Love and Leashes (2022) [Film Review]

Love and Leashes; or, In the Realm of Domination
     I told you I don't think you're a pervert. Or maybe you are. Aren't we all somewhat perverted?
Well, that escalated quickly. As I have previously stated in my review of The Naked Director (2019-2021), I am not really into kinky stuff, so I initially avoided the hype for Love and Leashes, a 2022 South Korean rom-com based on a webtoon called Moral Sense. However, after reading positive reviews on MyDramaList, I decided to give the film a chance. Here are my thoughts on it.

Release Info

Directed by: Park Hyun Jin Starring: Seo Hyun, Lee Jun Young, Lee El, Kim Bo Ra

Language: Korean Original Title: 모럴센스 Runtime: 117 min

Synopsis
Jung Ji Woo (Seo Hyun) is an efficient and straight-to-the-point worker at a company which promotes toys. Jung Ji Hoo (Lee Jun Young) also works at the same company and he has recently been transferred to Ji Woo’s department. Considering the fact that the two have similar names, it comes as no surprise that Jung Ji Woo accidentally opens a package addressed for Ji Hoo. Consequently, the woman discovers her colleague's personal secret. Namely, he is into BDSM…

Office Secrets
On the basis of the title alone, it is easy to imagine that the film is another studio-made flick filled with NSFW content similar in style to, for instance, Love Clinic (2015). In my opinion, Love and Leashes is worth checking out simply because it does not purely focus on the erotic aspect. The BDSM topic is not introduced to provide relief for porn viewers, but it serves as a metaphor of love relations at a workplace. Is it even possible to fall for a colleague? Is it curiosity or attraction? What about the excitement which comes with the infuatuation?

The erotic scenes are present because they reflect the mental state of the main characters. I noticed that lighting in the movie plays an important part. Daily interactions between Ji Woo and Ji Hoo are accompanied by a variety of vibrant colours (see the hilarious package faux-pas or storage room interaction). However, when they engage in a BDSM role play (either in a hotel room or at an office), they are immediately framed within warm colours.

Obviously, the two leads are ridiculous eye candies. Lee Jun Young is so darn adorable, even when he does not pretend to be a puppy, whereas Seo Hyun is enchanting as an office worker who tries to fill in the mistress’ heels. Unfortunately, the supporting parts are a bit bland and forgettable.

Truth be told, the sexual content in Love and Leashes is very mild. The movie’s focus is romance, and I appreciate it for that, but the final act felt too clichéd. It seemed almost as if the writers ran out of ideas, so they remixed the ending of Working Girl (1988) with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford, just to wrap up the story.

Recommendations
All in all, I recommend Love and Leashes if you are a fan of the leading actors or if you just want some light entertainment. Nevertheless, the movie has zero rewatch value, at least for me. It is a nicely done one-time comedy.
Overall score: 7/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»