Our view of each friend's life suggests that the critique here is not just of modernity, but of neoliberal patriarchal capitalism, in which everyone is just trying to get by.

Despite its isolated strengths, Microhabitat suffers from an overall tonal inconsistency, its bid for pathos undermined by a broad approach that often borders on farcical.

The film is emotional in a slow build sort of way, giving the story time to develop, the viewer time to become invested, giving them something to think about that is something that is far more wide-reaching than some might think.

The unpredictable reactions from people that Miso hasn't seen in years allow for both biting humour and poignant moments, and Jeon handles these changes in tone admirably in this light, entertaining, and quietly rebellious feature debut.