Realising the extra hardships the deaf faced during the pandemic was eye-opening. Losing a place or person of great sentimental value—especially one that was your greatest supporter and embodied quaint, independent, and intimate qualities often missing in commercial settings—is dispiriting and makes moving on difficult.
A poignant human drama that follows the Yamato crew's journey in the year leading up to its defeat. The final battle's one-sided massacre is particularly harrowing. Although the film could've better conveyed the crew's sheer volume, it competently uses well-placed time skips to highlight key moments, while occasionally alternating between past and present.
A unique take on anti-bullying, appearances and belonging, with some genuine surprises. Cleverly, it never hints at a twist, but when revealed, it recontextualizes much of the earlier plot. Hideko's scruffiness seems to stem from stress over her absent father, though this isn't explicitly stated. Unfortunately, misunderstandings prevent the precocious Rumiko from staying in the rural town where she finally finds a sense of belonging.
The film's overuse of static shots, which initially encouraged reflection, soon became tedious. While a particularly intense and subtle scene involving the eldest sister's conflicted emotions toward her younger sister stands out, other compelling films on troubled parenting overshadow this one. To cap it off, the abrupt open ending leaves much to be desired.
Although the main story is plenty of fun, there are several irrelevant scenes that disrupt its flow. Integrating the more appealing interruptions into the narrative could've made it exceptional. However, it's still quite good as is.
This stylish film, rich with musical numbers, could've been a humbling experience, but it fails to evoke sympathy due to Matsuko's relentless poor decisions and lack of growth. Although labelled a tragicomedy, the jarring tone fails to deliver any humour. When a student commits a crime under school supervision, a strict protocol should be followed, but this isn't observed. Then there's seeing a married man, staying in abusive relationships, committing murder, dating a yakuza, quitting her profession, and becoming a hikikomori—impeccable life choices.
A harrowing look at the brokenness of society. People often lack the nuance needed to avoid shallow conclusions because they've been conditioned to think uniformly, believing that deviation is either inexcusable or unavoidable. This mindset fosters ill-conceived prejudices, causing irreparable harm to undeserving individuals.
Has minor "Psycho-Pass" vibes. "Platinum Data", a supercomputer for law enforcement, capable of identifying and tracking anyone via their DNA. The film raises many ethical questions but lacks sufficient depth due to its convoluted twists and turns. Despite its shortcomings, it remains an enjoyable political thriller with great performances, chase sequences, and cinematography.
Deceit, romance, workaholism, cheating, terminal illness, and a sex doll workshop—this unconventional drama features scenes that must be seen to be believed. While familiar tropes do appear, the movie handles everything earnestly. However, it can feel like two conflicting films at times. Personally, I’d have preferred the comedy that involves a struggling sex doll workshop in a competitive market.
A reflective, sombre, and steady-paced film about a retired widower who seeks redemption after discovering his neighbour's daughter is a victim of abuse and neglect. His attempt to help leads to an inadvertent kidnapping and a series of misunderstandings, heightened by an unrelated incident as morally challenged police close in.
This Netflix series hit rock bottom with the opening scene of episode 2 and never recovered. Although it occasionally showed promise, these moments were overshadowed by irrelevant content that failed to capture the franchise’s tone and essence. Furthermore, the claim that 'Ju-On' is based on a true story is misleading, as it's entirely fictional. The highlights were episode 3's absurdity, the creepy fetus, and the ghost woman's makeup effects at 17:52 in the final episode.
Kurukuru, kurukuru—oh, don't mind me, I'm just drawing spirals for no reason. Actually, I recently had to move in with my relatives because my house got demolished (LOL). This gave me an identity crisis; I no longer know if I'm 'Ju-On' or a 'Body Snatcher.' It seems the 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 has run dry for this series (oops, wrong franchise).
Mostly rehashing old territory while misguidedly changing the lore. The results are mixed, but it still has its scares. Alas, the Saeki house looks too pleasant with open spaces and ample light, lacking the claustrophobic, dim, isolated atmosphere of the original. And what's with those spirals? Foreshadowing Sadako vs. Kayako?
The hospital set looked abandoned and poorly dressed, which was quite distracting. The large face protruding from Fukie's stomach appeared more ridiculous than scary. Beyond fan service, there's no justifiable reason for Fukie's unborn twin to emit a death rattle, nor should an unborn fetus have the capacity to hold a grudge. The laughable pseudoscience and scientific explanations don't help either. Black ghosts, seemingly representing unborn children, are not elaborated on sufficiently to make clear sense. While I appreciate the attempt to try something different, this film squanders its potential. To its credit, there are some admirably unsettling moments, which are the highlight of the film.
A terrifying spin-off that revisits the series' low-budget direct-to-video roots without sacrificing quality. The story maintains the familiar tone of its predecessors while incorporating unnecessary but effective mild gore. However, certain plot points are disappointingly underdeveloped.
A slight departure from the first three, introducing spookier cinematography, semi-meta horror staples, a twist ending foreshadowed from the opening scene, and doubly chilling scenarios.
Following its prequels' formula, this first theatrical entry benefits from a higher budget and production value, allowing Takashi Shimizu to achieve more elaborate scares while maintaining a level of restraint to avoid overkill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzI8SdmYZ18