Very dark, very painful but exceptional acting from the whole cast!
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS MOVIE CAN BE TRIGGERING AS IT DEALS WITH VERY DARK TOPICS SO WATCH WITH CAUTION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO!I really don't know how to critique or review a story/plot that was so deeply disturbing and uncomfortable for me. Was it good? I don't know. Was it bad? I don't know. All I know is my heart ached for these characters (specifically the twins and their friend) and loathed everyone else. I suppose in a way that makes it a great story because I was soooo immersed in it; every dark turn made me physically sick.
And that was kind of the problem. There were many parts of the story I hated but did I hate it because of the triggering nature of those scenes? Or is there something to critique about the plot itself? It's hard to distinguish for me. I do think the story flows well. The way they showed the present with the flashbacks of Wolwoo is done really, really well. There wasn't ever a point in the movie where I thought "huh this is jarring". Like I said, I was genuinely, intensely immersed.
I went to watch for Jinyoung. As a fan of his since Got7, I've followed his career pretty much from the beginning, and this was truly something special. He was phenomenal as both Ilwoo and Wolwoo. I forgot he was Jinyoung. I forgot everything and just wanted to jump into the screen and protect these boys. His heartbreak, pain and trauma were more than just believable, like I said, it made me really uncomfortable (due to the nature of the topics).
The whole cast was phenomenal.
So that's why I'm giving it a 10 solely for the acting.
I really can't say more about the plot than this because... there's a reason why the synopsis is so vague. Let's just say that.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you are a fan of Jinyoung or any of these young actors. Or if you're a fan of dark, intense movies about vengeance.
Would I rewatch it? Absolutely not. I'm so sorry, Jinyoung, but once is enough. My heart can't take more.
Anyway, I don't know... Good luck if you do watch haha.
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“You’ll lose the one in your hand, trying to catch the one on the run.”
I actually…the more I think on it…genuinely liked this movie. Jinyoung acted his socks off, and for this, I think his future in acting will be rewarding and he’ll develop quite the repertoire. He isn’t just a pretty face.While I liked this movie, it is dark for a Korean movie (if you’re used to watching their romance comedies and typical melodramas). But if you’ve seen your fair share of revenge flicks, and a good mix of British/American independent movies, you’re strong enough to watch “A Christmas Carol”.
The ending is satisfying enough to leave you pondering about your own life. What do you take for granted? How important is the goal you’re so dead set on completing? Do you want to become those who’ve hurt you?
Although you provide support to those you love by putting a roof over their head, actually showing them affection and support matters. Also, you must think about society, and who it’s left behind. Sometimes it’s even simply best to leave the bad guys getting their just deserts by fate and bad karma alone. No need to carry it out on your own and with force. There’s a favorite quote of mine that says something about choosing to forgive because it’s best for one’s peace of mind. And I consider this sentiment along with the idea that sometimes it’s best not knowing. It’ll drive you crazy.
Having said that, I must mention that I’m an identical twin, and this movie did hit home for me. There was one scene in particular that actually made me cry because I’d hate to see my twin sister in a pretty terrible situation due to the fact that she couldn’t share with me what was hurting her. Sometimes I hurt my sister’s feelings, and lash out at her due to stress. I’m so goal driven, but I hardly stop to take care of myself. So, how he pushed away his brother made me look at myself. Never take your loved ones for granted.
If you’re simply a fan of Park Jinyoung, or like a revenge flick…you’re in a for a big surprise. At first you may feel tricked, but in the end you will realize it was worth it. This movie will stay with me for quite sometime. And maybe my sister will one day stop asking me, “Why are you still going on about the movie? I thought you said it was too dark? I don’t want to see it.”
Therefore, I believe it’s a great watch if you’re a fan of movies that are different and make you think. Rewatch value depends on the individual. But the older I get I believe I just might re-watch this in the following years. Whether to see how far Park Jinyoung has come in his acting, or to remember why this movie has stayed with me for all these years.
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Watched for a mind f*ck, Got a mind f*ck
I saw some edits of this drama on TikTok and saw that it was just a movie. I had been looking for a sad movie to watch so I didn't have to invest 16 hours of my life into a sad Kdrama. And when I tell you this is not the movie for ice cream and cry time, I wouldn't be lying.The story had a few plot holes and parts where I didn't understand what was going on, but that could also be held to the fact THAT I WAS IN TEARS for a majority of this drama. I really have no room to judge whatsoever on the plot of this movie. Due to that, I gave it a 10/10. I can't rate it lower just because "he died" or "why did it have to end like that" the whole point of this movie was to get that point across. It's not like it was a cute little romance movie and I'm now gonna write a hate review because the couple I wanted to get together, in the end, didn't. This movie was about a serious subject and I shall rate it accordingly.
When going in to watch this movie I was a little worried about Park Jin-Young being cast in it. I was extremely nervous with this movie's serious subject matter, that the movie would try to "sexualize" him too much. But I was very surprised by the fact that he wasn't portrayed as a super hot brother seeking revenge on his poor twin. They didn't make him look flawlessly attractive giving him perfect skin a gorgeous makeup. He wasn't ripped in all the scenes where his shirt was off, and they surely didn't give very many of those scenes. On top of that Park Jin-Young's acting as Wol Woo was unrecognizable. Every signal scene with Wol Woo had me bawling my eyes out. Overall, the acting of both twins was splendidly done by Park Jin-Young.
I think this movie could have been completely ruined if they had added some sappy sad songs over some of the scenes. The lack of music made this movie seem all more real. There was no dramatic fight scene music as Il Woo was fighting for his life. There was no a-cappella being sung over all of the SA scenes. The only music throughout the whole movie that really made an impression on me was the Christmas Carol.
While I do think this was a movie worth my watch to see Park Jin-Young's amazing acting. If he wasn't in it I probably would have never found it or even considered watching it. The chances of me rewatching this again a slim to none but I am thankful that I had the opportunity to watch this one time.
If you do plan on watching this movie I won't stop you, but be warned this movie holds no bounds and absolutely no room for happiness. So grab your box of tissues or your roll of toilet paper as I did, and prepare to be Mind F*cked.
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Well that was some deep dark mofo s@#t
Wow. I...I just don't know how and where to start with this movie. I wanted to watch this movie, but then again, I didn't because of some of the tags. This movie is not what I usually watch and maybe I should have stayed away from it as I read the tags. But I still gave it a go because Park Jinyoung starred in it.And I must say...Park Jinyoung killed it. I always loved his acting in his previous series/ movies, but he was stellar in his dual role. The emotions that he went through and was able to portray, I felt them. The other actors also portrayed their role good as well. The amount of anger I had watching them - my blood was boiling. This movie is a roller coaster of emotions.
Now, here's the thing- would I recommend this movie to others? Sure, if you can handle the tags and also a fan of Park Jinyoung. If not, then no. I basically watched this just for him. If he was not starring in this (or any of my other fav actors), I know that I wouldn't watch it. The same way that I watched a series for another actor, but I knew it was not my genre.
I know that there is no way I would watch this movie again. I felt so emotional watching this the first time- so much anger, pain, hurt, sadness, etc. And because of that, I just can't give this movie a full 10. My suggested rating is an 8. But I am going to give this movie a 9.5 because it did keep my attention for the whole duration and the actors were all stellar portraying their characters.
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Park Jin Young is the real MVP!
'A Christmas Carol' is a story about a twin brother who goes to a juvenile detention center on his own to avenge the death of his twin brother. It's not Christmas-themed, more about an incident that happen during Christmas time. It's an intense movie filled with very VERY painful scenes, I felt a slow-burn suspense consistently. It looks very dark and gritty, a lot of beating and cursing so trigger warning. The flashbacks scenes are not confusing and it flows well with the plot. It's not just a movie about a crime investigation, it is also asking about whom and what do you take for granted in your life, how important revenge is and how far can you go.By the climax, I got so angry and sad. It's a very unsettling reveal, so proceed with caution... it’s not a movie that leaves you feeling okay. For this reason, I won't recommend this to all, unless you want to see Jin Young's amazing acting nuance, at the same time ruining your inner child's fantasy on Santa Claus...
Though it’s great that I felt really emotional throughout, I had to suspend my disbelief for the real cause and execution of the main incident. It explains the meaning of foreshadowing scenes leading up to this climax, but I expect this particular scene could have been written better or more realistic. Nevertheless, I think this is a great movie because it manages to grabbed my heart and ruined it to pieces. I will need some time to heal and by re-watching Jin Young's other works. Hats off to you, Park Jin Young, I respect you very much!
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A horrid and depressing story of revenge
The first scene was just anguish overload. It introduced a grief-stricken Il-woo (Park Jin-young) seeking to avenge his twin brother's death. Park Jin-young's conveying raw emotions of grief and anger during the first 5 minutes was just flawless. It was just applauding that he was able to get rid of his flower boy Kpop idol persona and transform into a dirty, gritty, and morally-ambiguous character. "A Christmas Carol" is the pinnacle of his acting chops and just proved his versality. Basically, PJY is the highlight of this movie and deserves an award nomination at least.For the plot, it had a stable direction while it focused much of its first half on the violence/revenge part then addressing the problem on the second half. There are several trigger warnings and some people won't be able to digest or feel the same rage as me while watching it. If one could be able to get past through the first hour without having the urge to end it, the second half, although darker, would be interesting to watch.
It was emotionally-investing to see Il-woo's journey in achieving justice for his brother's death. The flashback scenes shed some light but at the same time, just felt utter pity towards Wol-woo's plight. Il-woo's realization later on was just heart-breaking, as with most scenes towards the ending.
Could've been better in terms of tension build up especially when it was revealing who was behind the crime. The reveal was still good, it was somewhat surprising but it also felt disjointed in terms of its execution. But when everything was then connected, it now all made sense, and it being gory is such an understatement. For seasoned movie watchers though, the "plot twist" could be already seen a mile away.
Even with all the horrible events all throughout the movie, the ending still provided a glimpse of light. Only a glimpse, since it doesn't yet evoke a societal-level change and the court verdict was questionable, but still a glimpse, since it triggered a talk, if not a controversy about this movie and its story. Maybe it can be a catalyst for such gruesome incidents to be stopped and prevented in the future. With that in mind, I think this movie was able to tell its message to the viewers quite well aside from few wonky sequences and story telling on the later part.
It's not obvious based on the final outcome, but this movie actually faced severe restrictions from the Korean movie board and had to be revised four times before being finally released. Yet despite the fact, 크리스마스캐롤 ("A Christmas Carol") was still able to portray a horrid and depressing story of revenge.
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If there was a God, would he know about this shit?
Another hard-hitting film from South Korea that talks about bullying, injustice, abuse of power, and the struggling youth. The movie would embed itself into your head hours after you had watched it. The progression of the movie was just right, I absolutely loved the cinematography and the way the music and silence were used throughout the film. I believe they helped in the storytelling, allowing us to feel Il-Woo's emptiness.I believe the little details in the background of each cut are also worth mentioning, as this immensely helped shape the film. The script and the individual characters themselves were very well-written, the way Chon Son Woo's character shifted after the event had passed was so real you could have convinced me it was true. You could tell that they studied prior to creating the script.
You could feel how genuine, volatile, empty, and desperate each character was throughout the film, creating this experience that just leaves you pained and flustered. It was simply so raw, and emotional. I've watched Heo Dong Won from Insider, Park Jin Young from The Devil Judge, and Song Geon Hee from Alice: The Final Weapon. But I truly believe that this film stands as their best film, with such a short amount of time they managed to create a story that was so painful it leaves you with a spot inside your brain that you could never itch.
As much as I loved this film, I believe it isn't something that anyone could digest. It talks about:
- S*xual Abuse
- Bullying
- Abandonment
- Murder
- Abuse of Power
- Mental Illness
So, if you find any of these triggering, I sincerely would like to ask you to stay away from this film as the scenes aren't downplayed and are portrayed realistically. This is the same reason I rated it very low for it's rewatch value, simply because I don't think it would be a healthy choice for me to watch it again.
This film stands as one of the best examples to justify just how amazing an actor Park Jin Young is.
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Wanted to love it, a bit disappointed
Disclaimer: I watched this as a pick me up on a shitty day, feeling very much meh, so it could be a factor in my less effusive appreciation.As others have said, this movie deals with dark, heavy themes (bullying, sexual assault, violence, and rape) so watch at your own risk! Also worth to note the autistic portrayal (story wise) may be upsetting so take that into consideration as well.
I watched this for Jin Young (and the whump, fine), and the acting, generally speaking, is consistent throughout, as I've come to expect broadly speaking from Korean productions. I couldn't help but compare the Joo Wol Woo portrayal to Moon Sang Tae from It's Okay Not To Be Okay which I felt was more artfully done, but to be fair it was a series, not a movie, so the range, depth, and exposure was longer.
The themes are nothing new from other dramas and movies exploring violence, bullying, and systemic violence, definitely heavy handed in an "everybody swears all the time" kind of way (on top of all the other dark shit). The cinematography echoes that dark grittiness but it's not mind-blowing good (but it was an indie budget wasn't it?).
I was a bit let down by the story... immersion? It wasn't very clear of the boys' relationships from the start, where they knew each other from, I got confused in terms of places and who went where, when. Maybe that was more the subtitles, I'll never know. I did see a twist coming, which is good (the crumbs they give do lead to the right road), and the ending works for the story they've told.
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Life is worth living even when it's tragic
Overall this was a very depressing movie. That doesn't mean it wasn't a worthy movie to watch. It did contain some very violent and tragic content. It's really sad that poor marginalized people can live a life that's challenging and hopeless. The twin that sought revenge for the violence perpetrated against his disabled brother was a brave and conflicted person. I rather agreed with his comment, "Why do the victims have to forgive?" The plot twist at the end of the movie tied together so many elements of the movie. The awful evil supposedly kind teacher deserved to die. He raped that poor disabled boy weekly. Then on Christmas Eve when he discovered him brutally beaten, raped him again. There was no justification for such evil! Then the POS selfishly said that he had had a bad day! Evil-- pure evil! It was a difficult movie to watch. The story, the acting and every element of the story was excellent. The low score for the rewatch value is simply because this was a tragic exceptionally sad movie that would be difficult to watch again.Was this review helpful to you?
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a Christmas carol and the way it is written
I overal like this movie and believe it deserves the praise it got, the problem that I had with it is it's way of the direction of the disabled brother In him being the victim, also I feel like some aspects in the story weren't fully fleshed out and there where definitely scene that weren't needed and was just there to be there. the story was compelling in why our main character wanted to get his revenge and his mindset and perspective but leaving out key view from other characters that showed have been more prevalent to the story and where it was going. I wished they had more focus on how the Sa of the twin and other student at the school had affected them and how it affected the relationships around them. I know not every thing can be put into a 2 hour movie but I feel like if we the viewers are to find out about the characters misfortune we should get more insight on them even if it's from themsin character it's still possible by using the the MC lack of understanding ofwhat was going on to his brother as an advantage of portraying the twin. It's fine if people don't agree with me, this is just my view. so don't take it so seriously.Was this review helpful to you?
Trust
Bravo to Park Jin Young for his outstanding performances, I said that because he played a dual role. Even though Il Woo felt some type of way about his twin’s disability, deep down he really loved him. This movie will expose a lot of darkness surrounding the characters that are being portrayed in this film. You will experience an emotional connection between Jo Woo and his brother, plus his brother’s best friend. I’m just sorry that it took me so long to find this jaw dropping movie!! I would not be surprised if this movie received a lot of awards for not only acquiring an outstanding cast and crew etc. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!!Thanks to all the subbers for giving me the opportunity to watch such an incredible movie!!
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This movie made me feel beyond anger
i m someone who likes watching fucked up movies and shows... i have a sense of darkness that i explore through cinema . i v watched many shows displaying messed up shit , and that it is why i checked this one out.This movie didnt evoke any sadness in me , my eyes didnt tear not once . I was too angry to be sad . This movie made so furious. I felt a sense of violence within me ,which is something far from my actual personality.
I just kept getting angry and fucking livid as the movie progressed. Every moment of it, made me clench my fist , curse out loud, and just want to beat up someone.
As an Idol, Jin Young proved himself as an actor with this movie . i genuinely hope he was okay afterwards because playing both twins roles . And experiencing both their feelings is just sick torture and mentally devastating. He did an amazing job as an actor, i sincerely hope he snaps out of this character asap.
About the plot , i have to say i wasnt upset at all about Il Woo s negligence of his retarded brother. He was a kid aswell , he needed guidance and supervision aswell, he was a young boy who was given a burden heavier than he deserves. However I was immensely boiling about that counselor who killed Woo Ioo . the actor was sooo convincing, i knew he was fucked up right from the beginning.
i dont wanna get too deep into the storyline, it will just make me angry all over again. but what i d like to say is , these things do happen in our reality, and special needs people and even sane people get exploited and toyed with . we live in a dark world, and this movie was a crude piece of it
PS: the rewatch value i wanna give is 0. Please dont check this movie unless you can handle it.
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