Tribeca 2025 Review: THE ROSE: COME BACK TO ME Follows Indie Rock Group's Career

K-Pop has its rabid fans, but there is more to Korean music than tightly managed, corporate-sponsored groups. Case in point: The Rose, a rock-oriented quartet that has been gaining followers for close to a decade.

The Rose: Come Back to Me details the group's career from its founding to its current world tours. Slickly produced, the doc romanticizes the musicians as outsiders fighting rigid K-Pop rules. The group's setbacks are either glossed over or depicted as examples of The Rose's independent streak.

One thing that sets The Rose apart from typical K-pop ensembles is the fact that the four are all excellent musicians, not just attractive models dancing to backing tapes. The snippets of material presented in the film are not always top-notch, especially their maudlin hit "Sorry," but the songs are all performed with verve and genuine talent.

Archival footage and animation help cover the group's early years, narrated by the four in voice-overs. Raised in California, Woosung Sammy Kim (singer, guitar) talks about competing on the Korean reality show K-Pop Star. Hajoon Dylan Lee (drums) explains writing "Sorry." Jaehyoung Jeff Lee (bass) talks about his bouts of depression. Dojoon Leo Park (singer, guitar, synths) gradually emerges as the leader of the four, the one who does the most to determine the group's sound and direction.

Missteps threaten to derail the group right from the start. In an early music video, they incorporated Instagram pictures of Jonghyun (a much-loved K-Pop idol who committed suicide in 2017) without permission. Then they sued their record label, a move that effectively closed them off from the Korean market.

When the press discovered that Sammy was arrested for drugs (actually for possession of marijuana, still a serious crime there), and the other three started their mandatory military duty, the group looked doomed.

Sammy overcame his drug notoriety to pursue a solo career. When the other three returned to civilian life, The Rose reunited. They toured Europe and the Americas, ignoring their problems in Korea.

The Rose: Come Back to Me builds to the group's appearance at the 2024 edition of Coachella, where they performed twice, augmented by a marching band and string section. Their arena-style rock goes over well with the Coachella crowd, even though they were relegated to non-peak slots.

If K-Pop leaves you cold, consider looking into The Rose. Their "Back to Me," performed several times over the course of the documentary, is a bona fide classic—maybe because a dozen songwriters worked on it. If you're more adventurous, find out about Say Sue Me, an indie rock band  from Busan.

The film enjoyed its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2025. Visit its official festival page for more information.