Reviews

predictable, but still fun!

I think since they show at the VERY BEGINING (like first scene)... who the killer was, it was really obvious what was going to happen throughout the movie, but it was still fun to watch!! I read that this was a sequel after I watched it, but I couldn't even tell, so it's perfectly fine to watch as a standalone. It might put into context some things the characters say, but I don't really know since I didn't watch Veteran (the first movie), and not knowing didn't take away from my experience.

They do the action scenes very well, and it was cool to watch them, although sometimes it had me cringing in phantom pain,, I think that they reallyyyy hit the nail on the head for thriller (It's not scary at all, just creepy in case people think that might be a turn off), especially Jung Haein!! I loved his his acting in this sooo much, like the kind of acting that makes you wanna go back on their past work and watch all of it?? But I already watched all of his action dramas and movies so
I think when it comes to comedy, they didn't really harp on it that much throughout the movie, but it makes sense since it's a thriller. They still did a good job with sprinkling it in here and there despite the serious tone of the movie. I wouldn't suggest watching it if you're only here for the comedy though.

I think they also managed to play in social media without making it feel unrealistic or like an old person wrote the scenes, so that's even more kudos. When I'm watching shows, how they portray social media can make it soo hard for me to watch, but I had no problem with this movie!! I also loved the composition of the shots, the coloring, and how they made certain funny scenes feel creepy. Usually I side with the vigilante in shows/movies (i don't know why, I just do). But this movie made me route for the detectives, even from the (sort of) beginning.

But other than that, I think it's a good movie to watch when bored!! (that's what I did...) My rating honestly might be impaired cause I started watching this movie at like 10pm, and finished at 12am even though I woke up at 5:30am that day saurr idk... I really do think it's a good movie besides the predictability!!

They also tease a part 3, which I find exciting!! It was something I completely missed since I thought I checked for post credit scenes,, but it was 12am so... It had a slightly comedic aspect to it though, so I hope maybe the next movie will have more comedy to it, but I would understand if not.

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“Love, Fate, and a Dash of Magic: The Heartwarming Whirlwind of Windstruck”

Windstruck (2004) swept me away with its charming blend of romance, comedy, and bittersweet drama. Starring the effervescent Jun Ji-hyun as Officer Yeo-jin, the film follows her spirited journey through love and loss, marked by a quirky connection with a mysterious stranger. What felt like a simple romantic tale quickly turned into a heartfelt exploration of fate, grief, and the delicate dance between holding on and letting go. 💕🍃🌧️

The movie’s lighthearted moments—packed with playful banter and quirky antics—balanced beautifully with its emotional depth. Jun Ji-hyun’s vibrant performance made Yeo-jin feel instantly relatable, full of warmth and vulnerability. Visually, the film sparkles with soft pastel tones and whimsical scenes that add a fairy-tale quality to the story. Though some twists tugged on my heartstrings hard, it’s that blend of hope and melancholy that made Windstruck linger with me long after the final frame. ✨🌬️💔

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Into the Mind’s Fog: How Cure Unsettled My Reality and Haunted My Thoughts

Score: 8/10
Watching Cure (1997) was an unsettling journey that really got under my skin. Set in Tokyo, I followed detective Takabe as he delved into a string of bizarre murders where the victims all had the same eerie 'X' carved into them. What gripped me most was how Takabe’s obsession grew, and how the mysterious, amnesiac man Mamiya seemed to cast a hypnotic shadow over everything. It felt like slipping deeper into a foggy nightmare — confusing, haunting, and impossible to shake. 🌀🩸🧩

This film isn’t about cheap scares or loud shocks — it’s about the slow, creeping unraveling of the mind. The mood Kurosawa creates, with those long, silent shots and that pervasive feeling of detachment, made me question what was real and what was illusion. I found myself drawn into the eerie silence, feeling the tension build inside me. The horror was subtle but powerful, touching on ideas of control and madness in a way that felt deeply personal. Sometimes the pacing felt slow, but it only made the tension stronger. After watching Cure, I couldn’t stop thinking about identity, influence, and how fragile our minds really are. This film stayed with me long after the credits rolled. 🕯️🔍🧠

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lacks the charm

they lost the charm that the other versions had.
the interactions between the ml and fl were so limited, they barely had time to connect and fall in love. they made the ml more 'heroic' and less quirky and the fl a side character instead of the headstrong girl. fl had clear dreams and aspirations in other movies while here they are just reducing her to a love interest.
the lack of connection between the leads helps with the ending, in the other versions it feels painful but here it makes sense.
its very telling abt korean culture with the changes they made. in the other versions the fl's friend is pretty but here they tried to make her as unflattering as possible. also the chubby friend was the one who goes behind the fl and actually dates her but here it the handsome rich guy

good debut by dahyun even though she does not have much to work with

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"Widows grow flowers"

The Widow aka Yamome is a short film that has won several film festival awards. The poster and the awards intrigued me. I thought there would be a cruel or vengeful twist to the short. Instead, I was left wondering if I'd missed something.

Oohara Tokio plays Tanai Tomoko, a forty-year-old widow. She believes that widows can't be alone and need a man so she joins a dating site. The woman might want to find a hobby, make friends, or join a club. Instead, she meets Higuchi Satoshi who is 15 years her junior. He's handsome, charming, and has no problem letting her pay for their meals. Because Tanai is a bad drunk, she refrains from drinking on their dates. She buys him gifts and he suggests they move in together. Things take a downward turn from there.

Again, based on the poster, I was ready for the knives to come out. Instead I found the ending tepid at best. The short films it was up against, must not have been very strong. To quote Tanai, I wasn't angry or sad, just disappointed.

13 May 2025




Spoilery comments below---









The following comments are spoilery, if you are spoiler sensitive, please skip---

This short film was perplexing to me because Tanai never smiled and remained rigid through her dates. You would never know that she was serious enough to buy an apartment for them. Or gullible enough to hand over her various forms of identification to a man she'd only known for a few months. Higuchi spent their dinners talking about himself and taking phone calls---red flag warning signs. When Tanai realized she'd been had, she didn't get angry or sad. She wouldn't sue Higuchi because she didn't want him to hate her, after all, "Men will be men." For the love of Pete, that attitude was ridiculous and horribly outdated. She was 40, not 104. In the end, this came across as a Public Service Announcement warning widows about "commercial daters". I can only hope during the final scene when she did drink it meant she was going to give as well as she got to the next man and really cut loose.

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A Quiet Reflection on Fleeting Connection

The Morning After is a short yet emotionally layered film that explores intimacy, detachment, and the unexpected weight of casual encounters. Set in the post-pandemic haze, the story follows Tien and Jay—two men who meet once a year for a physical connection that somehow feels both familiar and distant.

The 16-minute runtime works in the film’s favor, keeping things intimate and focused. The chemistry between the leads is understated but convincing, and the dialogue feels natural, even when loaded with unspoken tension. The heart attack incident acts as a quiet but powerful turning point, forcing Tien—and the viewer—to reevaluate the meaning of their yearly ritual.

Visually, it’s minimalistic, but the cinematography captures a sense of quiet isolation that mirrors the characters’ emotional states. While it doesn’t break new ground in terms of narrative, it effectively captures a very specific kind of relationship—one shaped by habit, vulnerability, and the things left unsaid.

Overall, The Morning After is a contemplative watch that lingers after it ends. It might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy subtle storytelling and emotional nuance, it’s worth your time.

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A Dark Journey into Trauma, Revenge, and Unexpected Love

Love Syndrome: The New Beginning is a gripping film that explores the complex and often painful dynamics of abuse, guilt, and redemption. The story follows Itt, who orchestrates a harmful plan against Day's younger brother, Night. In retaliation, Day inflicts severe emotional and physical abuse on Itt, using the situation to control and manipulate him. Despite this, both characters begin to develop complicated feelings for each other, raising the question of whether love can emerge from such a toxic foundation.

The performances from the lead actors are strong, with the tension between Itt and Day feeling palpable and raw. The film effectively captures the emotional turmoil and vulnerability of its characters, offering a nuanced look at how trauma can intertwine with affection in unhealthy ways.

While the film deals with heavy themes of abuse and manipulation, it’s a thought-provoking exploration of how human connection can evolve in the darkest circumstances. The pacing, cinematography, and soundtrack all contribute to the intense atmosphere, adding depth to the emotional landscape of the film.

Unfortunately, the director passed away a couple of months before the movie’s release, and it seems there won’t be a sequel to explore the characters further. It’s a tragic loss for the industry, as the potential for more from this story was evident.

Overall, Love Syndrome: The New Beginning is a challenging but compelling watch. If you’re ready to dive into its difficult themes, it’s definitely worth the experience. I’d rate it 8/10.

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The OOC ruined everything

Sizhui is one of my favorites, but here he’s completely OOC.
"You are the most wicked person in her eyes, Xiao Qing will never forgive you", "Those innocent people in Fufeng Town you killed will not forgive you, and even if you die you can't wash your sin" ??? Sizhui would never say something like that, let’s be serious.
This is the same person who has seen with his own eyes that the world isn’t just black and white, someone who is even friends with Jin Ling (who’s practically the descendant of the people who massacred his family), HIM seriously?
I was like, "pls Wen Ning kick his ass"
AND his parents are literally Wangxian- I just can’t picture Sizhui saying stuff like that. Even setting aside the education he received from LWJ, he has the fuc*ing WWX as his father. The damn Yiling Patriarch.
I mean, if he says those kinds of things, then he’s being a hypocrite, honestly T_T

Rip Sizhui with common sense (I still love you outside of this movie, my bby)

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It's camp, it's stupid, and I love it.

You'll get almost exactly what you're looking for. Resident Evil stupid goodness that has real 'American' named characters and many many twists that just do a lot to you.
The choreography is pretty spectacular and honestly the best part of the whole thing, the hand-to-hand fighting was great and had so much action going on. Tyler was a pretty amazing character, and I ended up very much enjoying it just to keep going for him. He makes it very worthwhile if you want anything serious out of it. At the end of the day, though, it's just as campy and silly as the games before it, and you'll have a great time all the same. Random backflips out of nowhere, good characters to enjoy, you'll have a blast.
I have a lot I can say against it also, like the fact that it had *WAY* too many characters than it knew what to do with. A number of them didn't really serve any purpose and it made me quite sad that they didn't do anything with it.
Honestly, don't go in thinking you're going to get something incredibly deep, it'll never be that. Just have fun and watch the fellas beat up zombies.

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Comedy with a Deep Touch: A Journey Through Identity and Dignity

While the film presents itself as a light-hearted comedy, it explores several meaningful themes:

Social identity: How we judge people based on their appearance or gender, and how some are forced to play roles that don’t reflect who they truly are just to get a chance.

Personal dignity: The struggle to regain self-worth after loss.

Society’s double standards: How the same person can be treated differently simply because they "look" different.

Overall rating:
7.5/10
An entertaining film, clever in its message, and emotionally impactful without being overwhelming. It’s the kind of movie that makes you laugh—and then makes you think.

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This did not age well.. ?

This is not the worst Kdrama I’ve watched, but boy.. was it hard to get through..

Aside from the main theme being a 16 yr old high school student marrying a 23 yr old playboy, there were other issues as well..

The way the family accepted their daughter being married off at 16 was crazy.. at least wait til she’s not a minor! The manipulation by grandpa was not cool and showed zero care for the feelings, life goals, or thoughts of the couple..

The storyline would have been much more believable if they got married with the understanding that he would stay abroad doing whatever it was he was doing before, and she would finish high school and graduate college. Then he comes back to Korea, after they’ve both had a taste of life (without stunting her childhood, and he could hopefully become mature enough for a committed relationship) Then it seems like they would have a fighting chance, with no regret later in their marriage for the things they gave up while fulfilling grandpa’s wishes..

This is not a re-watch for me..

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Live action manga with great action and baby Jang Hyuk, Shin Min Ah and Gong Hyo Jin

It took me a long time to see this because it's hard to find but the Blueray version finally turned up on Internet Archive. It's hella fun and deserves a higher rating than 6.7. The film looks great thanks to high contrast color grading that makes it look like a live action manga. The action is silly and so is the acting but it's deliberate and you just have to let your brain go into neutral and enjoy the ride. It's fun to see very young Jang Hyuk, Shin Min Ah and Gong Hyo Jin. The action scenes were mostly done with wire work and practical effects which look amazing but were dangerous for the actors. JH was knocked unconscious during filming and you can see it happen in the behind the scenes video: https://youtu.be/jrxfzO4Q_wI

The Internet Archive also has the 2004 MTV edit of the film with voice overs by Method Man, Snoop Dawg and a lot of other hip hop artists. Unfortunately it's not as fun as it should be because Andre 3000 does a terrible job voicing Jang Hyuk's character. Better to stick with the original.

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It's historical and an absolute must watch for psycological horror fans.

I'm going to keep my review spoiler-free for the reason that you *absolutely* must not have any spoilers going in, it's so much better without, I can't understate that enough.
Cure is an absolutely fantastic film, and it's aged incredibly well, despite it being 28 years old as of me writing this. It's shot so spectacularly, there is so much to take in, so much great imagery, it'll be a very good experience.
It's very much for an audience that can go in with an open mind and not expect specific things going in, you need to just let it run its course, and experience it. Make sure you do it in a mind where you can sit down and think about it too, you want to focus on every bit of it you can. I mostly say this because it's a film where you can interpret many different things from it, and you'll want to come to your own conclusion.
The only criticism I would ever give it is that there is a little bit of a lack of a "definitive ending" that one would like, but the way it happens is also satisfying.
I just generally recommend it a lot, and I hope you have as much fun as I did with it.

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