In his first semester at an out-of-state university, Ison navigates new friendships and a romantic interest. Jinho Myung directs “Into Particles,” an unassuming yet captivating small-scale character study, endearing in its naivety and tenderness. After an overview of Ison’s upbringing in California told through old family photos and narration, we cut to the current day where the young man has moved to Denver, Colorado to attend college. He’s still finding his footing in the cold and snow of a new city around new people from differing cultural backgrounds. When he meets Tess at a study group, he quietly sparks to her and they embark on a gentle back and forth, getting to know one another slowly, gauging whether they’d like to go further. The film, like Myung’s previous work, is remarkably real, perfectly capturing young people in their element, at their rhythms, with their own manners of speech and expression. Its two leads are a treat to watch — utterly believable in their low-energy deliveries and real-time discoveries of each other’s personalities and beliefs. -KA. Writer, director, editor: Jinho Myung. Cast: Harrison Allen, Tess Moschetta, Frank Sokasits. Shot by Chris Li. Assistant Camera: Nightly Weber. PA: Olivia Casalenuovo.

Collection of films by Jinho Myung: https://www.nobudge.com/search?q=jinho%20myung