Reviews

Sharp, Simple, and Solid

«마녀» («The Witch 1: The Subversion») is a 2018 Korean film that sticks to what Korean storytelling does best—build around the human first, and then let the plot follow. It’s a familiar formula, but when done right, it works. And in this case, it definitely worked.

The opening was dark and brutal. A failed secret government experiment. Standard sci-fi setup. But instead of staying in that lane, the film quickly shifts gears and zeroes in on the life of the main character. This shift is exactly where the difference lies. A lot of Western productions would’ve stayed focused on the government or the science. Here, it becomes personal—and that’s where it hits harder.

The action isn’t loud or showy. It’s paced just right. It fits within the story and doesn’t try to outshine it. When the fights start, they feel grounded. Even with the superpowers in play, they didn’t go over the top. No unnecessary flips, no overacting. Just enough to make sense for the story and the characters.

One thing I really appreciated: the fights didn’t turn into full-on conversations. That’s a habit a lot of Asian productions fall into—talking too much in the middle of battle. This one kept it tight. Minimal dialogue during combat, but everything said still mattered. It respected the viewer’s time.

Set design, props, locations—solid all around. Nothing felt out of place or rushed. You can tell they paid attention to detail and didn’t cut corners.

And the story? It’s not just about powers or conspiracies. It’s about control. About what happens when someone is stripped of their choices and made into something for someone else’s benefit. And how that person decides to take that power back.

It’s clean, clear, and had no unnecessary extras. Just a good, well-made film that stayed true to its direction.

Easy 10 for me.

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License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC By-SA) 4.0 International
By: Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한 (YourOnly.One)
Date: 2025-05-29

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can't stop smiling.!☺️

Man, the way he called her...!! Still smiling about it. It's so cute and funny watching them and how they affect each other's lives. You'd totally love this if you're into lovesick stuff. 💙💜
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖.
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watch it. 💖

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This is Boring, Don't pick this up

Since I was feeling bored, I decided to pick this one up and my god, it made my boredom even worse.

At the beginning of the movie, you're introduced to these 3 characters. Okay, they're reminiscing, talking about how boring it is in the countryside, why they want to move to a city, and vice versa. Just some normal people chatting, then cut to an out of context ass backstory, and that's the moment the movie started losing me. It kept cutting to different years, with different people, and not even explaining who these people were. I get it, you expect me to understand that these are the other characters that we're gonna follow in this story, but at least someone could've pretended to call out their name and asked what's happening so that I'll know who they are and what they are talking about.

The story is ehh, or should i say, there's not much of a story here, it's more like a slice of life of adults reminiscing about the times. And it's not even interesting, hence probably they kept highlighting it in the movie that "It's okay to be boring" Yes, it is okay, but in this one, it's definitely not okay.

The acting is good, but I'm more amazed by the singing bits because these actors are really singing their hearts out. They can sing SING alright HAHAHAHAH. You can't really see so much of the acting here, because of the way it was filmed, but when it is presented, acting is again, good.

The reason why you can't see much of the acting and this is where we get to the 2nd thing that made this movie even boring, is the cinematography or could that be even called cinematography? In the beginning, i noticed it right away, it was when the first 3 characters were in the car and we have this very long ass one take shot from afar. Most of the scenes from this movie are just long ass one takes, so you couldn't really see much of the acting. The movie felt very raw or unfinished, because the whole time i was watching, it felt like there could've been some close ups that needed to be inserted here and there. But hey, props to these actors, for these one takes, they're all really good for not even breaking when delivering the lines, I'm sure some of these scenes might have been retaken a bunch of times.

Overall, what a boring movie, definitely not a recommend.

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Laugh one minute, cry the next

I watched Post Truth while at home sick and it was exactly the heartfelt pick-me-up I needed. This movie is a seamless blend of comedy and sincerity, with everyone giving their all to the bit.

The comedy element comes mostly from Wei Ping'an's wild goose chase as he hunts down the source of a bad rumour about a dead woman, Hu Lan, who he had briefly met when she had bought her grave plot from him. Special mention goes to Li Xue Win – who plays Ping'An's sister – for her performance in catfishing a guy essential to Ping'An's chase. This gag was extra funny as I definitely have friends who would do the exact same thing if called for.

The heartfelt part of the film comes from Ping'An's relationship with his daughter who, parallel to her father's quest, also grapples with doing the right thing, despite the steep cost. Their storyline was the perfect balance to the absurd hilarity that meant that Post Truth kept strong pacing.

A good romp if you need one.

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Finding yourself in the midst of youthful chaos and lust.

If you wade through all the other things in this story like nudity,underage sex and violence you will find a compelling story of healing,hope and finding yourself in a world where you're alone. Starts out depressing, but it has a hopeful end and you find yourself rooting for the ML. He did a great job, you could feel his pain. ML is dealing with grief and getting over his brother's suicide. He describes his brother as his "real friend" and sees his ghost as a cry for help. His family is fragmented after the brother's bullying and suicide. They moved to this tiny town to run away from bullying his brother still ended up dead. ML is trying to find healing, but our FL is a bit self-absorbed and confused and wants to be the centre of everyone's universe. She was feeding off his toxic energy to boost her own ego.

I'm so glad he healed. Him I understood, her I didn't understand at all. She acted a bit desperate and need but glad she got it together.

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"This too shall pass"

Unforgivable starring Kim Jung Hyun sporting some sexy facial was a dark and tragic story of how one assumption and ill spoken word could start a domino effect of cruelty, death, and gruesome torture.

Detective Lee is called to a bloody crime scene in a public bathroom. Inside the victim’s mouth is wedged a note. Before long Lee and his young partner, Detective Kim aka Professor of Statistics, are hip deep in bodies tracing back to bullying incidents in high school and the military. The person with the biggest grudge is removed from the suspect list as he committed suicide 10 years prior.

Unforgivable once again trod through the national trauma of school and military bullying and how the governing forces are complicit by their inaction. The kind of nightmarish acts that cause victims to commit suicide were difficult to watch. Everyone tied to the case was involved in some manner to Choi Young Hoon, a nice young man who bore the whispers of being gay. Even the hint of being attracted to the same sex was enough for Choi to be ridiculed, shunned, beaten, and eventually driven to his death. Those involved in tormenting him began to be executed by an avenging angel. Detective Lee harbored his own guilt related to Choi that would cause him to break his rule of never becoming emotionally involved with a case.

Unforgivable was in many ways a standard Korean crime drama, which is not a knock, most of them are quite watchable. (Down below I’ll give my reason for bumping it to an 8, above average for my scoring.) Kim Jung Hyun was compelling as the dogged detective and also showing Lee’s downward spiral of guilt upon discovering his connection to the crimes. This film will not be for everyone. The crime scenes were grisly and there was a disturbing sexual assault. In a just world all the tormentors would have faced the legal system and been given serious jail time for their actions. In a better world, Young Hoon would have had access to protection from his bullies and before things escalated, the perpetrators would have been disciplined and deterred. In a more perfect world, there would have been no bullying and people would have accepted Young Hoon for who he was. In Unforgivable’s world, if justice wasn’t an option, neither was forgiveness.

27 May 2025
Trigger Warnings:
Suicides, a rape scene, and gruesome crime scenes

Spoilery thoughts following:

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I bumped my score up .5 for the film following through with the revenge to the end instead of leaving the Big Bad alive to answer with the courts as so often happens. I never had a doubt who the killer was, the person most in need of justice for Choi Young Hoon and who also realized their own complicity in his lonely life.

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I first watched the series Love O2O and then the movie One Smile Is Very Alluring, and while both are charming, I have to admit I prefer the show. The series has more time to develop the characters and their relationships, allowing for deeper emotional immersion. The story arcs are richer, and the subplots have room to grow, which really enhances the overall experience. While the movie serves as a great introduction to the story, the series truly does justice to every detail and nuance of this adorable romance.

The visuals are stunning, especially during the scenes set in the game’s universe. The action is dynamic, and the virtual world is beautifully crafted—it makes you want to step right into the adventure. It’s a lighthearted, fun film with a positive message about the importance of communication and trust in a relationship.

The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the way their lives intertwine in both the real and virtual worlds is genuinely captivating. The film captures the essence of finding love and connection in the most unexpected places.

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Violence, Vengeance & Victory – Action and Acting at Its Best

I’ve watched this movie countless times between 2023 and now (2025), and it never disappoints. I had high expectations from the start—how could I not, with Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jun Young, two incredible actors who’ve risen like phoenixes in their career. That alone should convince you to give this film a shot. If not, read on.

Trigger Warning :
This film contains brutal violence, which may be distressing for some viewers. If that’s a concern, it’s best to skip it.

PROS:
➥ Masterfully directed action scenes
➥ Outstanding performances—especially from Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jun Young, as expected
➥ Social Message through the film: Don't Turn a Blind Eye, Stand up to your Bullies, Ask for Help
➥ [MILD SPOILER] Satisfying ending: The film explores bullying, a harsh reality. Watching justice unfold in the end as a gripping action scene is incredibly rewarding.!

CONS:
➥ The story isn’t groundbreaking—just another “good vs. evil” tale in a fresh setting.
➥The FL’s introduction felt over-the-top. The dark tone of the film clashed with her theatrics, creating a stark contrast that didn’t blend well (just a personal take, though).

FINAL VERDICT — BINGE!
Highly recommended—if you’re okay with violent themes. Watch it for the stellar acting and action sequences rather than any new storyline.

♥️ SPECIAL MENTION — LEE JUN YOUNG ♥️
If you haven’t already, take note: this man is talented AF. As the antagonist, he’s despicable to the core—no tragic backstory, just pure evil. His performance is so intense, you’ll find yourself seething every time he’s on screen. That’s top-tier acting right there—so convincing it blurs the line between actor and character. Honestly, every time I watch one of his projects, I feel compelled to write a special mention. He’s just that good. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop myself now!

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I'M DECEIVED! Haha, Is this a Thriller or a Social Drama? But sure, It's a Test to our Patience ! :(

Oops, The Title, the Cover Photo and the Thriller Tag misled me :|
The Cover photo really has a Spooky Horror or Dark Crime Thriller Vibe and Words like REMOTE, VILLAGE etc in the title & summary made me to EXPECT AN INTERESTING THRILLER n curious to know what happened in the village, haha

God! I'm deceived n disappointed !! :)
IT'S MORE OF A DRAMA THAN A THRILLER.
It's more about what happened in a guy's life than what happened in the village.

***** SOME MORE RANTING:
Dropped it twice n finally completed this in my 3rd try-out, it is that SLOTH PACED! It's really a test to my patience!

(Couldn't drop bcz of my "Watching Tradition" of not to drop any drama /movie, once I start watching, Silly Me! ;)
n for Ryusei, pushed myself to give another try :)

BTW, KDrama Crime Thriller "Doubt" made me to sign up for MDL to rant about its slow pacing.
Now I find it better than this (in terms of pacing, not a comparison of genre or plot), atleast it has interesting thriller elements but here it's just social drama + sloth paced.
God, this would be the end of me by the time, I finish watching this movie🫣)

***** STORY:
Enough of my ranting about pacing :) , Now, about the other elements in the movie:

The storyline is OK.
It's a story of a depressed guy stuck in a village with a stagnant life n how his routine job in a waste dumping facility and his respect in the society bcz of a criminal in the family, affect him and how he tries to change himself with the help of his childhood sweetheart.

The Run Time is too lengthy for this plot & for this slow story progression.

The thriller part is only for few minutes towards the end of the movie, which U can predict very easily, it's obvious whose body is that n who would have murdered.
So, it's just Drama with almost zero thriller elements.

***** POSITIVES:
Ryusei's Character n his STELLAR Performance is the ONLY ONE INTERESTING point that kept me watching this boring tale.

His PERFORMANCE is VERY IMPRESSIVE,
initially as an extremely frustrated with life, helpless n depressed soul and
Later, as a lively, happy & confident person, knowing that there is one person (FL) who loves n supports him and all such changes, Love & Hope have brought in him.
He acted these variations of the emotions in his expressions, VERY WELL.

Special Mention ;) :
Ryusei with facial hair and that messy hairstyle, looks totally like a different person.
I didn't recognise him in the Cover Photo, until I saw the cast list :)
And with clean shave n combed hair, looks like a young handsome hunk :)
When he smiled, he reminded me of
actor Tatsunari Kimura :)

***** SPOILER *****
1)
Throughout the movie, there is just a GLOOMY Vibe but Not any Suspense or anything Mysterious, as expected from a Thriller.

Even about the waste dumping facility, I don't find any Mystery around it.
U can guess that there is some ILLEGAL dumping happening at night that affects the environment n resources of the village, when U see a group of persons working in the night secretly, out of working hours.
(If there are murders n bodies dumped there, it would have been done by 1-2 persons, not a big team, right? )

And so, murder mystery by gangsters is ruled out n there is no suspense & mystery Expected from illegal dumping :|

As said above, found one body in police investigations of illegal dumping, it can be predicted n so No mystery, there too.

2)
Also, There are some UNCLEAR points left without explanations.
For eg, THE ENDING:
What happened to FL's case n the police investigation?
Did ML's dad really commit a crime in the past?
Or like the mayor said in the climax about sacrificing people (for his own selfish sake) but in the name of village's development, did the mayor have a direct role in his dad's death, who is innocent, falsely accused n being disrespected as a criminal all these years?

3)
Also in the end, is the ML, back to his former depressed state?
Bcz his Hair style is messy & down, tears in his eyes n doesn't look into the eye of his police friend, in the climax scene, like how he used to be in the beginning.
When he is lively n happy, he has his hair neatly combed & when depressed, has his hair down with a Messy bedhead hair style.
So, the ML has no peace in life, finally!? :O , What? :)
Poor Yuu (Ryusei's Character)!! :|

Finally, I'm not sure of
what I have watched 😂 or
what the director n story writers want to convey through this story or
what story elements or plot points, I have to take as implied / implicit, without direct explanations in the scenes :o

*****
I'm RATING this as 7 / 10,
just for Ryusei's Performance as a depressed man trying to find a motive to live and
for the Direction, Cinematography, Locations and the BGM which are AMAZING!
(These are the ONLY POSITIVES that I found in this)
Else it would be 5.5 or 6.

Pacing, Story Narration and Story Progression have completely gone WRONG.

If the Pacing and the Run Time are Right, this would be 8 or 8.5 .

*****
If U are a fan of Ryusei or can tolerate extremely slow paced Social Dramas, Watch it at your own risk !! :)

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Hidden gem of a documentary

Hidden Letters is not an academic documentary. Instead it reveals history through the present, following two modern Nushu writers. Except for the opening frames (I'll address those below), the documentary is a delicate and thoughtful exploration of Nushu in its present form.

The documentary explores the modern-day contestation around Nushu – through the women who engage with it – but also the opinions of men who think they know what they're talking about. (It turns out that mansplaining is the same in every language.) Unsurprisingly, it's the discussions between women about Nushu which come across as the most sincere.

The two Nushu writers meet with their own struggles as women, in part related to Nushu and in part related to their existence as women in a patriarchal society. Of course, these two things are enmeshed with one another. It is through their lives that Hidden Letters drives its emotions and messages.

For me, the only downside of this documentary is the opening frames. These are simply lines of text on a black background:

"For thousands of years, women in China were born to obey their husbands, fathers and sons.
Forbidden to read and write, their voices were silenced. Most left no record of their lives."

I'm not sure why Hidden Figures opens with such sa weeping, homogeneising statement (and in English too?). Particularly when what follows is a nuanced and complex insight into the evolution of Nushu. In a historical sense, Nushu itself was limited to the women of the inner chambers (and therefore not relevant to peasant women). But even saying "their voices were silenced" is in direct contradiction to the existence of Nushu itself – as well as other written records left by Chinese women of the past.

I'm not saying that oppression of women didn't exist - on the contrary, it was under such conditions that Nushu came into being – but I think Hidden Figures does itself a bit of injustice by opening with such a reductionist introduction to a deeply complicated form of communication.

That said, I highly recommend this documentary. It's well crafted and provides an intriguing insight into the intersection of Nushu and the everyday struggles of women.

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WATCH IT!!!!

Everything about this movie was perfect. I really like shows and movies which have angst in them and this did not disappoint. From the acring to the vusuals and the background music were amazing. The movie made me feel sad not only due to the bittersweet ending but also for the fact it made me think about all the people who could not truly express themselves due to the fear of being shunned and ridiculed by the society. What more heartbreaking is that this predijuce still prevails in our society even now. I just find so hard to understand why out of everything we could hate and dispice as a society we chose love. And the movie portrays all these emotions beautifully. I recommend everyone watch it, not just BL fans as its a story that needs to experienced by everyone.

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I tried to find more information about Yun Jie. While it is a scripted movie, the cast was almost entirely populated by people with the same family name as the director/writer/producer. The film was not a documentary but with the extremely natural performances showing the difficulty of children and the elderly left behind as parents moved to the larger cities to work, it looked much like one.

Yun Jie takes the news that her parents are leaving their small village to work far away in Guangzhou in stride, scarcely saying good-bye to them. She will remain in their village with her two younger sisters and grandmother. Along with going to school and doing her homework, she babysits, cooks the meals, cleans, helps an aunt garden, and aids her uncle when it’s time to harvest the rice crop. Jie is scolded for her grades dropping, but the tired child struggles to stay away during class and exams. Other grandparents and elders are having a difficult time raising their grandsons, the lack of fathers around causes the boys to act out and even put themselves in dangerous situations. Because teacher pay is extremely low, the turnover rate is high, with the kids receiving a subpar education. Yun Jie has much to do but little to look forward to in her life.

Most of the children in Jie’s village had no parents at home. Any child over 12 was weighing whether to quit school and go to work. The left behind children often felt left adrift. Jie may have spent time with others her age yet she never played and only once cracked a faint smile. Farming was not a sustainable model to feed a family yet still the villagers persisted. The time required to farm and the physical effort put a stress on the young girl already shouldering most of the household duties. Moving to the city didn’t guarantee success for those seeking a better life either. Factories were closing at an alarming rate, reducing job opportunities for the villagers. Lacking a solid education and other skills limited their employment opportunities. At one point, the family attempted to live together in the city. However, the sisters lacked the connections and proper thick red envelopes needed to go to school in Guangzhou. Yun Jie saw her life choices rapidly disappearing.

My heart broke for Yun Jie, the child forced to act like an adult. There were never any comforting cuddles or words and when it rained, she couldn’t even count on a dry bed. None of the grown-ups in her life were cruel, but neither were they a soft place to land when life got hard.

26 May 2025
Trigger warning: A dog being beaten to death, not graphically shown but implied

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GHOST: HYPNOTIZE n BURN EVERYTHING! & Ghosts - One or Two?

GHOST: An Eye for an Eye! So, If U burn me, I'll burn U !! 🤭

Good n a Very Interesting Horror.
Skeptical to watch, since it's a 2000s movie, expecting it to be one more usual boring High school horror but I am wrong! :)
(BTW, I watched this during my college days n had a positive impression all these years n so re-watched now to write a review )

BE AWARE, it contains Content of Bullying, Rape, Mass Murder of Many by Many (Violent & gruesome Deaths by Fire n their Heart-wrenching Wailing)

****
The movie started mediocre n plain, like routine horror movies but as the story progresses, it got Very Interesting n Gripping.

Also, It's not just Horror, there are Reincarnation n Supernatural themes too.

The Ghost murdering people by Hypnosis, is something New :)

Does not contain Scary Jump Scares or Special Horror effects, instead it's a Serious Psychological horror that keeps the Viewer interested with the Suspense n Well Written Plot of present & past stories and keeps curious about what happens next.

***** STORY:
The setting is a All Girls High School in a village, where the local people don't welcome outsiders.

It starts with a transfer girl (Yoo Jin) n two of her friends, being bullied by her classmates. Unable to tolerate the harassment, they use the Ouija board to summon the spirits to create the Bunshinsaba curse to kill the bullying people whose names are written down.

Yoo Jin starts experiencing Haunting from then and around her, deaths of the bullies, happen one by one, by fire, mysteriously as though hypnotized by someone.

The female teacher, the male teacher and his spiritual friend try to help her.
Here it is shown as only one ghost haunting.

After first half of the story, it takes a turn, when the female teacher too, experiences Haunting simultaneously.

So, the Suspense of whether it's one or two ghosts n who possessed whom, is Well Maintained, till the actual n full Past story that had happened 30 years is revealed.
(Can be predicted to some extent that who, out of Yoo Jin n the female teacher, is possessed by whom).

The Past Story of Mom n her blind daughter, 30 years ago, is Terrible and Sad.

The Reincarnation & the Supernatural powers of Mom, to let her blind daughter see, are a Good Surprise in the plot (I didn't expect :) )

Depicts unacceptable levels of Bullying in the past n present stories too.

*****
Direction, Story Writing, Story Narration, Screenplay, Editing n Pacing are Good and Right.

The Narration & the transition of the scenes from the past to present n vice-versa and that of the haunting scenes of two ghosts, back n forth, are smooth.

(Watched a bad print, so cannot really comment on Cinematography or Production, haha).

BGM is right to the haunting scenes.

In the end, Everyone in the village got what they deserved and the ghosts got their revenge.

***** SPOILER *****
The climax scene is little confusing:
Is it a scene from the past when mom n blind daughter are happy in her childhood? (Probably No)

Or The teacher (in present day) has a little kid already (Probably No)

Or The reincarnated mom (as teacher) brought back her blind daughter to life as some random kid? (Maybe Yes. If so, what happened to Yoo Jin in the end, did the blind daughter's spirit leave her or no, is not clear).

*****
My RATING is 8.5 / 10.

Horror Genre Lovers, especially who love to watch every type n a variety of Horror concepts, Watch this, U'll not be bored! :)

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