Hot women. Hot tempers. Hot sex.

 

Seems like your average porno, but Hellcat (directed by Kwon Chil-in, Singles) is much steamier, as its Korean title indicates (literally “some like it hot”). Hailed as the multigenerational Sex and the City, this film has something for women — and men — in all stages of their love and sex lives.

 

Featuring Kim Min-hee (Goodbye Solo) as Ah-mi, Lee Mi-sook as Young-mi (Untold Scandal), and Ahn So-hee (Wonder Girls singer) as Kang-hae, this all-star cast represents today’s modern Korean women, from the young to middle-aged.

 

Ah-mi narrates as a 27-year-old chain-smoking screenwriter, frustrated wither her motel abode, lazy director and lame boyfriend. When she moves in with her sister Young-mi, a 40-year-old stage designer, and her 18-year-old niece Kang-hae, they only seem to frustrate her more. On her birthday, she walks in to find Young-mi completely ignoring her and Kang-hae complaining about her junk mail.

 

But despite their blatant indifferences, there is a close relationship. They drink, smoke, and mope around the house together when things aren’t going right.

 

And all three have feisty attitudes that keep the men in their lives on their toes but as equally on their knees. Right after Young-mi has a one-night stand with a young actor, she promptly draws the line by saying that she hates dating co-workers. She tosses him cash for a cab ride home and leaves him stunned, yet undeterred in pursuing her. The trend in Korea of female cougars is tastefully modeled as being spontaneous and senseless, but carries deeper implications about the culture’s obsession with age and dating.

 

Unlike her mother, Kang-hae has a steady boyfriend. But she’s frustrated that he still hasn’t kissed her. Her best friend thinks he’s gay, but Kang-hae later realizes that the problem isn’t him — it’s her. This unexpected twist could have destroyed the wholesome image that Ahn So-hee has as the popular singer of teen group Wonder Girls, but the lack of backlash proves that younger Koreans are more liberal about sexuality than ever before.

 

Ah-mi has her share of boy trouble when she finds her boyfriend Won-suk (Kim Heung-soo, Il Mare) cheating on her. After she physically beats the lights out of him, she vows to move on. She tries to quit smoking and starts dating Seung-won (Kim Sung-soo, Full House), a 31-year-old accountant who is handsome, but dull. Nevertheless, they have a one-night stand. He turns out to genuinely like her and eventually proposes. But Ah-mi can’t seem to stay completely away from Won-suk. The film ends up focusing on Ah-mi’s self-realization, reflecting on the social norm that one should know herself and get married before 30.