Fantasia Fest: Superheroes with organ transplant origins deliver pure action flick joy in Hi-Five
Courtesy Well Go USA
Fantasia Fest 2025 is currently wrapping up and our own Adrian Torres is covering the genre film event—catching break-out new hits and underground premieres. Read all of our coverage here.
Hi-Five kicks off on a seemingly typical night in Seoul, where an unidentified body is brought into the emergency room for organ extraction. After the procedure, doctors are shocked to see the body disintegrate into ash, with a mysterious wrist tattoo being the last thing to remain. Days later, five organ recipients discover not only the tattoos appearing on their wrists but also the sudden emergence of unique superpowers. Unbeknownst to them, a sixth individual, who has also gained powers, is determined to hunt them down and steal their gifts at any cost.
Amidst a crowded superhero market, Hi-Five stands out due to its brisk pacing. In under an hour, director Kang Hyung-chul introduces his diverse cast, giving each character their origin stories while allowing room for development. The characters feel authentic, avoiding the stereotypes that often permeate the genre. The clichés present are there on purpose, often commenting on the recycled or trite nature of comic book movies.
What truly sets this group of “would-be heroes” apart is their individuality. 9th grader Wan-seo (Lee Jae-in) gains super speed and strength from her heart transplant; Ji-sung (Ahn Jae-hong) can unleash gale-force winds from his lung transplant; the brash Ki-dong (Yoo Ah-in) commands electromagnetic forces thanks to a cornea transplant; and Heel-Han (Kim Hee-won) possesses healing abilities after receiving a liver transplant. Mild-mannered Seon-nyeo (Ra Mi-ran), the wild card of the group, is still waiting to discover her powers from a kidney transplant.
United by their desire to find purpose for their abilities, the rag-tag group struggles with their shared sense of loneliness, which adds depth to the narrative. Wan-seo and Seon-nyeo, particularly, receive significant character exploration that lends a compelling emotional weight to their journey. One is grappling with a suicide attempt that left someone else’s life hanging by a thread, and the other is fending off the smothering love of a father (Oh Jung-se), afraid of losing his daughter again.
Courtesy Well Go USA
The aging cult leader antagonist, “The Eternal” Seo Young Chun (Shin Goo), is rejuvenated after receiving a new pancreas, granting him the terrifying ability to absorb the essence of any living being he touches. His newfound powers rejuvenate him, enabling him to regress to a youthful state (Jinyoung), leading him to adopt a self-styled god complex.
Chun’s character echoes Doctor Doom, albeit without the armor. With statues of himself in his abode and an adoring audience at his revival sermons, he increasingly loses touch with reality, using his powers for malevolent ends. A far cry from the heroes who, despite their differences, seek identity through camaraderie.
Hi-Five also excels in its action sequences, thriving on a fun and engaging aesthetic that lands somewhere between anime and comic book stylings. Expect a more exaggerated experience more akin to Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The highlight is an exhilarating extended chase scene featuring a yogurt car racing against henchmen, masterfully blending peril with slapstick humor and the best/worst needle drop of 2025.
Ultimately, it is the earnest charm and playful nature of Hi-Five that allow it to shine. The film is a pure joy, contrasting sharply with the “dark & gritty’ aesthetic that “fans” were supposedly clamoring for, for years. With its vibrant visuals, infectious retro soundtrack, witty & self-referential (without being annoying) script, and larger-than-life action, Hi-Five is a crowd-pleaser that harks back to a time when superhero films focused on pure entertainment rather than box office expectations or expansive universes. Here’s hoping for more of this kind of filmmaking in the future.
