest dreams to fruition. Of course they didn’t know that back then, says the band in unison. “Someone once said to me, ‘I found the strength to live, thanks to your music’. I learned that it works the other way round, too,” reveals an emotional Woozi. It’s moments like these, in the film, that ought to move the audience to tears. First, the biggest K-Pop band pours their heart out, and then, they put YOU—the fans—on a pedestal. Any CARAT, and even a casual K-Pop listener, would feel heard, loved and appreciated for their devotion. In that regard, ‘SEVENTEEN Power of Love: The Movie’ is truly a ‘love letter to the fans’ and not an expansive advertorial.

But, regardless of the poignancy and intense episodes of raw and unfiltered emotions on display, the film fails to move beyond the obvious: BTS—not the band—concert footage, gratitude, brotherhood and stories of personal struggles, and subsequently overcoming them. We get that. But, say a fan wants to know the human behind the pop star or the obstacles they had to overcome with one another—different personas and all. The film doesn’t answer some of the pertinent questions: How did their sense of brotherhood come along? Did they fight? Ever mourned the loss of a loved one together? Basically, anything that’s not public knowledge already.

‘SEVENTEEN Power of Love: The Movie’ is essentially a love ballad—with fitting dialogues, incorporated—that gives credit where it’s due: the fans. As Joshua rightly concludes, “I want to tell you that you are so precious to us.” And, if this concert-film genuinely offers a hawk-eye glance into the greatest K-Pop sensations of all time, then they have learnt life’s greatest lesson well—that gratitude reciprocates.