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Zombiecalypse nightmare
All of Us Are Dead is South Korea's latest entry into its esscalating body of undead mayhem (Train to Busan, #Alive, Happiness).
All of Us Are Dead pulls no punches and unleashes a savage and seemingly never-ending assault of fast-running zombies on an unfortunate squad of students who've managed to survive the first wave of a zombiecalypse. With 12 episodes running 1 hr long each, it gets a bit exhausting at times due to continuous gore and violence, yet it sticks to the basics and delivers a positive outcome, although there's nothing new.
All of Us Are Dead's zombie action is never not impressive. Whether it's giant chaotic crowd shots, massive ensemble brawls, or tricky "oners," this is massively kinetic storytelling that will drain you as emotionally as it drains our heroes physically. Likewise, there are dozens of instances involving astounding body acting.
All of Us Are Dead may not offer up anything exactly new in the realm of zombie carnage other than its somewhat cruel and unrelenting nature, but sometimes that's enough to pull off some damn effective survival horror.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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Promising 1st act, followed by terrible 2nd and final act
Starring Kim Da Mi, The Great Flood is more than just a disaster movie, and you won't realize it unless you actually give it a try. The outcome, for me, was a big disappointment.The opening 30 minutes is breathtaking, it is the movie's strongest point. It is a "breathlessly tense" survival thriller with impressive digital effects that capture the terrifying scale of a global tsunami.
The protoganist, An-na (Kim Da-mi), a top-tier Al researcher performance is also greatly appreciated. Her maternal role performance is praiseworthy. She carries the physical and emotional weight of the movie, making her desperate fight to save her son feel grounded and believable.
The biggest problem and the twist comes in the second half, where the movie pivots from a simple disaster flick into an "ambitious action-packed puzzle box". Drawing comparisons to films like Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar, it explores a recursive, "time-looping" narrative. However, this tonal shift leads to a super complex plot with so many loopholes, that by the final act I already got tired of seeing it till the end, and yes it still disappoints.
My thought - The Great Flood is presented as a disaster movie, however the narrative moves deeper with high ambitions, and a very little payoff.
My Rating : 3.5/10
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Kim Go Eun gives a commendable performance
This drama keeps you hooked from the very first episode till the last, with it's strong storyline and multiple twists. The plot is dark as well as emotional at times.The story moves in a good pace and keeps us guessing who's the real culprit behind everything. While some twists were predictable, the build-up was still pretty well done. And while I admit most of the story was really great the final 2 episodes were loaded with too much subplots, that even though the ending was satisfactory, it was not totally brilliant.
The acting of both the leads were amazing, especially Kim Go Eun. Her eyes itself expressed every grief and trauma she went through in her past, yet she stands fearless and emotionless. Her versatile acting catalogue is already stacked with some brilliant performances.
The writing was sharp and the characters were well-written, although you might observe few loopholes in the first half of the drama. The BGM fits well with the atmosphere and genre of the drama.
Nonetheless, The Price Of Confession is a strong mystery thriller drama that is worth a watch, especially for the fans of crime thrillers.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Worthy effort of being enjoyable, but not memorable
The Sound of Magic was one of the more eagerly awaited k-dramas of 2022, that had something different to offer than the rest of the shows.The drama could have offered more, had it not been restricted to 6 episodes. It has lovely visuals, solid performances, impressive song-and-dance numbers, and oodles of charm. Although what I would have loved to see more in the drama was the narrative, which I felt was not much effective.
The Sound of Magic has six episodes, and while they’re long, it sometimes feels like 10 or 12 would have better served the show’s ambition. Nonetheless, the drama is an enjoyable watch, if not memorable.
My Rating : 7/10
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Folklore occult horror that shouldn't be missed
Exhuma is an enthralling, unique exploration of intergenerational curses, national history, and spectral hauntings. Kim Go-eun easily carries the dramatic load and Choi Min-sik gives his role a grizzled, weary authority. The journey moves viewers from the ghostly to the monstrous with meaning and history behind the horror, and while there are thought-provoking elements at play here there’s also a desire to deliver big, creepy, gory, beautiful thrills. The inclusion of rituals and ceremonies with historical influences craft a tangible world the story exists in, not necessarily adding undeniable plausibility, but certainly introducing disturbing situations steeped in beliefs and tradition.My Rating : 8/10
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Concrete description of human nature when in survival mode
Concrete Utopia doesn't do anything particularly new for the dystopian thriller sub-genre, but it’s consistently engaging and well-executed. is an emotional force of a film. Not concerned with the disaster itself or the spectacle it could employ to focus on the moment of tragedy, the film offers epic landscapes but always keeps an intimate eye on the people in the high rise.Concrete Utopia presents a disturbing picture of humanity that dribbles into the absolute worst when the social structure is dismembered and survival becomes the only need of the hour. Talking about the direction, Uhm Tae Hwa did a good job in capturing raw human nature in every possible way. The cinematography and acting, especially by Lee Byung Hun, were also enthralling.
Concrete Utopia is a gripping, disturbing, and powerful representation of the worst of society, yet equally showcasing the best qualities in humans and how hope, community, and decency will always exist through the dust and devastation.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Blends the story of love and thriller in a well executed drama
Happiness, as the name sounds, isn't all about happiness though. This thriller drama sees an apocalyptic world where virus has created a havoc and residents of an apartment are surviving for their life.Happiness had a decent story with a very good production and overall visuals. The soundtrack though, was the best part in the entire drama. The music tuned to the perfect rhythm along with the key moments in the series.
Not forgetting about the leads who gave a commendable performance and maintained romantic chemistry among themselves. It might not be a part of my Top 5 drama of the year, but it was a very well made show which blended multiple genres/aspects and delivered a convincing result.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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An innovative concept, but finished a bit hastily
Squid Game had one of the best concepts, with mystery around few people who participates in a game with millions to win. The story is simple yet creative and it works most of the entire series.The start was strong, with violence and bloodshed during the games which built an intense environment to leave us guessing what would happen next.
The story went through well with a good last episode as well. But it still felt that it was not finished as it should have been ended, with an open ending hinting for Season 2 (Although I would have preferred this to end in a single season).
My Rating : 7/10
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Power packed with action and craziness
Bad and Crazy is an action thriller with a lot of comedy added with suspense as well. Believe me, you will not be bored in this drama due to it's intensity in story and an outstanding techno music to match with it.With an amazing political corruption plotline, adding with dual personality and drug abuse, Bad and Crazy doesn't leave anything that we cannot be impressed with. The bromance between Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon was a pleasure to watch, alongside the supporting characters who held this drama and made it power packed. Though some twists and tropes might initially leave viewers feeling muddled, power through them and the pieces slowly start to fall into place, compelling you to sit back, relax and enjoy the wild ride that is Bad and Crazy.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Nostalgia feeling with feel-good breeze
A romance drama about two grown adults who had their documentary shoot 10 years ago and relationship thereafter, which ended eventually. After 10 years, it happens once again and yes it feels nostalgic in every way.The best thing about Our Beloved Summer that catches the eye is the cast. The charms of Kim Dami and Choi Woo Shik, who radiate youthful energy, fill up the screen, and the chemistry between the two naturally leads the story. The drama emphasizes the images of summer and thanks to this, the play’s overall atmosphere is full of freshness. Also it might feel relatable to many viewers' teenage life they lived.
The cast, whether be the lead or the supporting, had a great connection. The soundtrack is soothing and melodious which fits the setting of the drama. The story had depth, but it was fairly executed, if not efficiently. Also the supporting characters weren't given much exposure as one would have thought. Although it doesn't come close to other feel-good romance drama (like Hometown Cha Cha or When The Weather Is Fine), Our Beloved Summer manages to hold itself through freshness and nostalgic moments of reminiscing the good old teenage life.
To summarise, Our Beloved Summer ends itself as a dama that conveys the sweetness of love and the freshness of youth at the same time. It's effective enough to catch viewers' attention with it's fair, if not excellent story and screenplay.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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A Palace Built on Sins
The East Palace is a finely written fantasy horror, that blends historical and horror elements into a gripping drama, obviously with it's share of flaws.The story follows a fictional kingdom haunted by terrifying events and to stop all these with the help of a ghost-slayer and a communicator with the dead. The initial episodes dwelves more into the palace and the secret/shame of the current king. The story is intriguing and the characters are well-written. The first half keeps you engaged, and even though with the slow pacing, the narrative packs a punch.
The second half becomes a little sluggish, however, the mystery remains unsolved and hence it still keeps you hooked, despite of the repetitive loop it puts you into. The finale ends on a satisfactory note and leaves it's viewers with a possibility of Season 2.
The performance of every character was good. The show didn't focused on a single character, instead every character were used to their potential. The chemistry and pairing of ML and FL was visible and were used with great potent.
Technically, the drama has it's highs and lows. The cinematography is very good, the background music was engaging with it's variation and constant shift between traditional music and rock/metal. The biggest concern was the CGI. While the action sequences were decent, it was marred down by poor CGI. Instead of an amazing action sequences, it felt like watching a video game action.
Overall, The East Palace is a good watch, with it's combination of fantasy, action and horror with historical elements. Despite of it's technical flaws, the drama is engaging and will keep you hooked to it's narrative.
My Rating : 7.5/10
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A misguided fantasy
A fantasy drama retelling a story of our childhood in a confused drama version.With A-list cast, there was some sort of expectations, even if they weren't much high. But, instead of being magical, the show turned out to be boring and so hard to finish.
The first half of the show was diving into the nothingness - no story, no characterisation, only unnecessary conversations and unfunny moments. Now, about the characters. Suzy’s role was supposed to be intriguing — detached, emotionless — but it never evolved. Instead of pulling me in, it just felt flat, almost robotic. Kim Woo-bin had flashes of brilliance, but his genie/Iblis character was all over the place. One second playful, the next scary, but not in a way that felt layered… more like inconsistent writing. The supporting cast were just added layers. This is Suzy’s successive misfire, after 2023's Doona.
The visuals and OST were good, but that's about it. These were the only positives I could find about the show. In the end, the series misses an opportunity to explore the profound struggle between good and evil as it truly is.
Overall, Genie, Make A Wish is an extremely huge scale disappointment of the year.
My Rating : 2/10
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Through the streets of Taipei
Following around the streets of Taipei, Left Handed Girl follows a mother and her 2 daughters who just newly moved to the city.Technically, the movie is well directed, letting the audience view through the streets of Taipei through the character's POV. A vlog style direction is handled well by the newcomer Shih Ching Tsou through iPhone.
While the narrative is shaky at times, the characters are well written and shows their individual struggle to make through every day. Three generations of women working to support their families reveal archaic beliefs about gender and superstitions about left-handedness.
The biggest highlight of the movie was Nina Ye playing a 5 year old kid, seeing her family struggle through various situations and her own dilemma of being left-handed. There was pure innocence in her performance that really made me stick to the movie till the end.
Narratively, the focus was not constant. The pacing was uneven, the characters especially Shih-Hua-Ma could have been written better.
My Rating : 3.5/5
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A love letter to music
A story of a band and it's members, Glass Heart is a rare japanese drama that shines because of it's production, story, music and the characters.The series explores the struggles and joys of creating music and performing, as well as the power of music to connect people and transcend personal hardships. The story of a band's formation and their journey to success resonates with viewers who love music or dream of making it themselves. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing - energetic as well as soulful.
The characters are well-written and their backstories are explored as well. While the first half was totally fire, the second half loses a little momentum wherein a lot of aspects are covered in a very short time. The other characters' (Sho Takaoka and Sakamoto Kazushi) background could have been explored a little more.
Overall, Glass Heart is a well-made J-drama with high value production and a strong music that resonates with audience that appreciates music and stories about creative process.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Could have been much better with strong execution
A thought provoking narrative about guns and violence, revenge of the past - Trigger is a good concept with a so-so execution.The story follows Kim Nam Gil as officer Lee Do, who is investigating the culprits of bringing/smuggling guns in the country. The drama had a good theme - psychological impact of violence, the dangers of unchecked gun violence, and the societal factors that can lead to unrest.
The action sequences and the character of Lee Do is praiseworthy, however the pacing was uneven, with many unnecessary subplots. The writing was fine, but certain characters were underdeveloped. While the series did build a gripping story, the antagonist and the ending were generic, rather than intriguing.
Overall, Trigger is a decent watch with strong concept and a good performance from Nam Gil, however is pulled down by uneven story pace and unsatisfactory ending.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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