One of the great things about documentaries such as The Rose: Come Back to Me is that it both provides further insight into a rock outfit for the legions of fans, as well as introducing uninitiated viewers into a world that proves endlessly fascinating. I am personally of the latter, as going into this film, The Rose, a Korean rock group, were unfamiliar to me, but in the wake of Eugene Yi‘s outing it’s all the more obvious why they achieved the success they have and, more importantly, why such is warranted.
The film commences with The Rose performing at Coachella in 2024, with each member – all donned in a variety of bejeweled attire – introduced via their English names: Sammy (Kim Woosung), vocalist and guitarist, Leo (Park Dojoon), vocalist, guitarist and keyboard, Dylan (Lee Hajoon), drummer and sub-vocalist, and Jeff (Lee Jaehyeong), bassist and sub-vocalist. They’re immediately charming the moment we see them, and it’s evident over the course of Come Back to Me‘s 85 minutes how that sense of charisma has continually aided them across a career that started out in the busking scene of South Korea, through to the global stadiums of their current standing.
It was the most humble of beginnings for the group, as Yi tracks their steps as to how The Rose – named so after the flower and its duality of being both beautiful but filled with thorns – formed the quartet we see today. Leo was always about the love of the music, and he details his busking beginnings in the Seoul neighbourhood of Hongdae, living off the tips he made from performing. Whilst busking, Leo met Jeff, who later linked with Dylan following them both practicing in the same studio. An indie trio was formed – Windfall – and they began performing, but it wasn’t until they met Sammy, a former contestant on a K-pop reality series (K-pop Star), that they felt truly like a collective. The Rose was officially in bloom.
As seems to be a usual course of events for bands, The Rose weren’t without their controversies and setbacks, but it’s the fact that they came out the other end united and then channeled such through their music that allows a deep appreciation for both them as individuals and the music they release. Seeing many of their gigs cancelled due to COVID, lawsuits against their original music label, Leo enlisting for mandatory Military Service, and an agency push for Sammy to be singled out as the star member…The Rose persevered through a multitude of professional and personal hardships, and each member (mostly) gets the chance to express their gratitude for how the music and the subsequent fanbase saved them.
One of the strongest components to Come Back to Me is that it never feels designed to emotionally manipulate. There’s very much the sense that the group know who they are as people and are unbothered if people don’t take to them. There isn’t a sob story mentality adhered to, The Rose present themselves with an honesty, and when some documentaries feel designed to specifically highlight an artist in a manner that can skew the view, Come Back to Me is all the more refreshing for its approach.
A touching look at the power of connection and a reminder that genuine talent can be rewarded, The Rose: Come Back to Me will no doubt prove even more of an impactful watch for fans of the band, but outsiders are sure to come to respect and appreciate what these four gentlemen have made together.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Rose: Come Back to Me is screening as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, running between June 4th and 15th, 2025. For more information, head to the official site here.
