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Ghost in the Army
Well-made army movie with a delicate topic (and a disclaimer that it does not reference any real event or characters). There is no actual war or combat operations in this film. It is a story about soldiers on duty who are confronted by the ghost of a past sin that haunts their actions a year later. I was surprised by the story, which at first appears to be a standard exploration of an army cover-up, but it goes deeper, even touching on theological and moral issues. It does so by portraying the friendship between the soldiers and their superiors in contrast to Jesus and His apostles at the Last Supper, and also with His cross dominating one particular scene.The movie was a little too long and had somewhat confusing transitions between past and present events, with several repeated flashbacks. Nevertheless, it remained thrilling and intriguing. There are no literal ghosts, but there is a ghost-like perspective hovering above the soldiers during their “fatal” mission, which makes a lot of sense and is a detail I appreciated very much. The actors were solid and made the dramatic moments convincing for me. I must say, i didn't expect much but this movie left an impact.
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The Heart remembers
The title of the movie (Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight) was intriguing enough for me to pick it randomly without knowing anything about the plot. The story has an unusual premise, but the execution is somewhat clumsy and the progression very simple. The pacing felt a bit off; the big moments didn’t happen naturally but were either forced or occurred off-screen. I also didn’t like the childish acting, which might be funny to a younger audience, but to me it felt unrealistic.Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie for its main story, its message, and the emotions it evokes. As stated in the synopsis, this is truly a pure and touching love story that seems impossible yet still becomes real. I really appreciate Korean cinema for giving us clean and simple romances that inspire rather than provoke.
The movie teaches us that memories might fade, but they are not lost. Everything we experience stays somewhere deep inside the heart. It may appear hidden, but it is still there. That is a theological truth: even the things we have forgotten or lost remain for all eternity. Nothing good disappears in vain.
My compliments also go to the production team, who made an effort to ensure every scene looks beautiful. So despite having some issues with the story’s progression, I am thankful to have been blessed with this warm and noble love story.
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How to train a Zombie
At first glance, this movie makes no sense, but in the end it was worth watching. Since it is based on a webtoon, I can understand the flow of the story, which changes its story arc every ten minutes—just like episodes in a comic book. The story is therefore straightforward, with many different elements and characters appearing and disappearing, each adding a bit of flavor.I didn’t especially like the first 20 minutes, with the strange depiction of what we might call a zombie apocalypse, but then the real story begins: a father secretly raising his zombie daughter. Zombies are expected to behave in a certain way, and the young actress (Choi Yu-ri), who plays the teenage zombie, had a really challenging role. She did better than I expected, but I would still have preferred her to commit a bit more to the weirdness of zombie behavior.
It is also obvious that being a zombie here can be seen as a metaphor for puberty, but beyond that, it also symbolizes raising a child with some form of disability. When viewed this way, the movie raises awareness and conveys a very positive moral lesson about the importance of parenting and the value of every human life. I also appreciated the connection to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the social commentary on government rules that seek the common good, sometimes at the expense of personal rights. All in all, this is a well-made, funny, touching, and morally grounded movie.
PS. What's with the cat?
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In the confessional
What you say in the confessional stays there because we believe that God forgives and erases sin. I liked that the makers of this movie used the confessional to deepen the story, showing how much remains hidden and how, ultimately, only God knows everything and can therefore be the final judge. The premise of a priest carrying an unresolved burden was very interesting, but I think the story could have done more to reveal the motives of the other characters. They did quite well in using Catholic elements and setting them against beliefs in the occult.I appreciate the movie’s attempt to create an unsettling atmosphere through both sound and visuals, and it succeeds most of the time, but it does not reach the level of Exhuma, even though they share the same genre. The acting is decent, but it is not the movie’s strongest asset. Still, I took away many interesting ideas from the film, and I can recommend it for its reflection on mercy, justice, and the limits of human knowledge.
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Love 1+1
It can happen that when you fall in love with someone and start dating, that person reveals a different personality you never expected. This movie takes that premise to the extreme: when a guy named Gil-gu meets a girl he likes, he has to deal with a daytime Seon-ji, who is kind and humble, and a nighttime Seon-ji, who is literally a demon—aggressive and unpredictable. As the movie progresses, this modern take on a romantic story starts to feel more and more like a classic fairy-tale love story.This is actually a minimalistic movie, with basically just two roles taking up about 90% of the screen time. The rest of the characters appear only in small supporting roles, mostly for comedic moments. And I must say, the movie starts strong as a comedy. I laughed out loud a few times at the beginning. Too bad they stopped investing in comedy later in the movie (how could they miss such a golden opportunity at the finale?) and focused almost entirely on the romance.
This is a very good movie for a romantic comedy and features some great scenery. It has a few loopholes, but it will be enjoyable for most viewers.
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Jazz of the City
This documentary has the quality of a feature film, with many artistic details added to enrich the viewing experience. The movie tells the story of the city of Gunsan, a port city located on the western coast of South Korea. We hear a little bit about its history, but only as much as needed to serve as background for life there today. The main part of the film consists of short interviews with people about their experience living in this city. There is also a bit of music, well integrated into the film.Everything contributes to the movie except, in my opinion, the foreign body artist who wants to touch and spiritually connect with the city through her movements. She appeared to me as a foreign presence, but now when I think about it, she actually represents the influence of foreign culture on Gunsan. And like her, I would now like to visit and explore the city myself, hoping to find a hidden/forgotten pearl somewhere.
At the end, the movie lacks a bit of clear messaging. It feels like we are missing a conclusion about the city’s future. I still don’t know: is Gunsan reviving, or is it sinking deeper into slumber?
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Real life drama
Every mother–child relationship has its profound drama: from the wonder of birth, to the intimacy of growing up, to the breaking apart when children start living independently—while mothers remain present with their children invisibly, from behind. This is the main theme of this movie: the daughter who begins an independent life, and the mother who is always there, one way or another. This is also suggested by the literal translation of the Korean title: Gyung Ah's Daughter.The focus of the story is on the struggles of the daughter, Yeon Soo. Her problems change her life dramatically, and we sympathize with her, cheering for her well-being. The mother, Gyung Ah, is in the background, but her role is crucial, and the relationship between mother and daughter is what makes this drama so realistic and relatable. The actors all deliver strong performances, coming across as real people. Especially Ha Yoon-kyung—her subtle expressions reveal deep emotions. The strength of this movie lies in its realistic drama and believable acting. But beware: the film is slow and requires emotional immersion.
We all have certain issues with our mums, but I believe that the motherly connection is always a force for good, even when we don’t see it.
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Lucky seat
Every student knows how stressful it is to prepare for a difficult exam. I used prayer a lot :) In this movie, we have two grown-ups who need to pass the civil service exam because so much in their lives depends on it. But instead of just focusing on studying hard, they discover a “lucky seat” and waste their precious energy trying to steal it from each other.I was quite disappointed in this movie, especially since the legendary Kim In-kwon is in it. As a comedy, the film didn’t make me laugh at all, and there weren’t many original ideas with the lucky seat or the overall plot. This is just a generic B-movie that is only barely watchable thanks to its short runtime. But hey, I added another Korean movie to my “watched” list.
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Become like God
Surprisingly fun superhero movie with a strong focus on action, comedy, and some science fiction. The science fiction part is the one I probably liked the most, although it wasn’t developed as much as I would have wanted. The main story follows a group of people who suddenly receive different superpowers and become superheroes. The powers are reminiscent of earthly elements like wind, water, and fire, but here they are connected to human organs. I wish that had been explained a little better.This is the first real superhero movie in Korean cinema, and I appreciate that. I mean, we’ve had movies where people have superpowers, like Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009), Haunters (2010), Psychokinesis (2018), The Witch: Part 1 and 2 (2018, 2022), and oh, there’s also Lightning Man (2016). But this is the first time I felt a true superhero vibe, similar to Marvel or DC, in a Korean movie.
The name of the movie and the superhero group is Hi-Five. The name sounds catchy, but the way it was introduced in the movie felt a bit cringy, I must say. Picking the superhero names for each character, though, was done comically well. One scene in particular showed how superheroes might appear to other people as gods. So imagine becoming a god that others look up to—how would you use your godly status and treat other people?
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Drive to and away
In the first minute of this short movie, a thought came to my mind that this might be a Hong Sang-soo film, and I was right. He has a distinctive style, showing everyday life both through his characters and the surrounding landscape. Everything looks so ordinary, as if I had just taken my phone and filmed it. And yet, he still manages to engage us emotionally through the interactions of his characters. Since this is a short film, the scenes and conversations are briefer, but I can easily imagine it becoming a full-length feature simply by letting the protagonists speak more. So I can only say that this is a typical movie from this director, one that makes you reflect on human emotions and relationships.In this movie, we follow a young girl driving her car to meet a few people she hasn’t seen in a while. I didn’t notice her climbing any mountain—apart from a little uphill road—so I don’t really understand the title of the film. My suggestion would be to rename it Drive To and From :) A car can bring you to people, but also take you away from them. You can drive alone or with someone, so I think driving works well as a metaphor for the relationship described in this movie.
PS. Is there a reason that the rating is not available for this movie?
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Snitching Games
I was really excited to watch this movie, and it didn’t disappoint. Actually, I was expecting more of an action or thriller, but the movie fits best into the crime-noir genre. The theme is, as the title suggests: Yadang (야당), which officially means “opposition party,” but as slang it refers to someone within the drug underworld who acts as an informant for the police. The strength of the movie lies in the yadang—snitching and outsmarting game—between the drug cartels and the prosecutor. At first, it seems that everyone profits, but the consequences can be harsh for all involved.The movie also features strong, charismatic characters. There are many of them, so not all storylines are fully developed, but at least we get to see the conclusion of each character’s arc. The movie is fast-paced, so it really requires attention to understand and enjoy all the details.
The final moral of the movie can be summarized very clearly. I don’t think I’ll reveal any spoilers when I say: don’t get involved with drugs!
P.S. The extended cut of the movie has some additional scenes that further explain events and complete the story, but it also contains explicit party scenes, so I would morally recommend watching only the original cut. And note that there is also one important post-credit scene.
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A cultural fenomenon
I didn’t know that kisskh also features animations. In that case, I’d love to post reviews on some Pororo movies as well :)As for KPop Demon Hunters, it’s a truly great movie, with stylish animation, an emotional story, exciting action sequences, and top-charting songs. And everything fits together perfectly. What more could someone ask for? The team behind this film managed to create a universal story that at the same time pays perfect homage and respect to both K-pop and Korean culture.
Rarely do we get a movie with this much rewatch value—not only for the songs and the animated action but also for the many small details that can be discovered with each repeat viewing. It’s a film that captures both the energy of a concert and the imagination of a fantasy adventure. KPop Demon Hunters is definitely a movie to remember.
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Princess Story
One sided Love of a Princess is a Korean version of the princess fairy tale that we all remember from childhood. The story is set in the Joseon Dynasty, where tradition and respect mean everything, but our main "hero," the princess, rebels against all the rules of the court because of love. Her actions toward freedom can be seen as feminist empowerment, but the director (also a woman) wisely presents her as immature and acting out of strong emotions, so we can understand her while still appreciating the social norms. We support her heart’s desires, but we also support the rule of law that requires everyone to be responsible for their actions.The ending of the movie felt a bit rushed, but all in all, I liked how the story turned out. It surprised me how entertaining the movie was, and I think everyone who watches it will find something to enjoy. The main focus is on the princess, but there are also many other characters who play their roles very well. There is a bit of comedy and old-time action, but mostly this is a rich romantic story that will hopefully bring our own hearts some joy and inspiration.
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Artists
The first half hour of the movie is very good, but I had to force myself to finish it. The film offers too little for something described as a "hardcore thriller crime drama." It begins with a very interesting premise of an artist entering the world of explicit and illegal art, similar to the dark web. Unfortunately, this wasn’t explained very well, and it felt as though I was watching a censored version of the film because it never dared to actually show us that hardcore art. The movie would have really benefited from showcasing a bit more of the artwork. There is, however, one very intense and entertaining scene where the main protagonist, Dan Kyung, fully unleashes her drawings.The plot development is sloppy and unrealistic, and I can’t say the actors were very convincing. There is a touch of mystery and tension that might appeal to horror fans, but overall, this is a forgettable story that failed to use its potential.
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Love is Virus
Really liked this movie. It was very engaging and fast-paced. The plot develops quickly, without unnecessary additions, but also without rushing, so I would say that the duration of the movie is perfect. At first, I was expecting a thought-provoking thriller about viruses, so the early comedic tone confused me. But the movie managed to explore a serious topic about a deadly virus in a bright, comedic, and even romantic style. I was also glad that the light tone remained from beginning to end. Surprisingly, this can be considered a light romantic comedy. It really seems that love can be compared to a virus.The actors did a great job. They brought a lot of charisma and, even though the characters were a bit clichéd and one-dimensional, the cast played their roles just right for this movie and for the story. If you are looking for a cinematic masterpiece, this is not it—but for a fun and exciting evening, it’s a perfect watch.
Where can I get infected by the virus of love?
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