Both these films tell stories about Japanese atrocities committed during WWII. While Dead to Rights is a typical war film, Spirits' Homecoming takes a more creative modern/historical approach to its narrative.
The struggles of women in the inner chambers are as treacherous as men's fights on the battlefield.
Looking for commentary on Filipino politics with wry humour? Both these films serve just that. Balota will suit the thriller lovers out there, whereas Bayaning 3rd World is a playful postmodern take on history.
Both these well produced Filipino films have leads who fight against the odds where political powers are out to get them. Neither the teacher in Balota nor the priest in Gomburza are your typical rebels or activists, and yet they are thrust into circumstances where they choose to make a stand.
Romance-as-business crossed with murder mystery is a rare narrative format. But both The Trunk and Light The Night serve it beautifully. The former leans more heavily into the romance side of things whereas Light The Night delves more into intrigue.
You'll need a box of tissues for both of these films. They each portray characters dealing with death and coming to terms with their grief via traditional rituals. The Last Dance is more focussed on family dynamics whereas Spirits' Homecoming navigates a political taboo: Korean comfort women.
If you're interested in rituals related to the afterlife, but after more adventure and mystery, then check out The Ghost Bride. Slice of life fans will be more at home with The Last Dance.
Both these films follow the story of characters resisting - each in their different ways - ruling colonisers.
Their stories surface complicated questions around national identity and how it intersects with other identities.
Their stories surface complicated questions around national identity and how it intersects with other identities.
If you enjoyed the anti-colonial stance of the characters in Empress Ki, you'll appreciate the depiction of Korean resistance against Imperial Japan in Mr. Sunshine. Romance and freedom fighters combine to create a tale of love and struggle.
Both feature opera and homoerotic relationships. However, that is just my personal reading of Yanxi Palace. I would say there are homoerotic subtexts in the drama but it does depend on your own reading.
For my bis, pans and hets out there – Autumn's Concerto features a love interest saving a girl through the law from an abusive home environment. Sadly, it's straight af.
Period setting, high society, and sexual tension – The Handmaiden has them all. As for the homoerotica? Well, you might as well go full frontal.
