2025 Movie Marathon

Director: Kim Hyun Seok; Screenwriter: Yoo Seung Hee 

Comment: (Spoiler) Actual biggest plottwist I've seen in a while; I've  been almost lead to believe it was an ordinary feel-good slice-of-life movie. But in a way I think it's the point; the war crimes victims and SA victims continue to live and others might not suspect that someone around them could have experienced it. In the past and today too we find it uncomfortable to talk about it and when the victims speak out, they will be accused of lying for attention and those in fault will be pardoned after a half-assed apology ; it is still common, although we are moving in the right direction. More than anything this movie encourages to speak, to continue speaking, screaming if you need, until you are heard. (Completed: 08/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Bang Eun Jin; Screenwriter: Min Ye Ji

Comment: Despite my initial "head tilt" reaction to this movie, I still think about it sometimes. Mostly thanks to very pleasant OST, especially the main track "Method", which captures overall feel of the movie pretty nicely. It'd be easy to say that the actual "method" acting started only after the press conference, but the movie blurs the lines just enough to leave doubt in me -- so when did it start? The theatre aspect of it, unclear relationship that the main characters experience, along with the soundtrack left a lasting impession. Might rewatch it in future. (Completed: 12/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Otomo Keishi; Screenwriter: Fujii Kiyomi

Comment: Action is not my jam, but it was fun. (Completed: 13/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Iwai Shunji 

Comment: I'm a fan of movies described as "just a short glimpse into someone's life". Even without subtitles I was able to understand it; overall this film leaves a pleasant feeling, as if seeing someone's memories due to beautiful, almost dreamlike cinematography. I've heard of Iwai and decided to start my acquaintance with him with this movie. (Completed: 17/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Mag Hsu; Screenwriter: Lu Shih Yuan

Comment: Watching this movie made me realise what I like best: dynamic, melancolic and cinematic films. Dear Ex beats all these chriteria; with unique perspective from all central characters, pleasant cinematography, good music and full of color that mixes with complicated feelings about love, marriage, acceptance, loss, and "who's at fault", it leaves a unique aftertaste. Definitely sets the standart of a "Good Movie" for me.  (Completed: 17/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Jang Jae Hyun 

Comment: I'm not a regular viewer of horror / supernatural genre, so for me this shaman horror was a solid introduction; it presents a layered mysterious narrative, however I wasn't exactly at the edge of my seat while watching. Cinematography itself is okay, but almost the whole movie was so dark, I didn't even know what to be scared of. The shamanistic / geomancy elements were very interesting and, as I expected, it was the most worthwhile aspect of the movie. (Completed: 18/01)

Director: Min Mi-Hong

Comment: For a short film it made me feel way more than I expected, quite a ride. Somehow feels relatable. (Completed: 18/01)

Director: Ishikawa Kitaji; Screenwriter: Suzuki Osamu

Comment: Pure nostalgia with classic Japanese comedic overacting. (Completed: 19/01)

Director: Lee Joon Ik 

Comment: As one of the critics described, the movie feels like a Shakeasperean tragedy (or Greek, for that matter); happiness seems to be just one step away, but the fall was fated. Tyrant, who gets so carried away by violence in response to his past, who almost got someone's sympathy but shattered it so quickly. The jesters, like ying and yang meant to be together until the end: one who denies and then embraces the impending doom of the narrative and the other, who desperately tries to hold onto the good that slips away from his hands. Prior to watching, I was worried that the relationship between main characters were strained, thankfully it wasn't the case. 8.7 gay clowns out of 10. Curtain! (Completed: 19/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Oshima Nagisa 

Comment: Beautiful and young gay samurai-psychopath appears among the militia -- what happens next will shock you! (murder) Direct follow up to the previous film, this one has completely different atmosphere. In the tradition of the Japanese cinema, no matter how fucked up the plot is, the rain will fall very aesthetically. Film never gives you answers and keeps you guessing just like Hijikata does (easily best character). Don't think I've ever seen troubles of gay samurai on screen before and with pleasant cinematography. It is quite peculiar film though, not for everyone. (Completed: 19/01)

Director: Lee Eon Hee; Screenwriter: Kim Na Deul

Comment: Comfort, feel-good movie about friendship, youth and love. As much as straight girl-gay guy is a joke relationship in the western media by this point, this movie handled their relationship very well. Heung Su understandably lives in fear of being outed, which complicates his relationship with othersr; Jae Hui confronts the rumors and assumptions about her by embracing them, but over the years she starts to lose herself in the "normality", just like Heung Su. The actual "Love in The Big City" is their love and support for each other, and the decade they spent together that defined them as people. (Completed: 21/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Wong Kar Wai 

Comment: WKW is one of those directors that you can't really jump into after experiencing only coherent plot driven and dialogue-focused  films; his style consists of flashes of memory  from someone's period of life. Broken people in the broken world happen to meet, yet they remain alinated, chronically alone, living day after day, year after year. Nothing fantastic happens, never fully satisfied, attempting to hold onto any connection even when it's rotten. Too depresing for me, yet mastery in atmosphere. (Completed: 22/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Wong Kar Wai 

Comment: Similarly to the previous film, Happy Together seems like a hazy memory of someone's experience in "tug of war" type of relationship. Yiu Fai wants to tie down Po Wing, while the latter keeps running away and coming back when he feels like it. From the beginning this relationship was meant to fall apart, yet we resist. And just like that day after day... Wouldn't be surprised if it was an inspiration for "Dear Ex" style; not once I noticed similarity between two apartments, especially in choise of color. (Completed: 22/01)  

Screenwriter & Director: Park Chan Wook 

Comment: To be completely honest, I cannot fathom how I can even rate this movie. From the technical side it's complete 10 out of 10: music, pacing, camera work, colors, acting, it's perfect, not to mention famous hallway fight. But the plot. It will take me a long time to recover. Sick and twisted, how could nobody warn me that the main genre is actually psychological horror. I honestly can't give it a rating it deserves. (Completed: 23/01)

Director: Park Bum Soo; Screenwriter: Lee Ji Min

Comment: A healthy, adult romance without dramaticism and misunderstandings. It brought up interesting points regarding relative perspectives on relationships and how we approach our past but also about publishing industry. Every author believes they will change the world with their book -- is very true; but we remain hopeful that someone out there will get something out of our creation, just like in the movie. It encorages to live and love without regret, as they say, loving someone is never a waste. (Completed: 23/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Park Chan Wook 

Comment: It definitely grew on me over the last few days. Way less shoking and straightforward, more atmospheric and dreamlike compared to Oldboy, which made this movie feel "closer" to me. But it's still beautifully done and exists as a one complete piece of art. There are lots of complicated emotions that Geum-ja carries throught the movie, particularly her inability to wash her hands of profound guilt that she feels for letting the criminal go free, for letting other childrens death, for using others and actually killing someone, for not being close to her daughter and trying to bridge that wall that emerged between them, all of which she's seemingly covering under red eyeshadow, yet wishing to be actually pure. I must see this movie again sometime. (Completed: 24/01)

Director: Imaizumi Rikiya; Screenwriter: Atsushi Asada

Comment: Lovely story about relationship within the family, about admiting your feelings and mistakes. (Completed: 25/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Wong Kar Wai 

Comment: Another green-yellow-red crossroad of lonely people. Somehow this movie didn't exactly do it for me, and perhaps I'll need some more time with it. (Completed: 27/01)

Director: Hagiwara Kentaro; Screenwriter: Yoshida Reiko

(Completed: 31/01)

Screenwriter & Director: Park Chan Wook; Screenwriter: Jung Seo Kyung

(Completed: 01/02)

Screenwriter & Director: Park Chan Wook; Screenwriter: Jung Seo Kyung

(Completed: 11/02)

Not yet available

Screenwriter & Director: Wong Kar Wai 

Screenwriter & Director: Iwai Shunji 

Screenwriter & Director: Iwai Shunji 

Screenwriter & Director: Park Chan Wook 

Screenwriter & Director: Edward Yang; Screenwriter: Alex Yang

Screenwriter & Director: Edward Yang 

Screenwriter & Director: Edward Yang; Screenwriter: Hou Hsiao Hsien, Chu Tien Wen

Director: Hou Hsiao Hsien; Screenwriter: Chu Tien Wen, Wu Nien Chen

Screenwriter & Director: Ang Lee 

Screenwriter & Director: Bong Joon Ho; Screenwriter: Shim Sung Bo

Screenwriter & Director: Nakashima Tetsuya 

Director: Koreeda Hirokazu; Screenwriter: Sakamoto Yuji

Screenwriter & Director: Han Shuai 

Screenwriter & Director: Koreeda Hirokazu 

Director: Rene Liu; Screenwriter: Yuan Yuan