Reviews

To judge me by the color of my bones

Green Bones is a cinematic masterpiece from start to finish, certainly, in terms of plot, acting, cinematography, but most in terms of leaving the audience contemplating upon and questioning their beliefs and morals.

The concept of green bones - that when one's remains contain the green bones, it is a display of their innate goodness. The concept in itself dictates that there is no way of knowing of a person is truly good during their life. But this is the belief that one of our leads, corrections officer Xavier Gonzaga lives with. After a past experience that left him believing there is only absolute goodness or absolute evil in the world, his entire worldview is shaken when he takes up his first assignment. Even then, he is resolute in his beliefs and carrying his prejudice, which has grown to become his safety blanket, he starts off on a path to ensure that our other lead, Domingo Zamora, never leaves the correctional facility.

But this steadfastness only lasts a while, because unlike he trusted, there is no way to tell if a human is good or evil, and there is no absolute on either end. We, along with Xavier, learn about Zamora's past, and all the decisions that led to him as he is in the present. The more he learns, the more he discovers, that Zamora may consider himself a bad person - but there is no way to judge him on the deeds he considered have made him a bad person.

All of this culminates in a harrowing last 30 minutes that changes Xavier as a person, and leaves the audience contemplating on the complex nature of humankind.

This was not an easy watch - it was mentally taxing to witness, not simply because of the scenes, but in their deeper understanding. It keeps you guessing and on the edge, and leaves you feeling completely drained. And honestly, it is worth the watch. It asks important questions, but doesn't really answer them, no, because they are for the audience to contemplate on. The acting completely complements this complex conundrum - both Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid give it their all.

I would highly recommend , but fair warning - this is not something that is an easy watch, and it surely lingers on your mind.

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Great Idea, Poor Execution

Before diving into the movie, I placed high expectations considering the great lineup of casts and the released synopsis. However, I was utterly disappointed. Halfway through it, I was genuinely confused about its central theme. By the end, there were a lot of questions left unanswered. I honestly think the writers/director had a great idea/vision about the plot but they failed to execute it properly. I also had an issue with its pacing, majority of the scenes was going slowly but the events suddenly quickened at the end. There were also some scenes which I found unnecessary to the plot, leaving a bad impression to me. I do appreciate the good acting delivered by the actors as well as the visual FX.

If you're planning to watch this movie, you can try it out. But if you're a deep fan of thrillers, it may disappoint you to some extent. So, I suggest reducing your expectations.

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Once again time skips magically fix everything, though the ending still falls short of satisfying

Bland & easy going beginning ramps up into something cute & then deflates into a flat waste of time. I'm reminding myself that it's fiction, but still;
1) male lead doesn't seem to wash (?) much if at all (?) his lack of self care & lack of self esteem is not endearing. At the end they show a clip of the female lead seeing the male lead panic as he discovers he is wearing mismatched socks & THAT singular moment is cupid's arrow hitting the mark (??!!)
2) As for the Male lead's root of affection- there is NO reason (or even process of him) for him to 'fall in love' with female lead - he is only attracted to her superficial qualities as he has no actual interaction with her in the year he is crushing on her
3) They never show male lead putting the perfume on after the initial spritz, thus indicating that he didn't continue using it . & I'm not 100%, sure, but I thought they showed the perfume bottle mostly full & him throwing it away, so , unless he didn't wash at all after the initial spritz (for like, weeks) or the stuff doesn't wash off....then as one scene shows: her affection for him is NOT based on the perfume
4) Female lead confronts male lead & seems reasonable & asks for his side of the story, only to storm off in anger without letting him explain.
5) ending is bad; after parting ways, a year goes by & in that time the male lead has discovered hygiene, and confidence (how??) Female lead is now in a happy place with her mother & sister & when Male & female lead meet, they smile &we are supposed to imagine the rest.

Wow ! whatever happened to them during that year, it was a game changer...time skips are the magical answer & cure all for relationships

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Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

If ever the motto wrong place wrong time can be used, it would be here!
This was a movie that unexpectedly caught me off guard. I had no idea what the movie was about when I stumbled across it, but one I started watching it I couldn't stop.
This is a very dark and extremely unhappy ending of not just the movie, but the lives of four best friends completely destroyed because of deception and misunderstanding.
The four protagonists in this drama go through such a transformation in such a short period of time. innocent teenagers to criminals in a few short minutes.
The acting is fantastic from the all the main players in this drama. Ji Soo is exceptional with his performance. You wish you could step into the tv to help him and his friends out, but no such luck.
I think the only negative I found was the way it ended. It is true in life that sometimes the bad guys get away and the good guys take the fall ... but you really don't like to see it happen, especially the way it did in this story.
Nevertheless, it is an extremely powerful movie, but definitely not one to watch if you're looking for something to make you feel good or cheer you up. It's dark and extremely depressing and eventually you pass a point of no return.

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The by-product of advancement in humanity

Kang Ha Neul is hitting the home run this year with yet another headlining movie lead which is also about a contemporary phenomenon that comes with some really extreme form of storytelling and psychotic presentation, he's just so good at these kinds of roles you just couldn't get enough of his sheer performing power on screen. It's amazing that the director was able to give light to something so prevalent but most of the time ignored in this urban dystopia, it's literally the by-product of advancement in humanity. The final arc of the storyline might have taken a step too far from being realistic, but the intention there was to maximize such absurdity taken from real life situations, that itself is actually very effective and sad at the same time.

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Stylish and gritty but weird plot choices

Not really that unique of a premise but it does what it does best, fine quality cinematography that is stylish and gritty, then the insane sound design which really makes the movie standout at most of the deadly silent scenes. Just as brilliant as the technical aspect is, the storytelling though simply suggests otherwise. There are some really weird plot choices that will eventually make things go south, the ending is especially one tough pill to swallow, as it only poses more problems to an already tangled collection of plotlines, leaving no room for any resolution but only a subpar twist for its closing.

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From the very beginning, I was hooked by its mix of physical and emotional humor. The duality of Jung-woo/Jung-mi feels surprisingly natural and genuinely funny, and the script strikes a perfect balance between laughs and heartfelt moments. Visually dynamic and smoothly paced, it keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Jo Jung-suk's performance is not only technically flawless, but also emotionally resonant, he makes you feel for his character while delivering unforgettable comedic moments. It was simply delightful and deeply satisfying to watch.

Pilot is a sparkling and touching comedy, carried by Jo Jung-suk’s charisma and versatility. One of the most entertaining and heartfelt films I’ve seen in a long time. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t miss it!

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didn't find this as depressing as the OG Korean movie (this was adapted from), maybe cause here at the end, both mains were alive. so didn't get why they chose to bungee jump other then the fact, it was written in the OG movie.

the start was cute, very adorable if u put aside how gay people were treated in Thailand in the late 90's - the fact that cause of Aids all the gay students were rounded up to get abused = "treated" for their "affliction", with the approval of their own parents, was horrifying. so in the midst of this, seeing Dew & Pob's love bloom was beautiful & yet terrifying. the out come wasn't shocking - one or the other would be more worried about getting outed.

get & yet don't, Pob lashing out at the one person that was in the same boat as him. but maybe it was convenient to put the blame on Dew, then he could wash his hands off his sexuality & put it behind him. find it ironic that both times Pob was the one making the decision, that Dew paid for.
Natcha told him she wanted to lead a normal life & Pob should've stopped then & there (especially if he loved Dew & felt guilty for what he had done) but Pob is selfish & he couldn't see beyond his own wants & needs. twice Dew had to pay the price. (even if Natcha doesn't die at the end - like i assume. she can't go back to her life as if nothing happened - cause of the clip of her hugging her teacher).

as in the OG movie i think that Pob (his character) should've take this opportunity to help the person he loved without disrupting their lives, if they recalled their past life that is something else. but actively hounding them & then choosing to destroy his own life & theirs isn't love. love is sacrifice, love is giving - he should've taken this opportunity to help Natcha/Dew achieve everything he couldn't in his previous life. & if in another life they were meant to be together, maybe this sacrifice (on his part) would bear fruit & they would end up together & have their happily ever after.

this a one off, even though enjoyed this don't feel like i wanna rewatch...

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Woo-seong (Kang Ha-neul) finally buys his dream apartment, but strange noises from the upstairs neighbor quickly turn his life into a nightmare. As he investigates, he uncovers a disturbing web of surveillance, real estate corruption, and paranoia.

🌟 What Works:

Strong performance by Kang Ha-neul as a man pushed to his limits.

Tense, claustrophobic atmosphere with minimal sound and lighting.

Smart social commentary on housing pressure and urban anxiety in Korea.

⚠️ What Doesn’t:

The second half becomes overly complex with too many twists.

Sudden shift from psychological tension to violent action may divide viewers.

Mixed reviews: Critics praise the first act, but say it loses focus by the end.

⭐ Verdict:
A chilling, thought-provoking thriller with a unique premise and sharp visuals. Not perfect, but worth watching for the mood and message.

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Low budget but well acted and well shot and edited

Ramblers is a low budget road movie. Tsuboi, a screenwriter, and Kinoshita, a director, were supposed to supposed to meet up with a mutual friend, Funaki, out in the sticks for a vacation, but he overslept and did not make the train. The two quickly decide to go on without him, occasionally checking in with Funaki to see if he's going to join him. The two are pretty much stangers at the start of the trip, and the thought that Funaki might still make it is more of a Waiting For Godot situation. Nevertheless, they find their way between various scenic spots, ryokans and onsens in the area and have encounters along the way.

The point of this indie film is more about the film-making and showing off the skills of director Yamashita Atsuhiro on the film festival circuit. It's not quite a Dogme 95 film, but seems to rely on available light and on-scene sound with plenty of ambient noise. There are some interesting shots, and some fun set pieces with fixed cameras and characters wandering in and out of frame.

Other than that, it's almost entirely free of plot. Nevertheless, the acting is good and there are some surprises and cringe humor to maintain your interest. The largest segment of the film has the two encountering a young mysterious woman (played by Ono Michiko) alone on a beach, and then sharing their adventure with her for a bit. In the end the two run out of cash, but have established a professional relationship by the time they have to head home.

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INSANELY GOOD PLOT - for a specific target group!

I don't understand people claiming that the story is bad or the movie in general poorly written. I have high standards and I can confirm that this story is PERFECT. Everything was so unexpected and so many things about this drama stand out. The story and the description of the movie may sound boring - at first I didn't want to watch it because I myself believed that this would be a low budget movie without high results.

However the movie exceeded any expectations and has perfect rewatch value. I wouldn't want to rewatch it now but maybe in a few months after I forgot most of the plot. I think the target group of the movie plays a huge role.

Noh Woo-Sung, as explained in the drama by the "journalist" is the potrait of the average young adult fulfilling his dream of buying a house. In general, he is the most average person and most relatable. I could relate so much with him which made the drama more touching. It was almost as if I felt the same joy/anger he felt. So in the end I believe younger people, which nowadays make up a lot of overseas kdrama population, would not like the movie as majority of its plot aims to be relatable.

However for young adults or even people who already had to go through these rough times this is the PERFECT story for a movie that doesn't take up much time.

I feel like the ending was a bit rushed which made it less exciting than the 2nd & 3rd quarter of the movie, however making it a limited series probably would have ruined it with too many plot fillers. As a movie it is a 10/10, for me. The actors weren't really standing out as everyone fulfilled their role for the plot. There is nothing to criticize about the cast. I don't want to spoiler, whereas I can just say that I have too many questions for it to be more than perfect. Nevertheless I am proud to say that this movie is among my new favorite movies next to great movies like Ballerina or Escape.

Thank you for this masterpiece!

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