A Traveler's Needs

A Traveler's Needs

When paths cross, souls discover each other.

Directed by Hong Sang-soo

Produced by Jeonwonsa Film, Les Films du Camélia

202490 min6.5 / 10

A contemplative, philosophy-inflected portrait of a woman using teaching and conversation as a vehicle for self-discovery and existential inquiry in a foreign city.

Iris, a woman abroad in Seoul, teaches French and English in an idiosyncratic fashion that allows her to pursue her own philosophical and personal interests. Through four encounters over a single day, Iris probes students and strangers for information about poetry, their own histories, and their relationship to their egos.

Questions people ask

  • Is A Traveler's Needs violent? No. Less violent than 92% of films.

  • Is A Traveler's Needs scary? Barely. Less frightening than 84% of films.

  • Is A Traveler's Needs easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 67% of films.

  • Is A Traveler's Needs sad? Somewhat. More sad than 61% of films.

  • Does A Traveler's Needs end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

52/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity90

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise30

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love45

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like A Traveler's Needs

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as A Traveler's Needs

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like A Traveler's Needs, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like A Traveler's Needs, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like A Traveler's Needs, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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