Reviews

A Faithful But Flawed Flesh-Bending Adaptation

👍 WHAT WORKS:
Shota Sometani’s Migi – The CGI talking hand-parasite is bizarrely charming (and oddly cute?).

Body horror visuals – Heads splitting, limbs morphing—gloriously disgusting.

Core themes intact – Still asks "Who’s the real monster?" with bloody flair.

👎 WHAT FIZZLES:
Rushed pacing – Crams 24 manga volumes into 2 films = whiplash storytelling.

Wooden human acting – Some performances feel as stiff as the pre-transformation parasites.

Missing anime’s quirkiness – Less dark humor, more straight-faced grimness.

🎬 BEST/WORST SCENE:
BEST: "Park chase sequence" – Parasite vs. parasite carnage in public = chaotic gold.

WORST: "Romantic subplot" – Feels tacked on like a spare limb.

🍿 VERDICT:
"Like the anime’s serious older sibling—less fun, but still packs a gory punch." Watch if: You’re a completionist or body-horror junkie. Skip if: You want the anime’s tonal balance.

Pair with: Sushi (ironically), manga comparisons, and a strong stomach. 🍣💀

(P.S.: The films’ version of Tamura is low-key scarier than the anime’s. Fight me.)

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A Showcase of Jackson Yee’s acting Ability

This is another film about the discrimination, hardship, dreams, and resilience of a young man with cerebral palsy. The theme of this movie is not new and I have so far watched two films and this being the third movie with this theme.

As my title described, this movie is a showcase of Jackson Yee’ s awesome acting skills, he has done a great job here. I am truly impressed by his devotion to the character and he sure has done his homework and put tremendous amount of effort to achieved the realism of his character. The grandma is another interesting character, strong and protective in her own ways. Without her constant care and support, I would not imagine the main lead will be able to develop his path.

There is nothing really spectacular I want to say about the story, accept it does gave the viewers a heartwarming feel. I do recommend that you watch it and derived your own conclusion if you like such theme, this is a good watch. As like many of such movies with disability theme, it narrated a growth, discovery and success with acceptance of one’s vulnerabilities and life.

I personally knew of a friend with this condition, it is truly a lifetime of struggle and if without a strong inner resilience and good family support, it is indeed a very difficult task for someone with this condition to work through his/her physical disability and gain success.

The other well narrated movies based on true story with this condition include the famous movie which I loved a lot, was done by Hollywood in 2014, “The Theory of Everything”, about life of Steven Hawking, a fantastic portrayal by Eddie Redmayne.
Then the Japanese film done in 2009, “Door to Door” by Ninomiya Kazunari, is also another fair adaptation.

Is this a good watch? The story is fairly progressive and well told, the characters are realistic and its ending is heartwarming to me. The main lead find his growth and success.

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Personal Demons

Wow, this is very engaging and atmospheric movie. From the first scene where disturbing drums mix with harmonious church singing to the last scene where ... hm, i can't reveal the ending but I can say that it left me with a strong impression. The three main protagonists share the same sense of supernatural, each in their own way. They all have a gift of extraordinary guidance, which is also their curse. So the question is: do these people have true revelations, are they haunted by their evil demons or is it something else? This movie is a very good example of a psychological thriller-drama and i really liked how it all turned out. There is a message here for all of us, and maybe also some therapeutical advice.

I would have to go into spoilers if i really wanted to comment my opinion on the movie. So i will skip that. The actors were okey but i needed a little more expression. The highlight is the music which sets the right tone for the whole movie. The resolution of the plot was a little bit sloppy with some sudden revelations and solutions, but the main worth of the movie is the conversation starter about faith.

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Master piece, everyone should watch about the impact of bullying

I came across this film through a social media recommendation without really knowing what to expect, and I'm glad I gave it a chance. It tackles a very tough subject but manages to present it in a way that feels surprisingly hopeful.

As the film portrayed, bullies are never happy and when the person that they bullied is no more, they move on to the next person. What struck me the most was how everyone in the class was aware of the bullying and its victims, yet no one ever stepped up or spoke out—everyone just suffered in silence.

I really appreciated the storyline between the female lead (FL) and male lead (ML). Both characters had difficult childhoods, marked by neglect and abandonment from their parents, which gave their relationship a depth rooted in shared pain and growth. It's definitely a film I'd watch again.

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way better than I expected

It was complete coincidence I stumbled upon this and I did not expect to like it that much. This movie shows the (love)life of the almost(?) 40-years-old, rich businesswoman Kim Young Mi, her daughter Kim Kang Ae and her sister Ami.

Ami career is not going forward, her boyfriend is poor and their relationship is crumbling, so she basically decides to cheat on him, going on a blind-date. She doesn't even feel bad about it. It's clear, that she isn't the best human being, not to mention her leashing out on others too often (just like her whole family though). The audience knows that. You keep wondering, don't her and her ex deserve each other? We keep being frustrated with her decisions. Even the other characters do not think too highly of her. And still, they still made her charismatic and relatable enough to root for her, and to be happy seeing her change for the better.

Kim Young Mi meanwhile struggles with her "situationship" with a younger guy, trying to keep her distance from him, and feeling not good enough and too old for him. This storyline isn't something I would usually watch, but it was quite nicely made. I still feel weird about age gaps though...

Last but not least: Kim Kang Ae. To be honest, I only watched this because of the Tags, I was kinda shocked seeing Ahn So Hee acting in a queer role! Especially in 2008??? In a Korean movie? To be fair though, they aren't many scenes about her relationship, but better than nothing for sure!
At the beginning, Kim Kang Ae has only one mission, which is to get her boyfriend of 3 years to kiss her for the first time. I won't spoiler too much, but let's say she may actually wants to kiss someone else instead... Her story was kinda cute, but too short and not that well developed.

From the first scene, I noticed how raw and real this movie is. It's shows, how much life can suck sometimes. It is probably more of a slice of life than a true romance. It has a typical low-budget early 2000s Korean movie vibe, and if you like that, you maybe will like this.

Btw. the acting was amazing in my opinion, maybe that's why we feel with Ami so much. And that one scene was brilliant (the one with Ami trying to flush the fish, if you watched this you know which scene I mean, it really represented her emotional state so well.)

It has some cliches though. And the plot isn't the most original and also has some question left unanswered (like, why didn't Kim Kang Ae's boyfriend didn't kiss her? Was her friend right about him?)

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Definitely worth watching! A painfully beautiful film.

/ Long personal interpretation of everything that played out, explain (?) / details will be further below.

Everything was just stunning: cinematography, the acting, locations, to the sound in the film. It's a queer, sapphic coming-of-age story that's complex, heart-wrenching, and realistic. It shows the complexitiy of life, people, uncertainty of adolescence, what it means to grow up in the flat and the societal aspects of it. (Self-image, identity, love, dreams, social class & opportunity differences, unjust system to difficult family/financial circumstances.)

A tear-jerker filled with details to catch.
FLAT girls left a huge impression with how it was delivered. I absolutely loved how impressively detailed and layered the characters and film is for us to uncover. Every scene & dialogue meant something to the characters and it felt like I was watching real people and trying to understand them through their lens and circumstances. The film leaves room for you to think, interpret and judge for yourself, adding emotional depth and feels "human" in a way. There are reasons behind every actions, emotions and words. Meanwhile, when feelings are kept with words left unsaid without clarification, it's easy for misunderstandings and assumptions to occur– much like in real life.

The more I went back, the more I understood the characters, their reasons and the possibilities– making the film memorable although it wasn't difficult to watch. Despite the layers of struggles, dilemmas, uncertainty, and the harsh circumstances beyond their control, there was still warmth, kindness, love, dreams, and resilience. I felt for the characters but also gained a lot from them. I think how the film goes may differ with different takeaways but it's extremely well done.

The actresses chemistry was natural and endearing while the acting by the casts was incredible. Watching it on the big screen was such an experience that I kept going back to appreciate it although it had me bawling, empty and filled with thoughts. Another great film by GDH, and it easily became my favourite. A movie that lingers.
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****spoilers starts here****
(personal interpretation, but to each their own way of interpreting!)
/// Please do not read if you haven't watched it!*
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/ Feelings:
Ann has feelings for Jane. When Jane felt nothing & wasn't sure how to interpret their kiss, Ann went along. Ann confirmed her feelings and her sadness thinking it wasn't mutual. Ann could have put her feelings first but she reassured Jane for her confusion and hid her feelings instead. Ann is clear about her wants and likes, but that's not that case for Jane.

Jane's figuring out and might not know how loving someone feels like especially intimacy with how young she is, but Ann means a lot to her. Jane's happy around Ann but felt nothing kissing her– as she got close to Tong, it got her questioning. Everything switched once Jane thought Ann & Tong were a thing. Every scene with Jane upset, was because of Ann.

/ Identity:
- In an early scene, Ann casually tells Jane, “The clean one is in another bag.” (chest binder) Does Ann wear it too (?) but Ann helps Jane with laundry to keep her secret. (Jane switched the clean one with the dirty one, made sure her dad was asleep before removing it and told Tong not to tell her mom.)
- Even Jane's parents doesn't know, but Ann knows Jane.
- Jane “It's nothing, I won't wear it anymore” to Tong / was to cover it up initally-
- but, Tong reassured her > Jane continued wearing it. Someone else who understands Jane.
- Jane may have thought she wasn't a tomboy after feeling nothing during the kiss > removed the binder.
- Jane's finding herself. (Girls school / Flat with many traditional families)


/ Alleged relationship between Ann and Tong:
Personally, the entire relationship between Tong & Ann was built on a series of misunderstandings. Considering Tong's actions, Ann's feelings for Jane and importantly my perspective of Ann & her determination. Tong had been caring, but Ann had always worked hard for money. (Laundry/Selling food/Wanting to teach English).

Some scenes/dialogues had no clear basis & felt out of place (because the characters isn't telling us).
Any interpretation lacks overall clarity as some dialogues/scenes matches with it, while others don't.
(*intentionally so, to draw our own conclusions?*)

/ Scene of Ann taking her phone at Tong's.
- Uncomfortably in Jane's perspective.
- Had Ann seen Jane inside, she would've misunderstood as well.
What did or didn't happen—up to interpretation.

Put on his shirt before letting Ann in (mannerism) = Removed when she left.

(Phone on the bed): Tong lets Ann sleep there instead of the couch? Returned after she left? Did Ann even stay over?

(Checked outside): Perhaps to avoid any potential misunderstandings? But Jane was inside. The environment is tight; it’s easy for neighbours to see & misunderstand.

- Ann didn't want to go home.
- That same night, Tong comforted Ann with her dilemmas about giving up her dreams for her family to have a home. Given her young age and all the responsibilities weighing on her, his words "You can be something much better," "You don't have to be a big sister all the time," & "It's okay"–
He mentioned, *"If you need help with anything, you can always tell me."*

Before, Tong was warm to the kids and treated Jane like his child because of their similarities.
- The sudden switch in the characters/dynamic was too abrupt to follow along without any doubts.
- The sequence didn't make sense.
- If anything else, I am assuming.


/ Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (bench)
There was tension before anything. But Ann doesn't know what Jane had seen. Instead, Ann did see Tong and Jane being close, and Jane, vice versa.
(What I do know is, Ann thinks that Jane likes Tong, while Jane is here thinking that Ann & Tong have some relationship.)
> Jane staring at her extra racket > She's thinking of Ann, not Tong.
> Ann meets Jane, while holding a new badminton racket from Tong, "knowing" that Jane likes him.
> Jane meets Ann, "confirms" their relationship after seeing Ann with a new racket from Tong.
- Ann never took anything or the racket from Jane.
- Ann thinks that Jane is upset because of Tong.
- Jane got upset & ran off; Ann chased after her.

/ More of Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (stairs)
Jane: "I thought you wouldn't date a cop?
(Does Jane know why she's upset?)
Ann: "Well, he gives me money" (he probably did)
I honestly think that Ann was masking her feelings & going off based on Jane's assumptions.
Jane: "Do you know anything about love?" (Jane, who doesn't know what love is)
Ann: "Love only matters to those with money." (Jane, Tong, or both),
"How can a person like me dare to love someone?" which Jane didn't catch.

Couldn't link Ann's replies to "for money". Instead Ann was talking about herself and how she's unworthy to love Jane.
- This was after Ann realises their differences during the phone call & her witnessing Jane "having feelings" for Tong / comparison
- "Well, he gives me money" could be a figure-of-speech to how Ann thinks that only those with money to give like Tong "can love", not meaning that they're together. Also, I truly wonder if Ann thinking that Jane "likes" Tong played a role in her reply.

/ Jane's mom noticed Ann with money
Jane: "She receives it from Tong because they're together."
Her mom: **"But he doesn't have money and even borrows from me."** ( *"All good cops has no money"* + was Ann's money solely from Tong?)

/ Jane collecting money from Tong.
*Ann's family is in need, he's happy to help make ANN's life a bit easier, just like how he's happy when he's able to take care of JANE.* (This highlighted he's helping Ann & Jane's misunderstanding)
But, Tong's helping Ann yet Jane is upset (?)
1. She think Ann and Tong are dating.
2. While Ann had never accepted any of Jane's help, she is receiving help from Tong who is struggling.
(Ann probably doesn't know about Tong's struggles while Jane always wanted to help Ann)

/ Tong gets emotional after Jane leaves; It could be his reality.
He doesn't have money for himself, let alone anyone else, not even his child. He's doing everything but it's incomparable to the stepdad who's rich. "Couldn't come because he had no money."
- But he "can do something" for the kids at the flat.
- He mentioned to Jane "They have a new family" “it’s better that way”.
(How he treats the kids, spend time & calls Jane warmly would make sense + he can't do the same for his child who's away in another province.)
- He likely have his own family/financial circumstances and reasons.

/ The interaction between Tong & Ann wasn't awkward (court)
- Tong mentioned he plans to study law for a promotion & wanted to learn English from Ann
(If Ann did receive help from him, pretty sure this is how Ann would give back)
- *The pan-out scene with neighbours gossiping about Ann and Tong from above the court*
(Looked like they were spreading rumours. Ann looked uncomfortable while Tong was questioning)

/ The rumours of Tong and Ann dating spread because of Jane.
- Ann exploded at Jane because her mom is now tying her already bleak situation down with marriage to Tong for money.
- It didn't feel like they got "caught".

(In a interview, the director mentioned about how women who lived in the flat tend to grow up believing the need to rely on men and that they're incapable to earn) But,

/ Ann didn't want to be like her friend, tied to the flat after marriage.
She mentioned: She's afraid that she'd be unable to leave; Her friend's life seemed to have stopped at the flat, unable to go to university or even come out for a game of badminton.

/ Jane chasing Ann, who ran away to the pier
Jane: "You won't marry him, right?" (misunderstanding)
Ann: "Do you really like him that much?" (misunderstanding)
Jane: "I don't know, but he's not good enough for you to stop your life for him."
- Jane's piority > Ann.
- Jane tells Ann she believes in her (even though Ann is doubtful)
- Jane comforting and apologising to Ann for spreading the "news"

/ Tong & Ann, pier scene.
- Tong telling Ann to bring the kids tomorrow; he'll bring them all to the cruise. (He brought it up out of nowhere instead of clearing up their "situation". I think he knew Ann was hurting with everything and wanted to make her happy)

- Ann tells Tong she'll live with him immediately if he could give her 10m baht (Ann wouldn't have asked if they already had some sort of relationship / Her mom pressured her: "So what did Tong say about the money". )

Ann asked that for her family = giving up her way of life. Her mom still blamed her for everything in a later scene.

/ How Tong looked at Ann. He probably felt terrible for her having to bring that up and knew that she's thinking of leaving.

- Tong said something like "Don't leave me ( in Thai, it doesn't indicate 'me' ); I'm trying my best, and I need time,"
/ Tong's response could stem from his complex situation.

He knew that she wanted to leave, doesn't have the money for her to stay, wanting to help but unable to. With his situation, whereby his family left (why?) , how he's unable to provide for his family as much as he wanted despite covering shifts and really "trying his best" (in a corrupted workforce), it could trigger those replies / Ann asked for money.

With Ann's "I can't wait long" / she's gonna leave.

/He suddenly switched/ & gave her assurance instead. Told her that *"She could earn as much money as she wanted.* (Also, maybe like the importance of Ann to Jane in the flat, the kids' presence was significant to Tong. He wanted to help Ann stay, but quickly knew that with her family situation, being stucked here wasn’t what she wanted)
- Ann: "I know" (Her determination after the reassurance from Tong, and Jane.)

/ *Ann saying they broke up to her mom* (The only indicator of a 'relationship")
But with her body language, it seemed like she didn’t want to explain. No point in it— her mom wouldn't listen anyway. A way to end her mom’s ideas of pushing her to marry for money.

/ Jane & Nice painted all the names on the wall, including Tong.
(That made him seem significant. He got emotional seeing the names with all the changes at the end. If he's a bad person, they wouldn't have painted his name & why did he get emotional?)

ENDING! (aside from everything else)

- Ann's ending > hopeful or the worst.
I believe that Ann ran away to chase her dream. (She almost hung the scarf but let it free.)
I believe she is "stronger". The cruise scene symbolised how she didn't want to return to her life at the flat perfectly. To make sense, I just think she hid somewhere on the cruise avoiding Jane, as it was far out. I believe she'll manage and achieve anything once she sets her mind to it, like how she was determined to leave and did so. It is not selfish of her. I hope she's happy.

- *Jane holding the paper hat (Part time/Full Time) + the world map at the end.
- "I hope we bump into each other on a plane, because you have to take me to first class," indicating that Ann is around.
- Ann's family and Jane weren't that "sad" either, although Jane was.

1. Who hung the packet of food outside Jane's flat?
2. Tong started hanging out with other cops after the kids left. (The dialogue is honestly questionable... but I don't know the context. I want to believe in him & that promotion)
3. Ann mom, please change– Although it seems unlikely with Ann's sister taking over her role.
4. Amy grew up! (Ann's sis) Showed some time had passed with Jane's mom having the money to move out. Ann's mom debt / paid off? who did?)
5. What were Jane's actual feelings for Ann?
Was it just Ann's unrequited love? or Jane was hiding it from Ann as well halfway through? or does Jane have feelings all along but realises it after Ann left? (Based on imdb synopsis, Jane liked Ann.)
Hope Jane still appreciates simple happiness & slowly figures it out. Hope her mom understands her more.
6. Will Ann and Jane meet again?
Ann and Jane misunderstood each other and their feelings until the very end. "Love is more important than money" to "Love only matters to those with money". Although Ann almost wanted to give up everything for her family, she ended up running away to chase her dream for a change. I do feel that Ann will return once she's in a better position, at least to Jane.
7. Ann did fulfill her promise to Jane about going on the boat.

Anyway I only wish all of them well :')

- summary of Ann, Jane and Tong
/ In the comments under this review if interested! / exceeded the word count here..

Definitely rewatch it again in your perspective of the characters!

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The first movie was one of my favs, and this was fun a sequel but it wasn’t that amazing
It was fun seeing the same characters and nice to have my oppa oppa girl so much this year
They had some comedy but not that good and it was kinda obv how things were going too much tho I did have to throw hints for mom cuz they weren’t twist vague just not too spelled out to understand



since the first one was him getting dragged back in the spy world cuz of his manhwa, it made sense this time they tried to use it against him
and it was a smart move, to have the bad guy repeat the story but still be a step ahead, but there were elements, like Jeon Hae In flirting with both men was obv sus but the events weren't too clear as well until they were revealed so I wish they had better flow
maybe for a more episodic vibe, to have constant villains come and go, like totally spies, would fit more than to have a linear movie

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Everyone comes from a different planet

This movie actually healed me, making me realize that life comes and goes. Do what you like, what you love, without caring about others’ judgments. Move on from our past, but don’t forget it; learn from it to be better versions of ourselves.

Aya, who adopted the name Chihiro in her life, made her feel like a much better person. She is a sex worker who stopped doing so. She seems peaceful, but inside, she is dealing with her own pain and past memories. She arrived at the seaside and wanted to stay and work at a small bento shop. On her journey staying there, Chihiro meets different people who are lonely and carry their burdens. She listens to them, talks to them, and tries to understand all the sides of the characters she meets. Everyone has a past, and it shapes who they are now. Chihiro is the spark for change in their lives. In the process of healing herself, she helps others, and in turn, she learn lessons from them.

After everyone’s lives start getting better, she decides to leave the seaside and move to another place. No one knows where she goes. She just wants to find peace and help more people, just like when she first moved to the seaside. Sometimes, just being there for someone is enough to change their life.

This movie is slow, peaceful, and heartwarming. It’s more about healing and being human. Rewatching it, of course, it’s such a beautiful movie. I love the scenery, it’s done well. So many messages I gained from it. Recommended and worth it.

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very shocking story

The beginning of the movie was not very enjoyable to watch, as one character literally SA'd the other. However, the film had many plot twists that kept it interesting. I really appreciated the characters' growth throughout the story. I also enjoyed the quotes displayed on the screen; they were very inspiring and fit well with the moments.

The ending was quite shocking, yet it had a romantic element to it. Despite the negative reviews, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the movie. I encourage you to give it a chance because it's not a bad film at all. All the emotions felt genuine, the music complemented the situations, and the storyline was solid.

Overall score: 9

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a heartwarming story that shows love has no boundaries!

From the very start, the film beautifully captures its essence through stunning visuals and a soothing atmosphere that transports viewers to the serene landscapes of Japan. Shun was content and settled in his life until Nagisa re-entered his world, stirring up complex emotions. While some viewers argue that Shun forgave Nagisa too quickly after what happened in the past, I believe their love was strong and genuine, allowing them to transcend their previous misunderstandings.

The dynamic between Sora and Nagisa is remarkable, showcasing a deep and resilient bond that withstands various challenges. Sora shows a huge level of understanding toward both her dad and Shun as they navigate their complex relationship while raising and fighting for her.

This film stands out as one of my favorites because of its tranquil pacing, which beautifully contrasts with the real chemistry between the characters. Each scene captures the delicate interplay of emotions, captivating the audience while providing a sense of peace and introspection.

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