There's something really special about this movie. It's a story about troubled youth, one we've seen at least a dozen times. But Set Me Free doesn't have cliched characters we often see in those works. Young-jae is particularly interesting, since he seems like a little devil in the making from the outside. But clearly there's more to him than his menacing ways. Young-jae is confused and afraid, burdened by the weight of the world on his frail shoulders. He's a boy who is left stranded by the adults in his life and now he must scramble through his days, desperately hoping that there's a light at the end of his tunnel. Choi Woo-shik well earned all the accolades he has received for this role, and his Young-jae definitely shone a new light on his previously comical image. I think what I like the most about Set Me Free is the fact that it is both dramatic and grounded at the same time. Careful thought went into the making of this movie. It's not entertaining in a classic movie sense, but it leaves the heart wondering of the untold stories within our society. It's even more amazing that the movie is an autobiography of writer and director Kim Tae-yong. Despite telling his life's story, which had potential of being wrought with bias, he was insightful of all the things that happened in his past and gave hope to Young-jae, himself, and many other youths just like them, confused and afraid.