MAI

Far from perfect but enjoyable nonetheless. The narrative and characters are a bit cliché-- the silent, brooding male lead is an archetype I've seen too often and I'm also pretty sure there are more original ways of addressing the characters' backstories than these forced, random emotional conversations-- but the fight scenes and the overall cinematography were nice. It is pretty clear that stuntmen are doing most of the actual work, which is a bit of a bummer, but I suppose the actual acting was decent enough to not take me out of the story immediately. I liked it enough to want to watch the sequel at least (also because the sequel alludes to giving more screen-time to the priest since, lets be real, in this movie his existence was completely irrelevant. His role was only really used as an excuse to give us some cinematically pleasing church shots lol).

This was... strange. I am genuinely confused whether this was meant to be a thriller with some comedic elements or whether this was indented to be a full-fledged comedy. Everything was very much over the top and exaggerated, extremely fast paced, and there were so many random plot-lines it almost gave me whiplash. As an audience we literally have no time to digest the plot or to dwell on a death because we immediately move on to yet another absurd side quest.
Also, don't expect any character depth: it ain't there. I still have no idea why this bunch of random high school dropouts got entangled in this mess (who are these people?). Somehow, it kinda feels like this was the Thai love-child of the Hangover and the Ocean's franchise (mafia edition) and I don't know how to feel about it lol. It was a pretty enjoyable movie... just not that good.

To be honest, I don't even think the unresolved mystery surrounding Santa was a philosophical decision at all. After all, it is alluded that Kyung Yi may look into the death of her husband with that last scene (with the alternative version of herself showing up at the detective's office) and that contradicts the "don't dwell on the past" message" quite clearly, if you ask me. To me it just seems like the screenwriter either didn't completely know what to do with his character or may not have had enough time to tie all loose knots together.

Quirky, charming and absurd-- just not my style. It is a technically strong piece of work: excellent actors, solid plot, heart-warming character development, and all lose ends are wrapped up quite nicely in the end. It's one of those movies that's perfect to watch with family or simply caters to those who enjoy action but don't want to venture too deeply into the thriller genre. However, as someone who personally enjoys dark, gritty mysteries I didn't really find it satisfying, but this all boils down to preference.

The dude didn't bat an eye during the hospital visit and then continued to play around during White's transformation lol. Yeah, he's some shady-ass motherducker.

As someone with very limited knowledge on Thai politics (but willing to learn) I'm wondering if you could elaborate? Sure, there is definitely an undercurrent of political commentary but are the politicians/entrepreneurs(?) referenced real people? Or are you hinting at the Thailand-Russia relations? Or maybe the class discussion? I must say that discussion the character's had about the rule of law went completely over my head, so I'm not sure to what extent this was controversial.

Also, I must say, Lee Hong Nae was definitely the dark horse of this show! He may have had little screen time, and this seems to be one of the first larger roles in his career, but the dude absolutely knocked it out of the park. Hope to see more of him in the future (after I've come to terms with his character's final scene that is omg)!

This was lovely! Great three-dimensional and unique (and predominantly female) characters and some amusing, quirky editing. Although I expected more from the ending, I could really feel the love the cast and the crew had for the story and its characters. Especially those ending credits of that last scene--during which each of the main actors is given a short introduction-- felt like a tribute to their amazing performance.

Not gonna lie, I didn't expect much from this... But this was a strong first episode! This has potential!

Not bad. Somewhat unusual cinematography (most of it is filmed with a wide-angle lens) but there also seems to be little depth to the overarching message of the story.

I don't wanna be this person but... Is there a way to watch this on any other website? My browser always blocks Cloudfare content and I haven't been able to fix the issue. Thanks for translating anway!!

Ah, yeah I agree that that is part of the story! But I still think that message still feels empty if we don't get to know more about the characters. An underdog story just fares better when you know who you're rooting for and why the characters are choosing to act the way they do (what was it that Jung Do Hyun saw in our main character and why don't we know more about the prison bullies?). I admit it has now been quite some time since I've watched this, so the details are a bit murky now, but I don't recall finishing this movie and thinking it had reached all of its potential. In a Korean movie tradition where the underdog, social inequality, and hierarchy are such quintessential themes, this movie could have been an excellent entry point in commenting on why it is necessary for those in power to give others the opportunity to grow. I'm not saying this was a bad movie, or that movies always need to offer heavy social commentary, but I'm just saying that the story could have done more. This is a nice watch if you want some action without too much drama.

Okay, um, this started off strong but completely derailed during the second episode. Besides the fact that the acting itself was quite mediocre, the story didn't make sense either: the characters' actions were just nonsensical. Even the editing-- which becomes increasingly obtrusive as the story progresses-- reflects the absurdity of the plot. This had all the elements for a good supernatural thriller but it just failed to ground the story in reality.

I also don't fully understand the purpose of Michael's character. For a story that is about women trying to reclaim their (sexual) agency and liberation in the midst of a community that takes advantage of them, it's quite ironic that Lilet still needs a guy to help her achieve her dream to move to Manila. What is the message of this plotline? It almost makes Nerisa's desperate revenge look like an act of madness in comparison (rather than agency/empowerment in the face of toxic masculinity).

Not bad. I liked the setting and subtle symbolism. The dialogue between especially the women is realistic and three-dimensional, and the brief intersections of radio news are a clever way to create tension. Yet, we can still recognise Fajardo's style of directing as he seems to have a habit of using sex as a stylistic tool to depict power and agency. Unfortunately, that means there were various scenes that made my blood boil, but I guess those scenes also served the overall message of the movie, so I suppose it makes sense. My only major critiques are that the beginning/introduction of the plot is a bit weak-- a voice-over is an easy way out of showing (instead of telling) the audience what's going on-- and Fajardo also definitely has an overall tendency to linger a bit too long on scenes. Whether this is a sex scene or just random dialogue between the characters, we really don't need those extra 20 seconds to understand what he is trying to depict: this is what makes a story drag.

Kiyoi: kicks his love interest right in the shins
Me: ah yes, I see, the dating rituals of modern day gays

Both beginning and end are pretty good at showcasing a more general Filipino desire to escape the country's hardships, poverty, and violence. There are some interesting plot twists as we follow a somewhat naive young man come to terms with his violence-ridden reality, a development that is depicted with just the right amount of irony and cynicism. Too bad that the bulk of the movie-- basically the entire middle part-- is just some boring rendition of a pornographic film.

A disappointing watch (albeit admittedly less weird than the poster suggests). It aspires to be a supernatural thriller and psychological drama at once but, eventually, it fails at being either.

Not necessarily bad but it was definitely not meant as a stand-alone: it has too many characters and random antagonists to really form one coherent plot. An episodic drama format would have suited the story better, especially since we also get little character building (and we're just not gonna address the obvious supernatural elements of this story or why the female detective remains immune to the male lead's powers?) and there is little eventual plot resolve. A nice, good ol' wrap up would have been nice.

That was some next level wattpad shit.