Reviews

everything serves a purpose

Perhaps this is less a youth film and more for those who are older and have been broken by life. Will leave it to young people to decide how well it works for them.

Its symbolism is well-integrated - the sound of the foghorn, signalling departure but also moving forward, and its corresponding note on the piano. Where each of the main characters tends to go - Nazuna seeking out high places like the school roof, Satoru walking home with his brother, Kashiwagi lost in grief along the low shore. Voices silenced by self or others, or death, and what comes from being heard. Or someone saying those lost words. Everything in this film serves a purpose.

Yes, the concentration of situations they're in tend towards melodramatic, but each of them alone is realistic and there is plenty of balance in small details of daily life for the students. And yes, the timing is convenient. That does tend to happen in films. It's all serving the larger purpose. The key to good melodrama is always in the emotions, are they realistic and accurate for the situation. In that, in the tender vulnerability of the children, in Aragaki's understated portrayal of grief, the importance of being heard as one's authentic self, in the power of connection to make life just a bit easier, this beautiful, gentle, hopeful film rings true.

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“A Heart Torn and Lifted: The Paradise of Thrones”

I don’t think I’ll ever forget The Paradise of Thrones. Watching it felt like being pulled into a storm where every moment carried a new shade of emotion—joy, longing, heartbreak, grief, regret, love. I went in because I was already watching Keng’s new drama Kemjira and his performance as Master Phran left me in awe. I thought… why not see his debut, his very first movie with Jeff Satur? But I never expected this. I never expected a single film to tear me apart and yet make me feel so alive inside.

— Jingna (Keng)… my heart aches just writing his name. The purity of his soul, the way he never wanted anything for himself, and how he said “I didn’t know what to ask, so I asked for your wish to be true”—it destroyed me. That was his entire essence. Selfless, giving, quietly surviving, living only for others’ happiness. His longing eyes, the uncertainty, the quiet strength hidden under fragility—it was all there in Keng’s performance. And in the end, that look in his eyes when the knife slashed across his throat… that panic, that desperation, that unfinished wish—I can’t get it out of my mind. He never asked for anything, and yet he was taken so brutally. Keng carried that role with such raw humanity it hurts to think about it. All I can do is pray—pray that Keng will always be happy, healthy, and surrounded by love forever. He deserves nothing less.

— Thong (Jeff)… his journey was one of aching doubt. All throughout, he believed Sek’s love belonged to Engfa. That quiet pain of loving someone he thought didn’t love him back—it seeped through every expression, every hesitation. And then at the end, when Engfa confessed “he never loved me, he loved you”—I broke down. Imagine carrying that uncertainty for so long, only to discover too late that love had always been yours. That moment was both cruel and healing—it was like being given water after dying of thirst, but only when you no longer have the strength to drink.

— Sek and his mother… goodness, the tragedy of their bond. The scene with the wedding ring—how it was taken from his finger after death, given back to his mother, when in truth it belonged to him and Thong—was one of the most painful moments of the film. And Sek’s mother’s arc with Mo (Engfa) was just as heartbreaking—her cruelty, Mo’s desperate longing for belonging, and then the tragic irony when she finally signed the deed and called for her daughter, but her voice couldn’t reach anymore. Her whispers of "Mo, help me” while Engfa sat on the bed still linger like an echo.

Every character embodied a different shade of love, loss, survival, and tragedy. Sek—the love that couldn’t stay. Thong—the doubt that was never meant to be. Engfa—the longing that turned into desperation. Sek’s mother—the cruelty that turned to regret too late. And Jingna—the selfless soul who asked for nothing and lost everything.

This movie is not just a film. It’s a scar, a prayer, a truth about humanity. It crushed me, it shook me, it made me cry until my chest hurt—and yet I am grateful I watched it. Because it showed me the rawest sides of love and loss.

Keng, Jeff, every cast member—you gave us something unforgettable. But Keng as Jingna… he gave a performance that will stay etched in me forever. I pray with all my heart that he will always be happy and healthy, always loved, always shining. Because he gave us a piece of his soul—and it changed me.

“May Keng and every cast member always be blessed with happiness, health, and love—for they gave us a story that will never leave our hearts.”

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Some films are remembered for their stories, others for their artistry, but a rare few manage to leave an imprint on the heart by blending both. This movie is one of those rare works. It tells a story that is delicate, painful, and deeply human, yet does so with such tenderness that it feels less like watching a film and more like witnessing a moving piece of poetry.
What stands out most is the attention to detail. Every frame feels purposeful, every expression is given the time it deserves, and every pause between words carries meaning. The director allows the audience to sit with the characters, to breathe in their silences, and to feel the weight of their emotions. Instead of dramatising suffering, the film finds beauty in subtlety, in a fleeting glance, in the quiet resilience of its characters, and in the unspoken emotions that ripple beneath the surface.
The performances are extraordinary. The young actors embody innocence and vulnerability with such authenticity that their presence alone moves the story forward. Their eyes seem to speak more than dialogue ever could, creating moments of raw truth that linger long after the screen fades to black.
The score is gentle yet powerful, weaving seamlessly into the storytelling. It lifts even the heaviest moments with an air of quiet grace, reminding us that beauty can exist even within hardship.
This film doesn’t simply expose a harsh reality, it transforms it into art. It respects the subject without ever exploiting it, choosing instead to highlight resilience, humanity, and the capacity for hope. Watching it is an experience that resonates deeply, leaving the viewer not just informed but profoundly moved.
This is cinema at its most powerful: tender, truthful, and undeniably beautiful.

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Stunning historical drama

I waited so long to be able to see this film. Apo as a traditional dancer in the late 18th century was perfect, I only wish we had more scenes of him dancing to showcase the hard work he put in, training himself to not just be a believable dancer but an excellent one.

In an ideal world this would have been a series so they would have had more time to unravel the mystery and the politics woven into the story.

I would have loved an on screen romance between Chatra and Khem as well, I could see their feelings simmering under the surface but watching them fall in love and share their first kiss would have been divine.

Still, i am so proud of what they did achieve, the beauty, the historical details, the intriguing characters.

ManSuang, you’ll always be precious to me.

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The Story of Woo Viet was a harsh look at the struggles Vietnamese refugees faced when seeking a better life. The story may have veered into melodramatic territory at times but director Ann Hui didn’t shy away from the gritty underside of Chinatown. A young Chow Yun Fat starred in the titular role. While the mannerisms he would develop over the years were not there yet, the charisma was.

Wu Yuet travels aboard a crowded boat sailing from Vietnam, where death had been a constant companion. He arrives in Hong Kong as a refugee hoping to find his pen pal, Lee Lap Quan. Vietnamese agents kill several refugees, including one of Wu’s friends. When they come for him, the ex-soldier is prepared. Now he will need Lee’s help to escape Hong Kong quickly. The human smugglers aka snakeheads designate him as Japanese. While attempting to learn a few key phrases he meets another woman on a fake passport leaving when he does. They bond over their similar situations and begin a relationship. Both are hopeful about going to America to live out their dreams. On a layover in Manila, the smugglers have different plans for Shum Ching. She is trafficked to a brothel with other women. Wu injures a cop chasing after her and ends up having to work for the crime lord in Chinatown to earn enough money to buy her back.

Wu Yuet ran into violence all along his travels. Wherever he turned, death and hardships awaited. He began to fear every Chinatown would be the same for him. An older assassin working for crime lord Chung Yee portends a possible future for Wu. A future with nothing but booze, despair and blood. Chung Yee, with his connections and knife wielding son manipulated the various players with no concern for them.

Chow Yun Fat was stunning in this film. It was hard to glance away from him for even a second. Lo Lieh was perfect as the aging assassin with his last shred of humanity dangling by a thread. Cora Miao as the devoted pen pal had little to do after the first few scenes. Cherie Chung’s main job was to look beautiful and vulnerable which she did admirably.

The Story of Woo Viet was a fairly accomplished film for 1981. Many of the films from this time were not especially polished, this film included. While not as deep or well done as her Boat People (1982), Ann Hui still shed a light on the vulnerability of refugees who were only seeking whatever everyone wanted-a home, safety, enough food to eat, and a purpose. Wu and Shum had dreams of a simple life, free of violence and fear. Sadly, too often even meager dreams were shattered in the back alleys of Chinatown.

22 September 2025
I did give this a little pre-1990 ratings bump based on a curve.

Triggers: Child murder, violence, bare breasts. Little people were also shown as cheap entertainment.

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Hidden Depths - if you are easily triggered, this is not the show for you

If you can get past the shock value of the F&$##d up situation these two find themselves in, you will actually find a surprisingly good story. I had to watch this more than once because the first time I watched it, I was like, “What the hell did I just see?”. But this is one of those stories where it sticks with you and you really think about it after the fact. You have two people who have been damaged, one who doesn’t want to go on living anymore and he is basically shocked back into living again by the other one. The imagery just gave it and added punch to the gut. They are each using the other to deal with their own trauma. I found it to be a very moving storyline.

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It was a good horror movie tbh. I liked it.

The movie was good overall, but I have some
things I disliked/hated:


1. I disliked how much blood and stuff there was.. it was honestly kinda terrifying, but ig it was tolerable. It was disgusting ngl.


2. Kang-gu not calling the police even after seeing your neighbour literally SKINNING animals. I agree it would've been stupid to a point because the neighbour cleaned up all of it when the police did come (for a different reason). But why the hell would you even go into a creepy ass house. The door might've been open, but you literally saw some weird stuff in the front of the house, WHY WOULD YOU GO IN?
Especially when the owner of the house didn't even respond when you called and the door was left open.


3. The family members staying in different rooms even though Joong-soo, a priest, told them to stay together.
Especially Hyun-joo. WHY would she go to the basement ALONE when there's a DEMON, possibly SATAN in your house pretending to be other members??? And why did Joong-soo himself not go to the basement to get the stuff and instead sent one of the family members to go and put their lives in danger??

4. THE biggest thing I ABSOLUTELY HATED in this movie was how Hyun-joo's death was so UNNECESSARY, and the fact that literally NO ONE even NOTICED or CARED that one of their daughter is missing. Like how tf do you not realise that one of your daughter is not present. Even her mom realised later that the daughter is missing, but that too only when she was looking at their album and their old photos. Also why did she literally not go to the basement to check on her daughter?? Just because Joong-soo came back, she lit never went in even though she knew her daughter was there. Meanwhile girly was being BURNT ALIVE in the basement and no one knew or cared enough.
Her death was so random and unnecessary, and literally nothing would've happened to the plot even if she hadn't died.


It seemed that from that start of the movie, no one in the family really cared much for her as much as the other children. I'm guessing they only killed her off because she was useless. She didn't have any role in the movie at all. Honestly still not a good reason for them to kill her. Only the eldest daughter Seon-wu was the most important among the children.

It was kind of confusing because I only found out that Seon-wu was the possessed one after I watched the movie. It did seem weird because, the demon took form of all other family members, but only Seon-wu was the unharmed one there. I don't mean it literally, but she was the only one whom the demon didn't take form of.


Anyways, I'd say, it's worth watching, but it's not the greatest or the best movie.. It's good though.

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Novoland Movie (2024)

I found this movie kind of interesting. The detective was an interesting character and so was the princess. They worked hard to find out the truth and they solved murders and palace schemes very well. There was not love between the princess and her fiancée. He was using her. She really did not want to marry him, because she did not want to give up her freedom and she just wanted to protect her country. The princess and the detective did not get off to a great start together, but they worked it out as time went on. Her and the detective found out that the fiancée, the emperor and the uncle were all evil. The princess was the daughter of the emperor and also related to the uncle. After the princess' fiancée was caught, he jumped off a cliff. The princess' father, the emperor, killed everyone in the room except the princess and the detective. The emperor did threaten his daughter. Another woman that the detective knew as a friend was killed in the movie. Her spirit protected the princess and the detective from the emperor's royal guard; they escaped. In the woods, the princess told the detective that she could not go back to her father, city, life, etc. The detective asked her where she wanted to go. She did not know where to go, so he told her to come with her. The movie ended with anticipation of them getting closer and falling in love.

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the best part was ahn hyo seop's face ?

I think it's a good movie to watch if you've never read the novel or webtoon, but I feel like the further the movie went along, the more it deviated from what I liked about the novel,,,

I think the cast they chose was good, but at some points the cgi was just horrible 😭 I can't blame them for that though, since there's only so much that can be edited, and only so much you can do with something so unrealistic.

In the earlier scenes, they really stuck to the script, but I started not liking were it was going as soon as dokja killed the monster in the subway instead of myeong oh. It also wasn't a demon monster unless I missed something. I'm not sure how they're gunna make Myeong oh into a demon now, if they do, but I don't think I'd like the change more than the original. I'm also pretty sure Dokja didn't have any flashbacks that early on?? But I could be wrong.

THEY ALSO SKIPPED A WHOLE STORYLINE??? There was no mention of going into movies through posters AT ALL... I understand for maybe copyright reasons, but they switched how junghyeok 'dies,' to the dragon dokja kills AFTER THE WAR ARC STARTS??? I don't mind that they went straight to the dragon killing, but skipping a whole arc that took up MULTIPLE CHAPTERS is sooo 😭 maybe it'll be in the next movie, but then that means they jumbled up the storyline, and that doesn't sit with me good,,, And if they don't go through it in the next movie, then they're just stupid idk.

The other thing I didn't like about the movie is that they specified, and sorta kinda showed that if junghyeok dies, then the whole world perishes while he regresses to a new world. THEY STATE MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE WEBTOON/NOVEL THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN IF HE DIES??? And maybe I'm at fault for misinterpreting since I haven't read the whole novel or webtoon, but I feel like Dokja just knowing what happens to the world when Junghyeok dies off the rip, and them showing the world ending, goes too much against the begining of the webtoon 😭 I'M ALSO ALMOST 100% SURE JUNGHYEOK WAS NEVER FIGHTING THE DRAGON WITH DOKJA TOO LIKE???

Anyways, for anyone who's read past chapter 55 in the webtoon, you probably won't like the movie. I thought it was good besides the changes, but I'm still glad I watched it. It was fun to watch if you didn't think about how much they changed from the novel. I ALSO LOVE AHN HYO SEOP'S ACTING 😱

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I thought it was a parallel world

I started this movie and halfway through jumped to the ending.... and because of that I got confused. I thought there was a parallel world. So, I rewatched it in full without skipping.

The movie depicts the difficulty of having a relationship that neither of them had been open about with others. The slimmer Hyeok never told anyone he has a girlfriend back home which led him to entertain the temptation and the suspicion.
We may say that the Jang Hyeok and Dae-un both had lost their way because of their failure to communicate honestly. The moment the man started to lie, he is sure to hide something and later on yield to temptation. This is quite realistic.

Perhaps we may wonder now, what will happen to the chubby Hyeok and Dae-un, about the baby Dae-un carries and the slimmer Hyeok.
The last part of the movie which is a sort of a recap of all the events from the beginning of Dae-un's encounter with the first Hyeok up to going to the airport with the second Hyeok clarified everything.

Figuring what is the sweet part? Perhaps the start of the relationships that brings butterflies to each other.
It seems that more of the movie tends to be the sour part - a relationship gone wrong, cheating, too late to realize she is the one and losing her to another who now benefited the Christmas time in Jeju.
I wonder why the writer thought of this title anyway.
No need to rewatch, as it didn't give me a positive life lessons. sorry.

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Brilliant concept, weak execution, this should’ve been a series.

This was a good movie with a fascinating concept, which is what initially drew me in. However, while watching, I often felt lost and had trouble following the storyline. The actors did a great job portraying their roles, but the plot itself felt underdeveloped and vague. I was left wondering about the purpose of each story since there wasn’t much real progression, just a lot of “blah.”

I honestly think this would have worked much better as a series, where the stories and characters could be fully explored. The idea behind Wonderland is really interesting, so I hope they consider expanding it into a drama in the future.

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"I'm not a step behind, you're always a step ahead!"

Inspired by a true story of a mom working in a laundromat who fell victim to phishing, Citizen of a Kind showed that bad guys really should avoid ticking off the wrong ahjumma. Especially if she has equally tenacious friends.

Single mom Kim Deok Hui is in dire straits financially after her house burned. Initially denied a loan, a bank manager calls her suggesting a special loan for low-income applicants. In order to qualify she has to borrow money from loan sharks to meet all the requirements. Then the bottom falls out when Kim discovers it was all a scam. The police are no help and without the money she and her kids are left homeless. Misfortune continues to fall. When a Korean worker at the call center phones her asking for help to escape, Kim sees this as her chance to bring down the criminals and get her money back.

Ra Mi Ran was perfect for the role of Kim Deok Hui, the loving mom who was determined to find the people responsible for stealing her money. Kim fearlessly tracked down every lead, despite the police and Detective Park being fairly feckless. Yeom Hye Ran as the bilingual Bong Rim as usual gave a strong performance. Gong Myung as Kwon Jae Min acquitted himself well as the imprisoned caller desperately wanting to escape. Jang Yoon Ju was the weak link for me. Perhaps she was supposed to be the comic relief but her vocal intonation was set on shriek for most of the film.

Knowing it was based on a real woman who lost so much made the stakes high for the film. The film itself may have not broken new ground but the ahjumma posse tracking the criminal organization across two countries was entertaining to watch, largely due to the actresses’ performances. The film had comedy and thrilling moments with some violence and everything held together by Ra as the justice seeking ahjumma. Worth a try.

21 September 2025
7.75 bumped up to an 8.0

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