Dg457

Laughing through political chaos

Isn't it fascinating when a movie ends up becoming one of your most favourites, despite having zero expectations prior watching it? That's Good News to me, for it has become one of the best movies I've watched this year.

Good News is about a hijacking story from 1970. Members of the the Red Army Faction hijacked a commercial aircraft and demanded that the flight be rerouted to Pyongyang. Japan, South Korea, and the US deploy several strategies in order to hijack a radio signal from the airplane. The main characters, "Nobody", a mysterious man and the South Korean Seo Go Myung, work for South Korea and they're trying to bring the airplane to their country.


Before I watched Good News, I didn't have a lot of expectations. I was interested to watch it after learning that Hong Kyung and Sul Kyung Gu were in it and the story seemed interesting enough. But apart from that, I went blindly into it. I didn't even watch the trailer and I overall had a very vague impression of the story. Looking back at it, I think I made the right decision.

On the surface, Good News might appear to be a typical Korean thriller based on real events. I was aware of the fact that the movie was based on a real hijacking event, therefore I expected it to be a sort of Hijack: 1981 film. But the film quickly proved me wrong in the best way possible.

I didn't foresee that instead of a serious, historical thriller I would watch a satirical political movie, with plenty of humor. The jokes were spot on and the dialogues and interactions between the characters added more layers to the absurd events. The comedy never felt forced and the jokes flew by smoothly. I genuinely did not expect to have as much fun as I did, I laughed so hard during some scenes to the point I could feel my abs burning!

What I really liked with this film is that it poked fun at everyone. No one was excluded from its sharp humor and satire, be it South or North Korea, Japan, US, communists, marxists etc. Instead of taking sides and making fun of a specific country or political ideology, Good News portrays each side in the most bizarre and laughable way. It was a very bold and daring approach but the writers pulled it off magnificently.

Comedy and history were blended together, resulting in an overall light-hearted movie. But the message never got lost in translation (figuratively and metaphorically). Through its excessive and witty humour, Good News' ultimate goal is to show the hypocrisy of politicians and make fun of their thirst for power. While the story is centered around a hijacking event, it's not the hijackers who get framed as the villains. Throughout the whole movie, we observe how agencies in South and North Korea and Japan move their pawns in order to benefit from the hijack. Politicians from both sides claim that the ultimate goal is to save the lives of the passengers. But underneath the surface, it becomes clear that their intentions are not as humanitarian as they seem.

Corruption, greed, lies, manipulation...These are only a few of the defying traits of people in power. We see how men in powerful positions try to infiltrate people's minds for their own benefit. In order to do so, they utilize three aspects, as stated by "Nobody": real events that happened, a little bit of creativity and the willingness to suspend disbelief. Once you give people something to be afraid of, things are bound to escalate rapidly. Fear, anger and mistrust are sufficient tools at the hands of politicians, especially if they want to ensure their power and influence.

Apart from the well-written script, the film had excellent cinematography and editing. There were many great transitions and the way some scenes were filled enhanced the comedic elements. I especially liked the scenes that took place in Go Myeong's imagination, they were so hilarious and I loved how they were made.

Of course a good story needs a good cast to elevate it. Good News is one of this type of movies where every actor nailed their roles. There wasn't a single moment where I thought that an actor had been a miscast, everyone did their part so well. The interactions between the characters never felt forced and all performances managed to leave a lingering impression on me, with one way or another.

I'll start with Sul Kyung Gu, whom I already knew from The Merciless, Kill Bok Soon, Mantis and Memoir of a murderer. Good News is the fourth project with the director Byun Sung Hyun and once again, Kyung Gu didn't disappoint. He was so good as the mysterious and quirky "Nobody". He carried himself with the required type of arrogance and cleverness. "Nobody" followed orders but he also set up his own rules. Despite his comedic parts, Kyung Gu's performance added more depths to his character through his body language and tone, especially after "Nobody" 's backstory became known. It was one of my most favourite Kyung Gu's roles and I always looked forward to see him.

Ryu Seung Bum was amazing as Park Sang Hyeon, the head of KCIA. He was charming, confident and meticulous. A politician who was after power and who didn't hesitate to manipulate other people, like Go Myung, in order to establish his dominance. Even though the character was unlikeable for the most part, both the writing and Seung Bum's performance made it impossible to look away when Sang Hyeon appeared on screen. It was fascinating watching him speak and act all so full of himself, as if he knew that he would eventually have his way around.

Another actor who caught my attention was Show Kasamaru as the leader of the Red Army Faction. He played the comedic parts very naturally and he was very charismatic. Despite his funny scenes, he was equally good in the more dramatic parts too, making the viewers sympathise a little with him or at least try to understand his goal.

Other remarkable performances were Kim Sung Oh's, who has started becoming one of my most favourite actors and Takayuki Yamada's. Both of them nailed their parts and they were very fun to look at. A very unexpected yet welcome surprise was Jeon Do Yeon's cameo, she ate the 10 minutes of screen time she had like a queen.

But the gem of this movie was undoubtedly Hong Kyung. I doubt that I can do justice to his performance by describing it in mere words. He was so versatile in this role. He didn't just portray Go Myung, he transformed into him. He was absolutely captivating in the funny parts but he was also excellent in the more dramatic scenes, especially during the final act. I could feel Go Myung's emotions pour out of Hong Kyung. His confusion andannoyance at "Nobody's" antics, his fear towards his superiors, his empathy towards the passengers and his desperation to save them, his ambition to be recognised. He was a very complex character who underwent a big development and to whom I became attached until the end of the film. All thanks to Hong Kyung's spectacular performance.

Good News is not just a movie that covers a hijacking event. It's a political comedy that reminds us of the hypocrisy of politicians. It's about following orders and taking matters into your own hands. Ambition over ethics. And above all, it's a reminder of all the untold heroes out there who will never get recognised for their contributions. By the end of the movie, I found myself in deep thoughts, thinking about all the "Nobodies" out there who offer their service to powerful people, only to see their names being ignored by history and letting others take the credit. How far are people willing to go in the name of duty and power? And at the end of the day, does it matter if you get recognised for your actions as long as you're helping others unconditionally? These are only some of the questions the film attempts to answer.

The only reason the film doesn't get a 10 is that during the middle part, there were some scenes that felt like fillers or that didn't kept me interested. Additionally, while the combination of humor and political commentary was done masterfully, I think that the film would have benefited even more from some more "serious" scenes, without any comedic interruptions. Nevertheless, the movie never lost its spark and until the last second, it had my undivided attention.

Good News is by far one of the best movies I've watched this year. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did and I certainly did not expect it to handle so many important topics regarding politics. I couldn't recommend it enough, even if you're not a fan of this genre allow yourselves to give it a try. You will not forget it.

Read More

An interesting action drama which raises questions about justice

Taxi Driver is one of the most recommended kdramas out there. I have seen people talking about it so naturally, I became interested. Since the third season is coming up, I decided to watch the first two in order to prepare for the new one. After watching the first season, I decided to share my thoughts about it.

From a technical aspect, Taxi Driver was very good. I don't know how they filmed the taxi scenes, but they were very cool to watch. The camera work was very intense, especially during the driving scenes and the closeups during the characters' dialogues added more tension. The fighting scenes were serviceable, I found the ones in the second hand better choreographed than the ones in the first episodes but they did their job.

The soundtrack was a highlight on its own. Epic and intense, with some emotional undertones at times. It gave me a retro feeling and it matched with the drama's tone. Vivaldi's Four Seasons was a great addition and it always added the required tension, giving an old-school tone. But the song that became integrated into my mind is All Day by Cha Ji Yeon. I had no idea that she was the singer behind it, talk about a talented woman. Every time the song played, I got chills all over my body, even seconds after listening to the instrumental.

Taxi Driver's plot relies on the themes of justice and revenge. The first part focused on individual cases that got resolved in 2 episodes while the second half focused on the Rainbow Taxi team and their own battle with the police and the organ harvesting organization.

The episodic format in the first half worked very well for this type of drama. We witness different cases of people who seek revenge against their abusers and who pin their last remains of hope on the Rainbow company. The drama tackles many serious topics, from school bullying to illegal porn trafficking, therefore if you want to watch it, proceed with caution. The fact that the cases were inspired by real events made the experience sadder. Just how many people who have been wronged didn't get the justice they deserved?

Taxi Driver challenges the morals of viewers by portraying two different sides: vigilantism and law. On the one hand, we have Rainbow Taxi members who help people who are wronged while on the other hand, we have the law, who is supposed to protect the victims and punish the culprits. However, this applies in theory only, for the law is not always righteous. Criminals often do not receive serious sentences or they might not even get caught. Under the weight of fear, helplessness and pain, to whom will the victims rely on? Who will offer them a shoulder to lean on, once they've been consumed by darkness?

It is no secret that the justice system is now flawless. Unfortunately, we have seen many cases of criminals not receiving strict punishments for their crimes - or not being punished at all. It's not hard to exploit the law as long as you have power and real life has proved this many times before. The members of Rainbow Taxi have experienced firsthand the cruelty and ignorance of the system, which instead of providing comfort and help, it held an indifferent position.

That was an interesting food for thought; if these feelings of anger, wrongness and bitterness are being bottled up, what will happen once they'll burst? To what extent are people willing to go, driven by the need for revenge against their abusers? And how can we criticise their choice? I found myself deep in thoughts with each passing case. The answers to these questions are more complex than we think but instead of spoon-feeding us, the series encourages us to give our own interpretation.

The cast was good and the actors did a good job bringing the characters too life. They fit their roles very well and no one felt miscasted. I especially enjoyed the performances by the villains, the actors made sure to make me hate their guts and pray for their downfall. I especially liked Choi Hyun Wook's performance as a school bully. He proved that he can shine in darker roles and I'd love to see him playing a similar character one day.

Lee Je Hoon as Kim Do Ki was certainly a highlight of his own. The way he sifted from Do Ki's stern and closeted character to his cheerful and outgoing personas during the missions was so effortless and natural. Many times I thought that he would be perfect in a comedy series, his charm was contagious and I had a blast watching him fooling around with the criminals. At the same time, he embodied Do Ki's feelings perfectly. I could tell by his expressions what Do Ki felt and thought. He humanised the character a lot and it was as if the role had been written specifically for him.

I'd also like to give a nod to Cha Ji Yeon. Holy moly, if that wasn't a commanding performance, I don't know what it is. She carried herself with such confidence and mirth, I was always unable to take my eyes off the screen every time she appeared. The tone of her voice, her body language, her maneuvers, her expressions, everything was spot on in order to showcase Baek Seong Mi's character. Definitely one of the best female villains I've encountered so far in terms of acting.

I was so shocked when I learned that Ji Yeon comes from a musical background and that she's mostly a musical actress. I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying that her performance can put other professional drama actors to shame. This woman is so talented and I'll watch everything from her (unfortunately short) filmography, just to experience more of her acting. And again, she killed it in the soundtrack!

Until now, I spoke in the best regard about Taxi Driver. It was entertaining and there's no denial about the importance of the topics it addresses. However, I must say that I unfortunately did not connect with it like many people did and in the end, I was left with an indifferent impression.

Before I'll go in detail, I want to clarify this: I'm aware of the fact that the production changed the writers and as a result, the second half is different. As you will see, I didn't like the second part that much but I also had some issues with the first act. Even if the original writer had been involved in the rest of the series, I'd still have some complaints to make.

I started noticing some issues with the writing from the early episodes. Having heard so many praising comments regarding the depiction of the cases and the victims, I expected the drama to delve deeper into these matters and explore the emotional and psychological state of the people more.

Nevertheless, Taxi Driver focused more on the revenge plans, which is not bad but it didn't make me connect with the victims that much. The series shows how devastated they are but it touched their feelings in a rather superficial way. I get it, this is an action packed drama so obviously it wouldn't focus on the victims and their psychological state. But I would have preferred it if we had seen more of them. I understand that this is a me problem, so feel free to not take this criticism too seriously.

While the first half didn't leave me in awe, it was certainly far more engaging compared to the second one. I'm sorry but the drop in quality was beyond noticeable, at least for me. In terms of storytelling, it was a dragging mess. I was tempted to skip many scenes and the conclusion felt both overstretched and rushed at the same time. I totally understand the purpose of the organ harvesting subplot but the payoff was underwhelming. The events that led to it were more exciting than the plot itself and until the very last episode, I was looking forward to be done with the series.

Another aspect I wasn't very fond of was the comedy. There were some good light-hearted scenes, especially the ones between Gyeong Gu and Jin Eon. But some other scenes failed to elicit a reaction from me. While I enjoyed Lee Je Hoon's portrayal of Do Ki's personas, this gimmick became kinda boring after a while. The case about the voice phishing incidents made me cringe in various moments. The jokes were a miss for me and the fake flirting between Do Ki and Madame Li made me want to straightforward their scenes.

Due to the focus on revenge, the emotional impact was lost, especially during the second act. While the series included some emotionally heavy moments, the constant shift in the tone didn't allow me to properly digest them or connect with the characters. One moment, we watched something sad and then the story would return to its epic tone.

The characterisation also left much to be desired. I would have preferred it if we had gotten more exploration about the Rainbow Taxi members. I didn't expect a strong development but it would have been interesting if we had seen the members trying to deal with their inner demons. In addition, while I enjoyed the characters, I didn't feel any strong connection with them. They had some nice interactions nd there were times when it showed how much they cared about each other but I still felt quite distant.

Go Eun's backstory and trauma was handled in the best way. We saw how she struggled psychologically and physically and that she needed time to get back on the case and through her flashbacks, we observed her relationship with her sister and the impact her death had on her. I sympathized with her pain and I rooted for her to get her revenge and finally heal.

Do Ki was also a character whom we got to know more, through the present and past. But while I felt sad for him and his trauma, I wish the series had devoted more attention to his feelings and motives. At one point, he began questioning the whole purpose of the Rainbow Taxi company and going against the law but it was handled in a very rushed way. His inner turmoil could have been utilized more in order to connect with him some more.

The character that disappointed me the most was prosecutor Kang Ha Na. Whatever the writers thought they did sunk harder than the Titanic. I was never annoyed with her character per se, I was annoyed at how underutilized and poorly developed she was. In the first episodes, Ha Na seemed like an interesting force in the series. She was introduced as a potential thread for the Rainbow Taxi team, a competent servant of the law, who wanted to serve justice. I expected her to be a complex character but alas, that didn't happen.

One of the major problems with this character was her inability to do her job right. When you are trying to sell your character as a good prosecutor, who is popular in the force due to her capabilities, you need to make her act in a way that will highlight her competence. Ha Na didn't convince me much. She relied a lot on the Rainbow Taxi company and many of her choices were questionable considering her experience in the field.

About her development...honestly, there wasn't much development. I totally understand the intention with her character but the execution fell flat to say the least. I thought we were going to see more of her inner conflict regarding her duty as a prosecutor to follow the law by the book and her duty as a human to help the victims, no matter what it took. There were some hints that showed her disagreement over the justice system but the writers didn't elaborate any further on that. By the time the shift happened, it was too late to make it believable enough.

All in all, Taxi Driver was a decent series but unfortunately I didn't connect with it like many people did. I can totally understand why it's popular and why many people love it and I wish I could say the same. I'm still going to watch Season 2 (in fact, I've already watched the first 7 episodes) and I'll give season 3 a try too. The drama has many good aspects and it raises some vital questions regarding justice and revenge. My review reflects my own opinion and I by no means want to discourage anyone from giving Taxi Driver a try.

Tighten your belts and enjoy the ride.

Read More

Moving message but lackluster execution

I came across The Closet while doing some digging up in Kim Namjoon Gil's filmography. When I read the blurb and saw that Han Jung Woo, another actor who has caught my interest, was in it, I became interested. I am a big fan of horror movies, especially if they involve children and familial relationships so I naturally decided to give it a try.

I liked the setting and the gloom atmosphere that was established from early on. The cold and dark color palette gave me the impression that I was watching a horror film made in late 2000s-early 2010s. The cinematography was overall good, especially during the exorcism and ritual scenes. The soundtrack that accompanied the scenes added a more dramatic tone while in some cases, it highlighted the emotional impact of the story, especially towards the ending.

The story, albeit not groundbreaking, hold my attention forthe most part. The first half focused more on Sang Won's troubled relationship with his daughter, I Na and the events that occurred in their new house before I Na's disappearance. The writers tried to immerse us in their new life and while preparing the ground for the supernatural elements, the film wanted to highlight the father-daughter dynamic and how it contributed to I Na's disappearance.

The relationship between Sang Won and I Na was very complex to say the least and it was one of the aspects I was the most curious about. After the death of his wife, Sang Won and I Na were clearly traumatized and they were still grieving her. Due to his hectic work schedule, Sang Won wasn't able to spend too much time with I Na, leaving his wife looking after her for the most part. As a result, I Na had formed a close bond with her mother, a bond that came to an end after her passing. Due to their limited time together, the father and the daughter are unable to communicate with each other. Sang Won continued to prioritize his work and he tried to win over I Na by gifting her dolls. But even though his intentions were good, it was clear that he wasn't doing enough.

I must say that even though I came for the horror element, I didn't expect the movie to dive deeper into some themes regarding parenthood and child abuse. The second half was heavy in that aspect, especially towards the ending. There was a scene with a montage of the mistreatment some of the dead children had endured from their families that put some tears in my eyes. The mere thought of defenseless creatures like them being abused by the people who are supposed to care for them made my blood boil. While I was obviously rooting for Sang Won to save I Na, I began questioning the motives of the ghosts and I felt for them once the story progressed more.

As much as I overall liked the movie, I must say that compared to what was promised, it was underwhelming and poorly developed. First and foremost, the horror was little to nonexistent. Yes, the atmosphere was there and there were some jumpscares here and there but overall, I wouldn't say that I felt particularly scared. Granted, not every horror movie will be able to cause fear but I expect it to elicit some type of reaction. For the most part, I was quite indifferent. Moreover, I don't mean to insult the filmmakers by saying this but the usage of CGI in order to create the ghosts was...questionable to say the least. It would have been better if they had relied on something more simple because for me, the effects did nothing.

The story and the writing in general felt lackluster. The intentions of the writers were clear but the execution left much to be desired. I appreciate the attempt to add more depth in the story instead of making it a mere horror movie but the film's length didn't leave much room for proper development. The events were rushed and Sang Won's tainted relationship with his daughter was handled in a superficial way. I wish we had seen more of them trying to deal with their trauma and emotional distance. If the film had highlighted more their relationship, the second act would have been more impactful.

The characterisation was also quite poor. Sang Won's character had so much potential but the movie didn't utilize him. It was interesting to see how guilty he felt for his wife's death and how it impacted him but the story didn't elaborate any further. Additionally, as much as I appreciated Han Jung Woo as an actor, I couldn't help but feel that something felt off with his acting in this film. In his previous film, Hijack 1971, he delivered a powerful and emotional performance but in The Closet, his portrayal felt rather flat. Sang Won barely expressed any strong emotions, even when I Na got missing, I barely got the impression that he was worried. I think that the director is mostly at fault for this but nevertheless, Sang Won's character felt shallow for the most part.

I had a blast watching Kim Namjoon Gil as Kyung Hoon, the enigmatic and eccentric exorcist who assisted Sang Won in his search for his daughter. His character immediately caught my attention after his introduction but alas, I'm afraid that like the rest of the movie, the writing fell short pretty quickly. I expected more from this character, especially regarding his connection with the ghost but the movie didn't delve deeper into that part. As for his relationship with Sang Won, while their interactions were fun to watch, their dynamic was criminally underutilized. I wish we had gotten to see more of them bonding and working as a team, there was so much wasted potential.

As for the child actors, I enjoyed both Heo Yool as I Na and Kim Shi Ah as Myung Jin. I was already familiar with the latter one after having watched her in Kill Bok Soon and Walking On Thin Ice but her acting in The Closet impressed me. She pulled off her role very well and her performance in the final act deeply moved me and made me connect with the character more. As for Heo Yool, she was phenomenal. She perfectly portrayed I Na's complex feelings and she switched her emotions once I Na got possessed masterfully!

All in all, The Closet was by no means a bad movie. It just was lackluster due to its short length and poor writing. I would recommend it to someone who's looking for a simple horror movie but do not expect a lot.

Read More

A gripping gangster noir

Ever since I finished Squid Game, I've been planning to dig into Lee Jung Jae's filmography. New World was a film that I found very intriguing, with a plot that shared some similarities with The Merciless, one of my favourite Korean movies, so I went into it without a second thought.

In this movie, we have an undercover cop, Lee Ja Sung, who had been selected as a mole by Kang Hyung-Chul, the captain of National Police Agency. For a decade, Lee Ja Sung had been working with Jung Chung, the second-in-command of the crime organization "Goldmoon". Jung-Chung is very trustful of Lee Ja Sung and the two men have developed a close relationship throughout the years. After the death of the first crime boss for " Goldmoon", Jung-Chung and his rival, Lee Joong-Goo, fight for the position. Captain Kang enacts the operation "New World" in order to stop Jung Chung and Goldmoon and Lee Ja Sung, who's still working for him, finds himself be torn between his job as a police officer and his relationship with Jung Chung.

The first half was intriguing and it put me right into the world of police and crime. Even though there were some things I didn't understand at first concerning the hierarchy among the crime leaders and the operation, the more I watched, the more I understood. The film focuses to establish the politics of the gangster world while highlighting the ethical dilemma of Ja Sung.

The cinematography and production design were memorable and deserve every praise. I liked the usage of close-ups during some of the dialogues, they enhanced the characters' emotion and the tension between them. The moody colours and blue hues added to the grim atmosphere and the rain scenes contributed to the dramatic feeling, without becoming cliche.

The acting was amazing, all actors did a phenomenal job. Lee Jung Jae was excellent as Lee Ja-Sung. He encapsulated the character's inner turmoil perfectly. He literally spoke with his eyes and facial expressions and even when he didn't utter a single word, I could tell what he was thinking. Ja-Sung was exhausted due to having his loyalties constantly be divided and throughout the whole movie, it was clear that he had to choose a side. Jung Jae portrayed Ja-Sung's frustration so convincingly to the point I could put myself in his shoes. He switched from a collected and down-to-earth gangster to a desperate police officer who just wants to put an end to his mission effortlessly and his moral journey had me hooked.

Jung-min was captivating as Jung-Chung, he owned the role of a gangster boss and I even found myself rooting for him. He was carefree, boisterous, calculating and he clearly cared about Ja Sung. Even though he didn't get to have too many dramatic scenes, Jung-min absolutely delivered when it was required. From the tone of his voice to his body language, he expressed Jung Chung's fondness of Ja Sung, leaving no room for question regarding his trust for him.

This was my first time watching Choi Min-sik in any form of media and it certainly won't be my last. He was very good as Kang Hyung-Chul. His character was very morally grey and he portrayed his complexity accurately. Hyung-Chul's intentions were good but his actions were very questionable and by the end of the film, I secretly hoped that his attempt to take down Jung-Chung wouldn't succeed. Yeah, wrong move from me to not support the seemingly good guys, what can I say, I might be a gangster at heart. The thing is, Captain Kang himself acknowledged how questionable his plan was. He was aware of the fact that "New World" endangered the police officers who worked for him and he knew that he had to play dirty in order to put an end to Goldmoon. As it was stated in the film, sacrifices must be made to win the war. But to what extent?

I wish I could find the right words to properly describe the beauty of the soundtrack. Even if you're not planning to watch the movie, do yourself a favor and just go and listen to it. Soothing, moving, with melancholic undertones, the soundtrack made me immerse myself in the characters' emotions. I got lost in the sad piano compositions, trying to guess how I would act if I were in Ja-Sung's position. Would I do my duty as a servant of the law or would I protect the man whom I called brother? The music conveys the hopeless tone of the film and the moral conflict of Ja-Sung and no viewer should feel indifferent about it, no matter if they liked the movie or not.

For a film that centered around the crime world, New World didn't rely on action in order to create climactic and intense scenes. The exploration of politics, the dialogues and the interesting characters were enough to "make up" for the lack of fighting scenes one would expect from a movie like this. Yet violence still made a prominent presence. After all, the underworld is dangerous and dark. There were the usual clash scenes among the gangster groups and some more bloody sequences but overall, the creative team relied more on the psychological aspects in order to create emotions.

New World is certainly a well-made movie, one that deserves its praises. But while I really enjoyed it, some of its flaws outweighed the positive elements and as a result, I didn't forge strong feelings for the film as a whole. While the first part did a good job at introducing the characters and establishing their dynamics and the setting, I found the second half lackluster in terms of pacing and engagement. I do not want to delve into spoilers so I'll settle by saying that there were parts that didn't hold my attention and after a particular death, the third act felt slower.

I mentioned above that the film did not involve many action scenes and to be frank, judging from the few fighting sequences we got, it was for the best. They were too messy and poorly choreographed, especially the elevator scene which had me almost roll my eyes. I know that these are petty comments and obviously I did not judge the quality of the film from these few scenes but as someone who enjoys action scenes, I prefer my fight scenes to make sense and be made with more attention.

One of the most lackluster aspects and the one that left me kinda underwhelmed was the exploration of the relationship between Ja-Sung and Jung-Chung. Although the actors made it clear how close they were and the film tried to highlight it, I must say that even when I was finished with the movie, I had a slight feeling of indifference. I was aware of the emotional bonds that tied them together but at the same time, I wasn't that connected. Obviously I understood the depth of their friendship and how much trust Jung-Chung put in Ja-Sung but I really wish we had gotten more scenes between them to properly establish their bond. I think that we got to see more of Jung-Chung caring for Ja-Sung while Ja-Sung was a little bit sidelined. The post credit scene between them felt (to me) like a poor attempt to give insight into their shared past and closeness that the rest of the film robbed us from. It would have been for the best if they had more scenes together or if the creators had included more flashbacks to empathize their history.

Watching New World made me appreciate The Merciless even more in terms of how it handled the relationship between Jae-Ho and Hyun-Soo. Granted, the films were different in terms of plot. While New World centered around the orchestration of the operation and the events that led to it, The Merciless highlights the history between Jae-Ho and Hyun-Soo, from the moment they met to the end. But I think that New World could have still given more depth into Ja-Sung and Jung-Chung's friendship, especially considering that it lasted for almost a decade and played a crucial part in the operation.

With all things considered, New World was a gripping movie, one that I'm very glad for having watched. The plot might not be groundbreaking but the writing, the cinematography, the score and the acting define it as a magnetic, bold gangster drama. It's the type of movie I might find myself revisiting in the future and, who knows? Maybe a rewatch will make me appreciate it even more than I did now.

Read More

One of the most profound kdramas out there

D.P. is one of the most praised dramas out there. I've always seen people say positive things about it, so naturally I became curious. The plot caught my attention immediately and since it had only 6 episodes, I decided to give it a try.

Needless to say that all of you who praised it were so, so right.

I was familiar with the series' premise before I watched it. I knew it had to do with military and the abuse that happens there. I am aware of the fact that South Korea takes pride in their military and how important its service is for them so it was interesting to see a drama that did not shy away from showing what is going on behind-the-scenes.

From the very first episode, D.P. had my undivided attention. I am the type of person who pays attention to details and from the very start, I could tell that D.P.'s cinematography was stellar. The moody colors added to the grim and heavy atmosphere and the editing added more tension, especially during the most dramatic scenes. The scenes where Seok-Bong snapped highlighted his delirious and desperate state of mind, I felt like I was the one going crazy after all the torment and abuse he had to endure.

The structure of D. P. was very interesting and quite unusual for your typical kdrama. While the show has a clear goal (to raise awareness about the abuse that takes place in the military), there isn't a specific plot. The drama follows an episodic format and each episode focused on a different deserter. I am a big fan of this type of series so I was very excited to see this approach. This format was very suitable for a series like D.P. By focusing on different cases of deserted soldiers, we are allowed to witness different point of views and place ourselves in the soldiers' shoes. I was so eager to continue watching once I was done with each case and I never felt bored.

Despite its short length, D.P. is one of the few kdramas out there that can brag about offering a fleshed out story in just 6 episodes. Although I am sure that the writers could have told even more had they increased the length, the number of the episodes was more than suitable. The story didn't feel repetitive and I never felt like it was dragged. The pacing was perfect, fast enough to keep my interest alive but not fast to point the story and character development felt too rushed and messy. I was constantly at the edge of my sit, waiting to see what would happen next and how Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol would deal with each situation.

One thing that surprised me and I personally didn't expect was the comedic aspect of D.P. Although the series tackles plenty of dark themes, there were still various funny and light-hearted moments, especially between Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol. While someone might had expected the comedy to undermine the value and importance of the drama, that never happened. The writers handled the funnier parts with outmost care and responsibility. The comedy never outweighed the serious tone. It certainly helped in lighting up the mood but not at the expense of the series' core point. The contrast between the comedy and drama is almost misleading. The first episodes have some lighter moments

The soundtrack was simple and yet so fitting. The moment I heard the first notes of the intro, I immediately knew that the same composer was involved in Weak Hero Class - and I was right! D.P. soundtrack is mostly calm yet melancholic, with some nice intense moments. It adds to the grim atmosphere and contributed to the emotional impact of the heavier scenes.

I could talk for hours and hours about the acting. Every single cast member gave a stellar performance, especially the main ones. Jung Hae-In was amazing as An Jun-Ho. He perfectly portrayed the calm and empathetic personality of Jun-Ho and he quickly made me connect with the character. His micro-expressions and his body language perfectly captured Jun-Ho's subtle emotions such as fear and anger and his delivery was always flawless. The way he looked was both haunting and captivating, his gaze conveyed Jun-Ho's pent-up sadness and guilt so convincingly to the point I felt he talked to my soul.

Koo Kyo-Hwan was absolutely charming as Han Ho-Yeol. I can totally see why he won the Baeksang Award. He made me fall in love with the character from the get-go and I always looked forward to his scenes. Ho-Yeol was like a breath of fresh air in a drama like D.P. Playful, outgoing, confident, he couldn't be more different compared to the calm and introverted Jun-Ho and yet these two clicked immediately. Although Ho-Yeol worked mostly as the comedic relief character, his role wasn't reduced to just that. There were clearly more layers underneath his carefree facade and sometimes, the mask of a carefree soldier managed to crack.

Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol's relationship is one of the defining elements of D.P. Hae-In and Kyo-Hwan's chemistry was just excellent. They effortlessly portrayed the friendship between the two D.P.s and they made a dynamic duo. The striking differences between Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol added more depth to their bond. It was so heartwarming to see how Ho-Yeol became Jun-Ho's first genuine friend and that also applies to Jun-Ho. Both boys were shown to be lonely, each one in a different way. Jun-Ho came from an abusive household. Although his mother and sister cared about him, he was suffocated by the abuse from his father and he felt trapped. Of course he had good relationships with some other soldiers, especially Seok-Bong but no one had managed to break the walls he had built around himself. On the other hand, while Ho-Yeol had a more outgoing persona and he clearly could get along with many people, he didn't form any actual meaningful relationships. It is also implied that his parents do not care a lot about him, which would make him even more lonely.

Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol influenced each other with one way or another. Ho-Yeol made Jun-Ho have more fun and he contributed to him making amends with his mother. Jun-Ho made Ho-Yeol show his more empathetic side and sympathize more with the deserted soldiers. Both of them felt comfortable around each other and they even found a form of security in their friendship. I really like how the series explored their relationship and they have become one of my favourite kdrama duos of all time.

As for the other characters, they were equally interesting and fleshed out. Kim Sung-Kyun and Son Suk-Ku gave equally exciting performances as Park Beom-Gu and Im Ji-Seop respectively. Watching them bickering was really fun but eventually they managed to understand each other and get their development. Jo Hyun-Chul was excellent as Seok-Bong, the way he portrayed him made me both scared and so sad and angry.

If you can't stomach violence and abuse, D.P. is not the ideal kdrama for you. Violence is presented in every form. Verbal, physical, sexual...It doesn't always gets to be too graphic but it's still there. And it makes you feel disgusted. Disgusted with people who believe they can belittle those who consider weak. Disgusted at the actions themselves. And disgusted at the way nobody did anything to stop this.

Some people might say that the extent of the abuse depicted in D.P. is exaggerating and that these type of actions do not occurr that often in the military. I am happy to see that there are many people who didn't get to experience that in their service but unfortunately, bullying is very common in this field. There are many stories out there which will make you speechless. D.P. itself is based on real events. And this is the most tragic part: we want to believe that this is overdramatized because we don't want to believe it try happens.

One of the key points regarding the bullying in military is the cycle of abuse. D.P. shows that those who get bullied can become the perpetrators themselves. Obviously this is not an excuse. Bullying is wrong, period. Just because you get mistreated, that doesn't mean it's ethically correct to do the same in order to release your pent-up feelings and find a form of salvation. But this is not always possible. People react differently to abuse and some of them will end up becoming the abusers themselves. Jang-Su got mistreated in his work and he abused Seok-Bong in return. Seok-Bong endured the abuse and then he belittled other soldiers. It's an on-going circle that cannot be broken easily.

D.P. calls out toxic masculinity and the abuse of power in military. Whether it's from the perspective of the soldiers (like Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol) or the generals (like Beom-Gu and Ji-Seop), the series portrays how those who are in higher positions will go to great lengths in order to establish order and power. Ranks play a fundamental role in military and more often than not, they become the cause of violence. Those in higher positions let this go over their heads and those in lower positions feel jealous of the others.

The only minor "complaints" I have is that I would have liked to see more og Ho-Yeol's character being explored. There was potential to showcase his complexity more, especially his relationship with his absent parents. Of course he remained a well-written character, I just would have liked to see more aspects of him. I also think that the writers could have given more insight into Jun-Ho's relationship with his family but overall, I have no bad feelings about the story.

D.P. is one of the most profound series out there. Not only does it expose the abuse that takes place in the military instead of glorifying the military itself but it urges the viewers to take action against bullying in general. "I should do something" Ji-Seop said in the last episodes. And this is what we should tell ourselves to do once we witness abuse. Don't be a mere observer. Do something.

I'm very thankful for watching D.P. It's a drama I'll keep thinking about and never get tired of it. No matter if you watch kdramas or not, everyone should give it a try. I can confidently say it has become one of my most favourite series and I want to rewatch it because I think it's the type of show that will make you learn something new every time you revisit it.

Read More

Emotional and wholesome

I decided to watch Navillera in order to take a break from all of the thrillers I've been watching back-to-back and let me tell you that I didn't expect to love it as much as I did! I love stories about old people, found family and dreams so when I read the synopsis I knew right from the spot that this drama would be perfect for me.

If someone starts watching this series expecting to learn more about ballet, they might be left disappointed. While ballet remains one of the central forces in the series, the drama doesn't go into technical details. Ballet is only the cherry at the top of the cake. The story is much more complex and its beauty lies in the many layers that unfold as the episodes and the characters progressed.

I knew that Navillera would be emotional but I did not expect to cry in.every.single.episode. Seriously, I cannot recall a single episode that was unable to make me cry or tear up. When I cried at Lee Gyo Seok's death on Episode 1, I just knew that this drama wouldn't give me a break. And I was correct. Navillera was an emotional roller-coaster in the best and worst way possible. I would laugh at one scene and some scenes later I would bawl my eyes out until my eyes became red and my face a mess. Happiness, relief, hope, anguish, anger, fear, anxiety, sadness...These are just a few of the emotions I can name in order to show what I felt while watching Navillera. I find it really hard to properly convey in words the impact this drama had on me and if I sound too dramatic, keep in mind that my words can hardly portray half of the truth.

Deokchul's story touched my heart. Park In Hwan did a phenomenal job in this role, he put his heart and soul into his performance and he conveyed Deokchul's complexity beautifully. I understand that having a 70 years old main lead who wants to learn ballet is not the most interesting premise for some kdrama watchers but the story is much more than that. Deokchul never got the chance to follow his dreams. Having been raised according to the male standards of his times, he couldn't pursue ballet and discouraged by his father, he abandoned his dreams. Throughout his whole life, Deokchul did his best to provide for his family with, be good at his job and be a good husband and father. He never asked for more and he always put his loved ones' needs above his own. He didn't complain or shift the blame to his family and he kept his head up, even during the hard times. He was always a giver - never a taker. So could blame him when for once in his life, he decided to do something for himself?

I was so excited about Deokchul's journey in ballet. From the very first episode, I was rooting for him so hard, I felt like I was the one trying to achieve a long lost dream. The first episodes were really a headache to me, I was so angry at his family's disapproval and reactions (although as the series developed, they got good developement). They never took into consideration his own feelings, they only cared about the general public consensus and how that could affect their own image. I was so happy to see that Deokchul's will did not shatter and with the help of Chaerok, he didn't give up.

One thing that I anticipated after some hints here and there and yet still affected me deeply was Deokchul's alzheimer illness. It hit too close to home because my maternal grandmothers had developed Alzheimer and died because of that. I remember the developement of her illness, how she gradually started becoming more absent-minded or how she would forget something and we would have to remind her. Sometimes I had to correct her and she would insist that her memory was nt wrong. During the pandemic and lockdown, her situation deteriorated and once the lockdown was over and we could visit her again, it was so painful to see how far away she seemed. Even when she would sit with the family, it was as if she was in her own world, staring at the blank space or not steering a conversation. I could tell that her illness had taken a tool on everyone, especially my mom. It was so devastating to see her cling to the short moments when my grandma could communicate without difficulty. I too lived for them. I stayed by her side, encouraging her to tell me stories of her past (stories I had heard about) or telling me about her daily activities as I filled her in on my own life. As her illness got worse and worse, I couldn't look at her without tearing up and without reminscing about our happier memories. Watching Deokchul deal with Alzheimer made me get deja vu. My eyes would turn into waterfalls and memories would be pulled up. Deokchul reminded me so much of my grandma. When he felt guilty about forgetting things, it was as if i could see her feeling ashamed of forgetting something or even us. The scenes when his family discovered about his illness wrecked me, I couldn't stop crying and be reminded of my own family who had to get used to our new reality and accept that grandma couldn't be cured, so we would have to do our best and take care of her.

And now, let's talk about Chaerok. Honestly, I liked him much more than I anticipated. Contrary to other reactions I've seen, I didn't get that annoyed by his reluctance to accept Deokchul as his student and manager. Chaerok, like Deokchul, was a pretty complex character who went through a lot. He had lost his mother, his father had been released from jail, his relationship with ballet, the one thing that kept him going, degenerated, he got injured...It's only logical that his behavior wouldn't be the best, especially towards Deokchul whom he viewed as an obstacle and as someone who would monitor his life. Chaerok showed many signs of depression at the beginning. He lived a monotonous life, he barely took care of his health and he lived for one thing: ballet. Chaerok wore the facade of a cold person, who was determined to become a professional ballet dancer. However, that would never be possible in his current state because his mental and physical issues would get the best of him. He had the talent but he was unable to soar - until Deokchul appeared on the picture.

Deokchul and Chaerok's relationship was always the heart of the series. I just adored their chemistry and seeing their relationship unfold really warmed my heart! It was so nice to see how both of them helped each other. Deokchul managed to break Chaerok's walls and shower him with the love and care he had been robbed off throughout his early life while Chaerok helped Deokchul gain confidence and encouraged him to stand up for his choice to learn ballet at the age of 70. They shared so many moments together. Some of them made me laugh (especially the ones when Deokchul would help Chaerok against his wish), some of them made me proud and some of them made me cry. The scene where he danced under the snow was so touching and when he and Deokchul finally got the chance to perform together I couldn't hold back my tears. These are two of the most profound moments in this drama and two scenes that will accompany me for a long time.

The rest of the characters were equally well-written and complex and I cannot resist sharing my thoughts about them. Characterization in general was one of the defining aspects in the series. I was so interested in each character's personal journey and separate growth. All of them, with one way or another, connected with Deokchul and Chaerok and by the end of the series, their conclusions were satisfying.

Choi Hae Nam: Deokchul's wife. I got so angry at her when she disapproved of Deokchul's interest in ballet and when she teared off his ballet outfit but she quickly became one of my most favourite characters. She too had been robbed off so much in order to bring up her children and throughout the series she was shown to care so much about her family. Although she tended to express her love in a tough way at times, it was evident that she was a loving wife, mother and grandma. She was there to comfort her family and she worried so much about their future. I adore how she and Deokchul adopted Chaerok and treated him like a grandson!

Shim Seong Suk: Deokchul's daughter. Her relationship with her husband was fun and it worked as a comedic relief at times. I felt so sad for her when she struggled with the fact that she couldn't birth a child but thankfully, her family was supportive of her. I loved how she was shown to be close with her mother and how supportive she was of her husband's political campaign.

Shim Seong San: Deokchul's eldest son. No one can deny that he is one of the least likeable characters. He appeared to be ignorant, he wanted to have the upper hand in his family, he cared more about his image without taking into consideration each others' feelings...And yet, the more we got to see of him, the more I sympathised with him. He was the eldest son of a poor family. He too, like Deokchul, grew up with a dream: to become a baseball player. But as the eldest, he was aware of his responsibilities and the financial difficulties his family faced. He had to sacrifice his dream in order to get a proper job and escape poverty. I know that his upbringing should not excuse his toxic behavior but that doesn't erase the fact that he was still a person who wanted the best for his family. He just didn't know how to do it properly. I found it realistic how he seemed to be the most conservative person in the family and the one who was highly influenced by South Korea's patriarchal standards and I like how his change was not sudden but was slowly build up. The scene when Deokchul brought him the baseball glove made me cry so much. It was a scene that highlighted their relationship and this is when Seong San fully realized how much Deokchul cared for him. He always took his family's love and help for granted and by the end, he became a better person, one who could give and not just take.

Shim Seong Gwan: Deokchul's youngest son. I was so invested in his story: a doctor who wants to resign after feeling guilty for the death of his patients and who wants to make a documentary for his patients. Even though he seemed nonchalant, he was a very caring person. Unlike his siblings, he was the only one who supported Deokchul's interest in ballet from the start because he knew what it was like to do something that you actually liked. His decision to make a documentary of his father instead of his patients moved me so much, it was clear how close he was to him and how much the news of his disease affected him. Jo Bok Rae did a great job portraying the pain of a child who tries to cope with the news that their father has Alzheimer. I also liked how close he was with his niece, he was the father figure she needed.

Eun Ho: Deokchul's granddaughter. She was very sweet and I found her really relatable. She craved her parents approval and support and instead of doing what she wanted to, she wanted to live according to the expectations that were put on her. When she finally snapped and poured her feelings to her father, I felt so sorry for her, she had been bottling up her emotions for so long and she finally had the courage to express them. Her relationship with Deokchul was so warm and tender, they cared so much for each one and every time they were together, my heart just melted.

Ho beom: Chaerok's former friend and teammate. I personally loved this character, he was more than just a bully and he had so many layers. It was painful to see how much he was affected his Chaerok's father's abuse and even though he wasn't justified to be angry at Chaerok, he was so sympathetic and he had every right to feel wronged. I was happy with how the writers handled this character and gave his a proper redemption instead of making him a cliche bully. And I was happier to see that Deokchul played a fundamental role in his change of heart.

Another element that I loved was the soundtrack. I find myself listening to some of the songs very often. It was soothing, emotional, powerful and yet so simple. It matched with the story and the characters. There were times when I just wanted to lay back, close my mind and let the music play. The makers did an excellent job utilizing the songs and make them fit in the proper scenes.

The drama tackles various themes: chasing your dreams, expectations from your family and yourself, family relationships, abuse, personal growth...And yet I think that each theme was handled with care and attention. I was afraid that the story would become too overpacked for my own liking with all of these characters, arcs and subplots taking place simultaneously but that wasn't the case. The series has so many important lessons and everyone can learn a thing or too by watching it. It shows the importance of not giving up and do what makes you the happiest. Deokchul could never become a proper dancer. That would be impossible. But he still wanted to try. He wanted to learn ballet and dance for just one time. Chaerok, on the other hand, had to postpone his participation in the competition due to his injury but he didn't quit. Thanks to Deokchul, he became more open and more cheerful. He went out of his shell and found beauy not only in ballet but life in general.

If I had to pinpoint a drawback, that would be the subplot with Chaerok's father. Aside from the fact that I found his scenes quite boring, I'm sorry but I do not agree with the way this subplot was handled. He was abusive towards his athletes and he made Chaerok feel pressured. We should have seen more of Chaerok's conflicted emotions about him. I also felt iffy with his confrontation with Ho Beom. Like, what do you mean you spanked your athlete because you didn't want him to ruin his leg due to his injury and therefore, you wanted to motivate him to become better? Thankfully not much time was wasted on that part of the story, I understand that it was important for Chaerok's personal development but I didn't like how the abuse was handled as something insignificant and something that could be ignored just because Chaerok's father apologized. Additionally, there were times when the pacing became a little bit incosistent but overall, nothing too bad.

Navillera is an ode on life. We might not live in a utopia where we can do whatever we want, we should at least try to do the things we love the most. We should try to spend our time with people who care about us. We should learn to value ourselves and not try to please others. And we should never stop dreaming and always try to soar.

Read More

Great psychological thriller that messes up with your mind

It's been a week since I watched Memoir of a Murderer and I still feel dizzy just from thinking about it. I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to watch it but I did not expect that this movie would play with my mind as much as it did.

Memoir of a murderer is what the title implies: it's basically the biography of a former serial killer, Kim Byung Soo, who faces problems with his memory after he got diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. One day, Kim Byung Soo come across another potential serial killer, Min Tae Joo, who works as a police officer. Byung Soo tries to prove that Tae Joo is a serial killer while protecting his daughter from being a potential victim.

As one would expect from such an ambiguous premise, the film completely messes up with the viewers' mind. It had me constantly rethinking about what could be real and what could be false. Whom can I trust? Who tells the truth? I couldn't tell what was reality and what was a fragment of Byung Hoo's troubled imagination. The cinematography and the acting added to the distortion of the events, at one point I began wondering if I could be the culprit all along. There was not a single moment where I could settle for a final answer, every time I believed I had sorted everything out, the movie would prove me wrong. If it was a person, it would laugh at my confusion. During the last half hour, I felt like I was losing brain cells with all of the twists that occurred but it was so so worth it.

The production of the film was excellent. The dark and grey colours highlighted the bleak and mysterious atmosphere. The camera work was really effective, especially when it came to the characters. The editing and the combination of the scenes in general added extra layers to the ambiguous nature of the story. I couldn't tell what was truly happening and what was not.

One of the strongest aspects of the movie was the psychological exploration of the characters. When you have such a rich plot, you ought to explore the psychology of the characters and this is precisely what happened. Byung Hoo was a very complex person. You do not necessarily condemn his actions but you can excuse them to some extent. Even his murders were done with good intentions (or at least, that's what he believes). He is a troubled man who wants to protect his daughter and who is willing to go to great lengths in order to do so.

Tae Joo, on the other hand, appears to be the polare opposite. The film frames him to be a cold, manipulative psychopath who kills for the sake of killing. Although the film doesn't delve deeper into his past, his character still has so many layers to explore. I was constantly trying to figure out whether he was truly the culprit or not and I couldn't help but feel threatened every time he appeared. He was cocky, confident and despite the fact his cockiness got on my nerves at times, I was fascinated by him.

The cat-mouse game between these two men was thrilling to say the least. Byung Soo wanted to frame Tae Joo for his current crimes while Tae Joo wanted to frame Byung Soo for his past crimes. Both men tried to gain the trust of Byung Soo's daughter and both wouldn't hesitate to harm each other in order to reach their goal. It was mildly amusing to watch Tae Joo sabotage Byung Soo's attempts to find more evidence against him, I started feeling sorry for Byung Soo and the humiliation he had to go through.

Of course the successful portrayal of the characters must be attributed to Sul Kyung Gu and Kim Nam Gil's stellar performances. They did not just play their characters. They became the characters.

Sul Kyung Gu delivered an excellent performance, one that gave more depth to Byung Soo. I could feel his emotions through the screen. His frustration, his desperation, his love, his confusion. Everything was so transparent. I especially liked the way he used his facial expressions and his mouth, the little details in his acting captured Byung Soo's personality perfectly and proved how meticulous he is an actor.

Kim Nam Gil was one of the major reasons why I decided to watch the movie. Ever since I've watched him in Through The Darkness and Trigger, he has become one of my favourite actors. It goes without saying that once again, he did not disappoint. His role was very different compared to his other projects. Gone is the traumatized but kind profiler or police officer. Now he transformed into a serial killer who hid his true colors under his disguise of a good servant of justice. If any casting directors are reading this, I want them to know that I desperately need more evil roles for Nam Gil. He was phenomenal. The way he talked, the way he used his face, the way he acted...He commanded the screen and gave me the chills.

If I could pinpoint a small drawback that would be the pacing during the middle. The story never lost its spark of course, it's just that I found my attention drifting away at times after all of the chase between Byung Soo and Tae Joo. Nevertheless, the final act was a certificated banger. I do not want to delve into spoilers but be prepared: you will not be ready.

Do I recommend Memoir of a Murderer? Without a doubt! Those who love psychological thrillers will definitely appreciate it but even if you're not a huge fan of the genre, the acting alone and all of these guessing shenanigans will be enough. I am very curious to watch the director's cut version too and I cannot wait to dive deeper into this story.

Read More

Intense and surprisingly emotional

I came across Hijack 1971 while I was scrolling through Yeo Jin Goo's filmography because ever since I watched him in Beyond Evil, I've been meaning to watch more of his films and series. The plot caught my interest, I like action thrillers and movies based on real events so I decided to give it a try, expecting a nail biting film.

What I got however was much more.

From the very first scene, the movie impressed me with its sound design and editing. The flying scenes felt too real and I almost felt dizzy at times. Throughout the whole film, the sounds of the airplane enhanced the intensity of the events. If I had closed my eyes, it might have been as if I were in this plane myself. The camera angles were steady and sharp and the usage of CGI effects was clever and practical.

The production was very good. I really liked the settings and the different costumes, they captured the essence of '70s very accurately. It was also very interesting to learn more about how airlines used to be back in 1970. I had no idea that the passengers weren't able to book their tickets beforehand, therefore it was a "first come, first serve" situation. Watching the passengers run towards the airplane in order to secure a seat was...peculiar to say the least and I laughed harder than I should. It's always great to learn something new!

I especially liked the color grading. The warm, yellow tones provided a sense of safety at first and danger after. I got some vintage vibes and the movie somehow gave me a feeling of those action films from 2010s. During some more serious scenes, the tones were more solemn and darker, establishing a grim atmosphere that accompanied the whole story.

Hijack 1971 is by far one of the most intense movies I've watched. There were so many scenes that gave me huge amounts of anxiety. I feared for the passengers lives and I was always on alert mode. When Yong-Dae threatened the people inside the plane, my heart jumped. I swear to God, every time some of them attempted to stop him, I almost wanted to scream at them. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I understand you are in a crisis but what made you think you could take down someone who threatened you with bombs and a gun? The worst part is when they succeeded at taking him down, they were still unable to stop him! I was ready to enter inside my screen in order to disarm him myself!

An aspect that was handled very well (much better than I thought, if I want to be honest with myself) was the characterisation. I didn't expect a lot since I wasn't interested in the characters themselves but the story and yet as the movie went on, I found myself worrying about them. I liked the montage of them before and after they entered the plane. The film provided us with some context in order to understand their backgrounds and relations which helped me to connect more with them. Once the plane got hijacked, their teamwork and attempts at providing comfort to each other highlighted their dynamic even more. It was interesting and yet so sad to see these strangers combine their power in order to survive, always at risk of death. Although I expected to be indifferent towards them, I quickly found myself rooting for the passengers' survival.

Of course the characters that stole the spotlight were Tae-In, the pilot portrayed by Hang Jung-Woo and Yong-Dae, the hijacker portrayed by Yeo Jin-Goo. It was my first time seeing Jung-Woo and I couldn't have chosen a better movie. He portrayed Tae-In concern and fear perfectly. You could see from his expressions and body language how frightened he was and yet how determined he was to do anything in order to ensure the passengers' safety. Calm, collected and stern, he brought a peculiar kind of comfort. Of course the story did not leave much room for these luxuries, when I watched him, I felt safe, as if I knew I shouldn't be afraid. I am aware of the fact that the events on the film are portrayed in an over dramatized way for the sake of fiction but Jung-Woo did justice to the real pilot and conveyed his sense of duty towards the people he had to protect.

As for Jin-Goo, all I want to say is that he needs to play the villain more often. He delivered a terrific performance. I wasn't able to predict what he would do next and he constantly made me feel uneasy. The tone of his voice and his body language indicated attention and expressed the hijacker's frustration and desperation. He was a bomb that no one could know when it would blow and the people on the plane had to walk on eggshells in order to not trigger it.

I expected from the movie to make me feel anxious and thrilled and it succeeded. What I didn't foresee was that I'd end up bawling my eyes out. I am not exaggerating when I'm saying that I cried throughout the whole final act. 20 minutes of crying! I know that it sounds too dramatic but I couldn't help but feel moved watching Tae-In help with the plane's landing, even though he was severely injured by the bomb. I hoped and hoped for a different outcome, even though I knew my hopes were futile but of course miracles do not happen - at least, in real life. Tae-In's sacrifice and loyalty made me sob very hard and my grief intensified once the ending montage showed photage from the real co-pilot who had sacrificed his life while protecting the passengers.

Although I greatly enjoyed the movie, I must say that the first half was less engaging than the second one. Of course the film needed to establish its setting and characters and I still found them intriguing, it's just that I wasn't as focused. Another aspect that could have been handled better was the character of Yong-Dae. I appreciate that they tried to humanize him by portraying the complex politics between North and South Korea but it all came across as kinda shallow. It was a kinda poor attempt and it felt like the writers threw it in without giving him more depth.

All in all, I had a total blast watching Hijack 1971 and I don't complain about turning into a crying mess once I was done. It deserved its success in the Korean box office. It's definitely one of the best movies out there about a hijack and if you enjoy action paced thrillers, I strongly recommend it.

Read More

Entertaining and heartwarming

A Shop For Killers is a kdrama I've seen being constantly praised on social media. The plot captured my attention and since Lee Dong Wook was part of it, I decided to give it a try. It's safe to say that I do not regret it one bit!


For a short kdrama (8 episodes), the plot was fleshed out very well. The pacing was perfect, neither too slow nor too fast and it made the series bingeworthy. For the majority of it, the drama had my full attention, I was so curious to see how Jian would manage to survive and my excitement was always high. The structure of the storytelling was also very good. I liked the way it incorporated the flashbacks and the jump between the past and present helped in elucidating some matters that needed more explanation.


One of the strengths of A Shop For Killers was its action scenes. I myself decided to watch the drama because many people shared positive things about the action sequences and since I am big fan of action series, I was sold. And you people were right. The series did not disappoint. The fights were well choreographed and added so much tension. I especially appreciated the sound design and the variety of weapons. Finally we saw something different instead of the typical sword or gun fights. The villains used drones, robots which made the game for Jian's survival even more lethal.


Of course what made me enjoy A Shop For Killers the most was its characters and the way they were written. Apart from the fact that every actor owned their role and transformed into it, the characterisation in general was very good. It was so exciting to see all of these people gathering together in order to either destroy or help Jian and both sides (good and bad) were interesting to look at. I admit that the bad guys had some good moments too, they had some nice comedic moments which I personally did not expect (the gimmick with Seong Jo said "Attain enlightenment" every time someone died had no reason to be as funny as it was).

The secondary characters really shined, each one in their own way. I loved Min Hye, she was so fierce and cool and her fighting style was so fun to look at. Pasin became a favourite of mine, I adored his dynamic with Jian and how he became her master. I was rooting for him to survive throughout the series. And "Brother" was so funny and sweet, with such an emotinal backstory!

But the characters that completely won me over were Jeong Jian and Jeong Jin Man. A niece and an uncle who tried to navigate life after experiencing great tragedies. Both actors did a magnificent job, they really became the people they portrayed and their dynamic felt so natural.

Lee Dong Wook was captivating as Jin Man. Even though Jin Man appeared to be cold and nonchalant, Dong Wook managed to bring up his soft side. The soft looks towards his family (especially Jian) captured his love towards them and made him more humane. Jin Man was a very interesting character, he wanted to be righteous but he constantly had his back against the wall because of Babylon and Bale. He made some questionable choices but all he did was to ensure that Jian would be safe. Lee Dong Wook's cold yet calm demeanor demanded attention throughout the series. I liked the way he portrayed Jin Man, even though he wasn't very expressive since the character didn't demand it, it was the little details in his expressions and body language that gave a glimpse to Jin Man's emotions.

As for Jian, I found her to be a very complex character, one of the most complex female characters I've encountered so far. Before I had watched the drama, I expected her to be the typical young protagonist who is able to solo all of her enemies, who appears to be cold and serious and yet has a soft side and who is constantly strong. But Jian was nothing like that. To put is simply: she was a very vulnerable person. And not because she was unable to protect herself but because she had endured so much from a young age. I really appreciated the way the series handled her trauma, the scenes where she would have panic attacks and hallucinations because of her PTSD gave me so much anxiety and made my heart break.

I really liked how Jian was portrayed when she faced her enemies. Jian was never meant to be a soldier who had been trained to face dangerous enemies in the battlefield. She was a regular girl who had lost her uncle, the last member from her family and who wanted to survive. It was honestly so refreshing to finally see a protagonist who struggled to take down her enemies and who needed help from the more experienced adults. It was realistic that Jian wouldn't know what to do at first and it was also realistic that she wouldn't be able to just shoot at people. She might have trained with Jin Man but she hadn't shot a real person before. Moreover, I liked how she utilised her environment and her surroundings to take down Babylon's people. She was clever and creative, truly Jin Man's niece.

Both actresses did an excellent job portraying Jian. The child actress' performance was AMAZING, kudos to this young girl! Her eyes and the tone of her voice alone conveyed Jian's distress and fear so convincingly. During the scene when she had been locked in the basement and called for Jin Man, my heart almost broke while hearing her call for her uncle so desperately. Kim Hye Jun nailed her role as well, she was great as the older Jian and she added so may layers to her character. When Jian finally broke down, Hye Jun was absolutely terrific, you could sense how tired and sad Jian was after all the things she had to go through. Her portrayal was raw and pierced my heart.

I expected that A Shop For Killers would be thrilling to watch. What I could not foresee, however, was how heart warming and emotional it would be. Jin Man and Jian's relationship is one of my most favourite depictions of love between family members. I did not expect to be so moved. In the first half, there were some moments that made me tear up, specifically the ones between young Jian and her uncle.

I am a sucker for the "grumpy man adopts a child" trope but in that case, it goes deeper than that. Jin Man is not just grumpy. He had been exposed to many traumatic experiences and ultimately, he lost his family because of his choices (which wasn't his fault). Jian was the only thing that made him continue living. Everything he did, he did to protect her and ensure her safety. He didn't show his love in the same way her parents did but he did so through his actions and advices.

It was so heartwarming to see Jin Man and Jian grow closer after Jian's parents death. Jin Man's influence was poignant in order for Jian to cope with her trauma, while Jian herself added light to Jin Man's life. Despite his annoying shenanigans, Jian still cared for her uncle which is why she felt her world crumble when she learned about the secrets he had kept. At one point, I also started questioning myself about Jin Man's actions and feelings but thanks to the flashbacks, everything started to make more sense.

With all things considered, as much as I enjoyed A Shop For Killers, there were some aspects that prevented me from loving it as a whole. I found the second half to be less engaging than the first one. It was good that during the last episodes we got Jin Man's backstory and that we saw the events unfold from his point of view but all of these flashbacks felt so repetitive because they showed scenes we had already seen. It would have been better if there was more balance, I think it was a little bit unnecessary to dedicate two whole episodes to Jin Man and then go back to present time in the last episode.

Additionally, I would have wanted to see more scenes between Jin Man and Jian during the second half. The first episodes did an excellent job depicting their developing relationship through the flashbacks but I think we should have gotten some more interactions between them. Of course it was important to focus on Jin Man himself, since we needed more answers regarding his past but the series could have given us more scenes between him and Jian. To tell you the truth, I didn't particularly find the way the drama presented his advices very convincing. Yes, some of his words helped Jian and gave her strength but it wasn't as much impactful as I had expected. Jian didn't rely on Jin Man's advices as the description and blurb indicated, she took them into consideration but ultimately, it was she who helped herself.

All in all, I am extremely happy for finally watching this drama. It deserves all its hype and more and I cannot wait for season 2!

Read More

Gripping but without substance

Mercy For None was a series that caught my eye due to its premise that promised to deliver epic fight scenes and violence. I love myself a good action series with intense fights and a setting that involves gangsters is always tempting, so it's no wonder I decided to give Mercy For None a try.

From the very first episode, Mercy For None goes straight into the point without any delay. The series makes itself more than clear: this is a story about revenge and violence. Nothing more, nothing less. I was immediately immersed in the world of crime and I was looking forward to see Gi-Jun's revenge for the death of his brother.

Despite its short length, I would say that Mercy For None handled its story decently. It was cohesive enough and while it was nothing groundbreaking, it managed to be entertaining. The episodes' length was ideal, time flew by rather quickly and it was easy for me to binge the series in two days. For the most part, the pacing was serviceable, it was fast enough but not in a way that made the story seem too rushed.

The acting was pretty good and I found myself enjoying the performances of the actors much more than I anticipated. So Ji-Sub nailed Gi-Jun's stoic and ruthless character. He didn't get to showcase a variety of emotions but just from his eyes and expressions, you could sense his fury and thirst for vengeance. His gaze was cold, dead even and it perfectly captured the character. Even the stern and collected tone of his voice was enough to command my attention and make me feel uneasy, for I couldn't predict the lengths his plan for revenge would reach. Aside from this aspect of his character, there were some small moments where he was allowed to break Gi-Jun's cold facade. The scenes between Gi-Jun and his brother had a calm, domestic vibe and you could see from Gi-Jun's soft look how much he cared about him. Although this type of scenes weren't a lot, Ji-Sub's micro expressions and body language were enough to convey Gi-Jun's grief and tiredness.

Huh Joon-Ho and Ahn Kil-Kang delivered two good performances as Lee Ju-Woon and Koo Bong-San respectively. Their dynamic was very interesting to observe and so were the differences between them. While Lee Ju-Woon was calmer and could keep his cool, Koo Bong-San was more fierce and expressive. Both delivered decent performances as one would expect from veteran actors like them.

I was especially amazed by Gong Myung's performance as Koo Jun-Mo, Bong-San's son. I had watched him for the first time in Extreme Job, where he played the role of the rookie and kinda naive Detective Jae-Hoon. Well, in Mercy For None his character couldn't have been more different. A bratty and arrogant son of a gang leader, who thought too highly of himself and who believed he could come on top by commanding others the way he wanted. He was a scene stealer, I was both annoyed and intrigued by him. I wanted to punch him and see more of him at the same time. I really hope he'll get to play the villain again, I seriously wish we had gotten more of him.

As someone would expect, one of the strongest aspects of the series (if not the strongest) was the fighting scenes. From the moment I started watching the first episode, I knew I was in for an intense experience. And I was right. The direction and choreography were very impressive, my eyes were glued on the screen and I was so excited to the point I would move even closer to my screen in order to not miss anything. I really liked Gi-Jun's fighting style. Raw, bloody and fierce, it hold my attention and I couldn't help but root for him. Yes, I admit that at times the way he won against all these thugs was kinda unrealistic, but the series made it work. I also appreciate how it was shown that he was getting hurt and needed medical help to continue with his revenge, at least the writers didn't make him come off unarmed after facing all of these people.

Mercy For None delivered exactly what it promised to. It never attempted to hide behind its finger and pretend to be a deep drama. It promises you action and you get exactly that.

But was this enough? Hmmm, well, not so much.

While I certainly had an overall good time, once I was finished watching the series, I couldn't help but feel empty. Throughout the seven episodes, I was never able to feel any type of connection with the characters or the story. Of course I was curious to see the lengths Gi-Jun would go to in order to avenge his brother but I didn't hold any strong feelings about him. Which is not necessarily bad. Sometimes you just need something thrilling to watch while sitting back and enjoying yourself. But me, personally, I prefer my dramas with more substance.

I would put Mercy for None in the same category with dramas like Vigilante and Trigger: action packed with interesting premise, yet lackluster execution. While Mercy For None does not offer an extraordinary script, there were more opportunities to make the story and the characters more engaging. First and foremost, Gi-Jun's character could have been explored more. I totally understand the purpose his dark and stern attitude served, but the writers could have invested more in his character. It would have been nice to see him being more expressive. His actions obviously spoke louder than words but I wanted to see more of his emotions. He came across as too bland at times, which again, it fits his character but it didn't leave any room for development.

Another aspect that should have been explored more was the dynamics between the characters. The series tried to highlight the relationship between Lee Ju-Won, Koo Bong-San and their sons but it was done poorly. I would have particularly preferred to see more of Koo Bong-San and Jun-Mo's dynamic. Jun-Mo was obviously a brat who wanted to have his way but based on the few interactions he had with his father, it was clear that the writers tried to build the basis of a complex father-son relationship, that went nowhere. Jun-Mo was desperate to gain his father's approval and be taken more seriously. Bong-San on the other hand, cared for his son, even though he treated him harshly. It would have been nice to see more of them and observe how Bong-San's treatment towards Jun-Mo shaped up his character.

As for Ju-Won and Geum-Son, their relationship was even more underdeveloped. Geum-Son as a character lacked depth and his motivations were too bland. His actions and ambition steamed from his father's treatment but the writers didn't bother to highlight their dynamic more. Geum-Son was interesting to look at in the last episodes since the first ones focused on Jun-Mo but apart from that, he didn't offer anything special.

But my biggest disappointment was the relationship between the two brothers, Gi-Jun and Gi-Seok. What did the writers think in order to sideline their dynamic so much? I can barely recall any meaningful moments between them. When you're writing a story about revenge for the death of an important character, you are supposed to show the relationship between them and the main hero. I do not deny Gi-Jun's grief and I could understand how much he cared for Gi-Seok. But the series should have done a much better job to establish their relationship. We should have seen more of them caring and protecting each other. Some flashbacks would have added more layers in their characters and enhance the emotional depth of the tragedy that came with Gi-Seok's death. It is such a pity that they were so overlooked by the script, especially since both Ji-Sub and Jun-Hyuk are very good actors and had good chemistry in the few scenes we got.

It's more than clear that the team behind Mercy For None put more effort in the visuals and technical elements than the story. While the result was not bad, good action sequences are not enough to make up for a poor story that could have offered more. That being said, this is just my mere opinion. While I do not consider Mercy For None as a masterpiece, it did its job to entertain me. I strongly recommend it for those who are in need of a fast-paced, action heavy drama but if you want more than that, I'm afraid you might get disappointed.

Read More

One of the funniest movies I've watched

I love comedies. Comedies is the genre I grew up with. In my country (Greece) we have many popular comedy series so I grew up watching them. As I grew older, I watched more movies and series and I can confidently say that Extreme Job is one of the funniest comedies I've watched so far.

The plot is not groundbreaking but it was so entertaining. A bunch of incompetent detectives who want to catch a criminal and prove their worth? Sign me in! I always find myself enjoying these type of stories of people who are desperate to prove their worth so I was obviously rooting for the team, no matter how many mistakes they would make. I went into this film pretty blindly so imagine my surprise when I saw that they bought a chicken restaurant in order to keep track on the criminal, Lee Moo bae.

The first half was mostly focused on the squad's attempts to open the restaurant and keep their cover as chicken restaurant owners. There were so many funny scenes and I admit that watching them cook these chickens made me salivate and crave some. They did a great job at making them look so delicious. The second half focused more on the criminals and how the squad tried to arrest them and it was equally exciting and funny to watch. Although the pacing became a little bit slower in the middle, the movie never lost my attention and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

As someone who is immersed in the world of kdramas, I must say that sometimes, korean jokes do not land, at least to me. I might chuckle a little but usually, I do not find myself enjoying them that much. However, that wasn't the case with Extreme Job. I laughed so hard while watching this movie to the point my abs got hurt. If you do not feel like doing cardio, this is a great exercise. Of course there were some bits that weren't as funny as other but overal the humor was pretty clever and the jokes were well-thought. The actors did a great job elevating the comedic parts. This is a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to comedies: many actors came across as awkward because their actions and the way they act does not seem natural and convincing. In Extreme Job, every actor did a great job with their roles. Each one of the squad members had their distinquish traits and running gags and the actors owned them. On top of that, their chemistry was excellent and the timing of the humor was to-the-point.

I was familiar with Ryu Seung-Ryong from Low Life, Lee Honey from Aema, Jin Sun-Kyu from Through The Darkness and Aema and Shin Ha-Kyun from Beyond Evil and Evilive. I admit that the actors I looked forward to see the most were Shin Ha-Kyun, whom I loved in Beyond Evil and Sun-Kyu who delivered some excellent performancies in Through the Darkness and Aema, in which he portrayed two very different characters. But all actors did an excellent job as I already mentioned. Seung-Ryong matched perfectly with the tired yet fierce of Chief Go, Lee Honey was captivating yet hilarious as Detective Jang, Lee Dong-Hwi as Detective Young-Ho made me pity him so much for being the voice of reason and Gong-Myung was charming and yet so funny playing the rookie detective Jae-Hoon.

And as for Ha-Kyun, oh my God, I have no words. Aside from the fact I was always at risk of having a cardiac arrest because of his styling and aura, he was amazing as the villain. it's my first time watching him in this type of role and if any casting directors are reading this review by any chance, I beg you, cast him in more roles where he's unapologetically evil! He was charming yet dangerous, funny yet mischievous. He carried the character with confidence and charm and despite his limited screen time, he stole the show.

I really enjoyed the characterisation in this movie. I connected with the team very quickly and at times, I wished I could be part of their little family - for this is what they were. I appreciate that the writers showed their bond through various scenes, although they would bicker and disagree with each other about the methods they should use in order to catch Moo Bae, they clearly cared about each other and did their best to work as a whole. I especially adored how exasperated Chief Go was while he was trying to guide the members, he gave off the vibes of a tired dad (I mean, he was already a dad of a teenage girl but he had to watch over four overgrown children). The chemistry between Detective Jang and Detective Ma was also really funny, their love-hate dynamic did not feel forced at all and despite them fighting or arguing, they clearly matched each other freak, as was shown in some occasions.

Aside from the good humor, the movie also had great action scenes. The fight choreographies were thrilling to watch (Twelve, take some notes how to direct proper fight scenes), they weren't many of them at the first half but the final climax was more than a satisfying pay-off. I keep rewatching them, I can't get tired of them. I also appreciate that they made made the fighting sequences believable by having the main characters getting injured instead of being these almighty superheroes who cannot receive a single scratch.

The soundrack matched perfectly with the comedic yet intense tone of the film. It had many humorous tones yet it added more tension when the film required it. A nice detail i noticed was the parts that resembled chicken noises, kudos to the people involved!

My only complaint (which still doesn't undermine my experience) is that I would have liked it if the writers had explored more the feelings of the team regarding their treatment from their supperiors. Once they got the taste of money and success after the restaurant flourished, they seemed to finally feel content with being good at something and receiving appreciation for that. We especially saw that with the Chief who was finally able to provide for his family. I think the writers could have utilised this aspect some more, it would be a good opportunity to add more depth in the characters and the story. There was an attempt to create a more serious tone but we quickly went back to the comedy.

Nevertheless, I had such a great time watching Extreme Job, it's one of the films I'll go back to when I'm in need of a good laugh. I strongly recommend it to those who seek something light-hearted to watch and if you love comedies, you might love this one too!

Read More

A devastating and beautiful anti-war film about friendship

Ever since I watched Squid Game and Beyond Evil, I've become a big fan of Lee Byung-Hun and Shin Hakyun respectively and I've been digging up their filmographies. Imagine my surprise when I saw that not only they played in the same movie but Song Kang-Ho, another actor whom I came to respect after Parasite, was one of the main leads too. And guess what, the film was directed by none other than Park Chan-Wook!

Just to clarify some things: apart from my general knowledge of the conflict between North and South Korea, I am not very educated on this subject. If any parts of my review are worded controversially or do not reflect reality, please inform me.

I went into this movie pretty blindy. The only thing I knew from the blurb was that it was about an on-going investigation about the death of two North Korean soldiers by a South Korean. I initially expected to watch a political crime thriller which would play with my mind, making me guess whether Lee Soo-Hyeok had done the murder or not. But I got much more than that. For this movie was not a simple a political crime thriller. It was about a forbidden friendship and how war ruined it.

What initially started as a mystery thriller, quickly changed into a completely different route. The moment the story focused on the flashbacks, my attention shifted immediately. I applaud this choice for the direction of the film. Jumping from the present to the past and then going back to the present not only made me connect with the characters even more but added more salt to the wound once the final conflict took place.

Four soldiers, two nations. Kyeong-Pil and Woo-Jin from North Korea, Soo-Hyeok and Sung-Shik from South Korea. Four men divided by war. Four men divided by borders, politics or something more simple, like a line. And yet, among these soldiers, a friendship managed to bloom. Despite their differences, they helped each other, laughed with each other, joked with each other - and even saved each other. The middle section of the movie was devoted to them and their bond and I am being very serious when I say that they could have added three more hours about their interactions and meet-ups and I still would want more.

When the story went back in time and I saw how Kyeong-Pil and Woo-Jin had saved the life of Soo-Hyeok, I felt numb because I realised that what I was going to witness would be the downfall of a doomed friendship. It was so bittersweet for me to watch the friendship among these four men unfold before my eyes. Distrust and pity made way for respect, respect made way for trust and trust made way for fondness. It was so bizarre to watch these adults who had been training to kill and serve their country act like younglings and make immature jokes with people whom they considered as enemies until very recently. I laughed and on the inside I cried. At one point, I was delusional enough to hope that the outcome would be different. But alas, that was never the case.

This was the first Park Chan-Wook movie I watched and it was a grand introduction to his filmography. The cinematography and direction of the movie elevated the atmosphere and highlighted the bond between the four men. One of the most painful things in the movie was the amount of parallels and foreshadowings. Soo-Hyeok's quote about bravery that he learned from Kyeong-Pil. Woojin's drawings. Kyeong-Pil's last whistle. Park Chan-Wook pulled at my heartstrings and I was unable to do anything else besides watching the beauty and tragedy unfold before my eyes.

If I had to think of any "faults", I would say that the scenes with the investigation team were my least favourites. They didn't add much and they toned down the emotional atmosphere. There was an important historical piece of information that added more context and depth into the conflict between South and North Korea but it was delivered with poor English and the actor did not put the required amount of emotions in his performance to highlight how significant this information was. Thankfully, the movie didn't have many scenes with the investigation team so my overall experience was not affected.

The last shot is by far one of the most heartbreaking moments I've ever witnessed in a movie. Throughout the last half hour, I had been crying my eyes out but the last shot was my final straw for I became a mess. The ending was powerful, emotional and with it arose a big " what if".

Joint Security Area is a desperate plea for unity between North and South Korea. An emotional anti-war film that everyone should watch. A painful reminder that whole borders and politics can seperate us, people can still find form close bonds with each other, defying those differences. Beauty mingled with tragedy and the result was this palpable political thriller that will continue to haunt me for a very long time. I kid you not when I say that I am a different person after watching this movie. I can't stop thinking about it and every time I bring back in my mind the friendship between the characters, tears gather in my eyes.

"What's important in battle isn't speed. It's carrying yourself with composure and bravery. That's everything"

Read More

Underwhelming thriller mostly saved by Siwan's acting

Very interesting thriller with an interesting, albeit common prose. In our times, when access to someone else's information can be achieved easily, it's terrifying to imagine what would happen if one monitored my whole life through my phone.

The first half was very interesting, I was very curious to learn about the stalker's identity and purpose and it was so scary to watch him monitoring Na-mi's steps. But after the first half, the movie became kinda boring to me. Although I still wanted to see how he would be caught and how Na-mi would solve her problem, the plot became predictable and lost its spark. Some of the characters' actions were so silly, it was clear that their purpose was to pace the way for the story's development but couldn't it been done more conveniently? The third act wasn't that dramatic and the ending was kinda anticlimactic.

There were many themes that could have been explored more but the movie didn't delve into them. I expected more commentary regarding the loss of human connections and the way people rely on their phones. It was brought up sometimes in a subtle way but it wasn't enough to highlight this message, which the movie intended to. Yes, it's clear how dangerous online activity can be but I wanted something more. Instead of telling and not showing, it was little telling and little showing.

Si-Wan's performance was the best, he was absolutely captivating as Oh Jun-yeong. His body language, the tone of his voice, his gaze, his demeanor. He knew how to embody his character and he made me feel sick yet unable to take my eyes off my screen when he appeared. It was a pity that the movie didn't do more with his character. I know that some villains do bad actions for the sake of it and that I shouldn't expect every villain to have a sob story but I still wanted to see more of him. He felt one-dimensional which is a pity because there were many layers to explore.

The rest of the characters were decent but not spectacular. Na-mi was good, I really liked Chun Woo-Hee's performance, but oh God, some of her decisions just pissed me off so bad. For example, how could she seriously trust a guy she met a few times over her best friend whom she has known for years!?

All in all, Unlocked was a gripping yet lackluster thriller. It hold my attention for the most part but it's not the best out there. I do not regret watching it and if you're new to korean cinema, it could be a decent option.

Read More

Started of strong but fell flat

I am hooked by korean thrillers ever since I watched Beyond Evil and one day, I came across Vigilante. Since I am a huge fan of stories that explore the matter of justice vs self-appointed law enforce, I decided to watch it, especially since I had seen some people calling it underrated.

While I overall enjoyed the series, I think that there was room for more developement. I am aware of the fact that it's based on a webtoon and since I haven't read it, I will assume that it was overal a faithful adaptation.

The plot was interesting, I liked the exploration of corruption, abuse of power and the fight for justice. It's just that even though it was quite short, it dragged, especially towards the end. The first episodes were the best imo and I think the series should have focused more in the moral battle of law vs taking the matters in your own hands. I would have loved to see more psychological battles between the characters, especially between Jiyong and Heon. The first episodes focused more on the psychological and ethical aspects while the rest focused more on the action. Which was not bad but it didn't allow the series to go more into depth about its themes. Plus, the fights in the last episodes were kinda funny, the plot armor was going crazy for the main characters. So many thugs and no one could beat them?

The characters were interesting but I believe that some of them could have been explored more. Jiyong was definitely the most fleshed out character and I would have loved to see more of his battle between bad vs evil. Jo heon was fun and cool and I liked his dialogues with Jiyong. However, I felt like I desired more once I finished the series, yes, we got to see him reconsider his own believes which was good but I think he came across as a little bit one dimensional at times and the series relied a lot on the gimmick about his size and power. Still a very cool character though. As for the rest, I really liked Choi Mi Ryeo, she was such a badass and I found her to be quite complex in terms of actions and believes. Gang-ok was actually quite fun, he was such a fanboy for Vigilante and his obsesion with Jiyong was just so hilarious, one sided toxic yaoi at its finest.

The acting was really good, especially Nam Joo-hyuk's and the ending, albeit frustating, was pretty much realistic. Overall, I liked the series, it's just that I think it had potential to become something more. As I mentioned above, if it followed the plot of the webtoon, I will understand the lack of exploration on some of the themes but they could have done something more to fully flesh them out. I also believe but for a series that tackled many interesting topics, it should have been longer, say 10+ episodes.

Read More

Underrated and gripping

I watched Black Out in March and yet I can't stop thinking about it. It was my third thriller after Beyond Evil and Strangers from Hell and I believe that it's painfully underrated.

Black Out is based on the German novel "Snow White Must Die". I haven't read the novel therefore I don't know how accurate the series is. But that's irrelevant to me because the drama had me hooked from the very first episode.

Black Out is the type of slow-paced thriller I enjoy. It took it's time to introduce the audience to the story and the characters. When you thought you knew everything about them, the series would hit you with some revelations that would shatter what you knew until then. I was able to predict some of the plot twists but in some cases, I couldn't predict what would follow next. It was a nail-bitting experience, especially towards the climax.

The main character, Jeongwoo, won my heart. Byun Yo-han did a fantastic job at portraying him and in my humble opinion, his performance could have been nominated for some awards. At first, the series really made me flirt with the idea that he really was the culprit but I quickly abandoned my theory because Jeongwoo was far too kind of a person to do that. He is one of the most tragic characters I've seen in a kdrama series, he was basically abandoned by everyone and seeing him being mistreated really made my blood boil from anger (although I could excuse people's prejudice and fears).

The relationship between Jeongwoo and Sangcheol was one of the highlights for me. Definitely one of my most favourite bromances. They didn't get along due to Sangcheol's hatred towards Jeongwoo because he thought him as the culprit and yet their chemistry blossomed so much. Their interactions were so soft and reassuring and I loved every single scene between them.

Sangcheol himself was a very interesting character and Ko Jun did a fantastic job to bring him to life. He was grumpy, clever, sarcastic and yet he always made sure to do his job right and help Jeongwoo.

The rest of the casting did an equally magnificent job, everyone played so well. The series is full of great deliveries, there were moments which made me tear up or made me want to strangle some of the characters. Trust me when I tell you that this drama might frustrate you when it comes to some of the characters, I couldn't believe how some people could do the things they did to Jeongwoo and his family.

The relationships between the characters were well-explored and as the story went on, everything made sense and how some parts connected with each other. If I could point out a complaint of mine is the amount of times Jeongwoo and Sangcheol's plans were jeopardized and that sometimes, the plot dragged (but not to the point it made me want to drop out).

If you haven't watched the series, please give it a chance. I don't want to write more but I really hope I expressed my opinion as clear as I could.

Read More