'Teaching Practicum' targets grade obsession with dark comedy

How far is too far in the pursuit of higher scores?

Opening May 13, "Teaching Practicum" is a horror-comedy that takes aim at an education system driven by test scores and weakening classroom authority. Kang Eun-kyung, played by Han Sun-hwa, is a Gen Z student teacher assigned to Se-young Girls’ High School, her alma mater with more than a century of history. She arrives eager to become a committed educator.

The reality is far from ideal. Students dismiss their teachers, parents exert pressure, and the principal tells her to stay out of trouble. Eun-kyung presses on.

She soon stumbles upon a secretive school club, “Kuroi Sora,” whose three members appear to practice black magic. Through unexplained means, they consistently rank first nationwide in mock exams across language, math and foreign languages. Students admire them, and teachers point to them with pride.

Eun-kyung refuses to accept students relying on dangerous forces. She takes on “Idainashi,” a Japanese spirit that boosts exam scores in exchange for souls.

The film leans into a mix of horror and comedy, with supernatural elements used more for humor than fear. Its tone remains light even as it introduces ghosts and occult themes.

Still, the comedy may not land for everyone. A “deadly mock exam” staged by Idainashi and its followers revolves around wordplay and deliberately corny jokes, leaning into a lowbrow style that can feel childish. For viewers who enjoy offbeat, absurd humor, however, it may offer a rare kind of entertainment.


김도연기자 repokim@donga.com