Reviews

WOULD BE BETTER, IF IT IS A SHORT FILM.

Usually, I write a Review only if my rating is 8 or above (rarely for a 6 or 7), describing how good the drama is n what I like about it but for the first time, wrote one for a 5.5.
I wanted to share what I don't like about this n for what I struggled to watch in this, haha

****
A Story of an Obsessive n Aggressive Teen Lover!
Plot is Good
But everything else is not interesting!

It's not the Usual Horror, it's more like a psychological horror, meaning Human thoughts (individual's or of the society affecting an individual) are the Ghosts here!

To be honest, the FIRST ONE HOUR of the movie is a complete waste of time, it didn't add much to the story (except few necessary scenes), most of it are just unnecessary content fillers.

Also, The NONLINEAR NARRATION added MORE CONFUSION to it and made me think what is happening n what the hell did the director actually want to tell.
(Non chronological narration works when there is no much unnecessary content filler , it doesn't work always)

The LAST 40 mins is the ACTUAL STORY and makes everything clear of what the director wanted to convey, haha
(God! Since I started watching, couldn't drop it :/
It would be much appreciated, if this could have been made into a short film)

It's about coming-of-age, teen taboo relationship in an all girls high school, unacceptable by the society (classmates n teachers) n the teen couple's struggles.

One is an obsessive lover n aggressive in nature. The other is not ready to open up bcz of her own fears.

(I didn't expect a love story of this genre, for movies in 1990s, really a bold step by the director n actresses )

How one of them suffered, bullied by her classmates about her sxl orientation, the other scared to open up in public and finally the first one, feeling rejected or misunderstood the other one's fear as rejection, took her life and took revenge on the society (school), which didn't accept their relationship, by creating a lot of Chaos.

This chaos in the climax, is where the horror element is shown.
Here it's just a chaos, sort of attention seeking from the ghost n so there are no murders by the vengeful ghost, like the usual Ghost stories.

****
What I didn't understand clearly is the necessity of male teacher - student (one of the FL) relationship track.
That didn't add any love triangle or that didn't create any disturbance between the teen couple or that rumour about that teacher n the gal didn't lead to her "ending".
But the actual disturbance between the teen couple is created by the societal alienation, their fears to face that pressure, avoiding each other and so the misunderstandings.
So whether that male teacher n FL track is included or no in the plot, her "ending" is inevitable bcz of that "misunderstood APATHY" from her girlfriend.
And so that "ending" for that teacher is also not necessary .

Anyways, sad love stories of the gals n the male teacher.

Even the gal's character, who is reading the teen couple's diary, maybe the director wanted to show that there is One person, One classmate supporting them - Good
But her DEEP INTEREST in the teen couple's relationship is unclear n UNNECESSARY - Why is she suffering, almost like the alive FL, when she is not even their close friend.
Sympathy n worrying for losing a classmate at an unexpected moment, that shock is reasonable but her horror experiences, those physical sufferings
really necessary!?
Anyways, maybe highlighted her character to add some Horror Activity (which is almost NIL in the movie, haha) n also to show that whoever reads their secret diary, has to suffer!

That teacher's track is more interesting than this diary reading gal, haha 😂
Maybe for more HORROR, they should have elaborated that teacher's track for a love triangle trope or to show some horror activity.

****
My Rating is only 5.5 / 10 .
Low rating exclusively only bcz of the unnecessary one hour in the beginning of the movie.
(Would be 5 / 10 but for the sad love stories, added 0.5, haha)

The story has a good potential even for a horror genre but wasted .

(I watched this just to finish this Horror Franchise, else would have skipped)

****
Check out my Reviews for other movies in this Franchise :)

Till now, in this franchise, Liked movies in the order:
1 > 2

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Trippy, fascinating and could I dare say... lazy?

I was hooked from the first moment. The story left enough mystery to keep me going. Unfortunately, this mystery, that drove the intrigue at the beginning, ended up being their cover for the lack of plot.

At the beginning you felt everything developing naturally. Only the remnant glances were the clue that something more was happening.

But was it?

This movie was momentarily intense and punchy. You cannot take a breath, so you do not miss something. And then it dissipated. Strong climax was countered with bland descent. In the last quarter of the movie you constantly have a feeling of being rushed and missing important plot as if it happened behind the scenes.

I have questions -- what was the content of the play they were acting? I want to know in more detail because I want to discern what was the acting and what was reality. They purposely took that away, in a most obvious and sloppy manner -- chop the play so you get the viewer thinking. I know the creators were aiming at confusing the viewer, to make them doubt every scene. It did seem as they took a shortcut, and made the doubt obvious. Again, sloppy if you ask me, but perhaps a strategy on their part.

I have a lot of critiques for such high output. Yes, because I feel strongly about performances. Park Sung Woong as Jae Ha was phenomenal. I encountered him before but always as a supporting character, and his performance here as a lead showed that he is a veteran action, how in the play, so in real life. He was convincing in each of the scenes as a professional should be. Even though I assume playing this role and this character in Korean society in 2017 (even now) was a challenging undertaking.

Oh Seung Hoon as Young Woo unfortunately he did not shine brightly until the last quarter of the movie, where he was absolutely, insanely captivating. His character was fascinating in the way he subtly manipulated the couple. Innocent but cunning. I could see other more senior actors killing this role, but then Young Woo was decent and brilliant in some scenes.

An absolute recommend! No critique can make this compulsion of wanting to rewatch stop. I just want to check and check whether I missed something and find the answer to this damn question:

Was it method acting or not?

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very chaotic!!

THIS MOVIE IS REALLY FUNNY. not even a one scene is cringe or not funny. my comfort drama frfr.

haneul and somin's chemistry is really strong. no signs of awkwardness or not being close.

Their dynamic is so entertaining, whether they’re bickering, working together, or rediscovering their love. You can really feel their connection, making the romantic moments even more special.

The story itself is refreshing. The amnesia plotline is used in such a fun way, keeping things unpredictable and engaging. The humor is top-notch, and even the supporting characters add so much charm. There’s a great balance between laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt scenes that make you root for the characters.

I seriously wish more Korean movies were like this! It’s the perfect mix of fun, chaos, and romance. If you need a feel-good movie that keeps you entertained from start to finish, this one is a must-watch.

This movie is really comedy-romance, not romance-comedy. BCS IT IS THAT FUNNY. wish there's more korean movies like this Read More

Do not let the ratings fool you, this is definitely 9-10/10 worthy.

The movie started with a scene that made me feel nothing, which was concerning because I had been waiting for this movie for about a year. But as the story/film progressed through its runtime, it absolutely delivered what I wanted to feel, which was what the characters were feeling. The director and the cinematographer did a terrific job filming this movie; it gives you goosebumps and makes you feel claustrophobic and a sense of dread. Do not pass on this movie because the ratings on this site are so low; watch and come up with your own conclusions. I promise you won't regret it. I implore you again to please watch it.
If you want additional proof on why this is such a good movie, check this out: This film is directed by "Hur Jin Ho" who has also directed, 'The Last Princess(2016)', 'Two Lights: Relumino(2017)', 'Forbidden dream(2019)', 'Lost(2021)[The best drama I have ever seen]', and 'Love in the Big City(2024)'. This film is written by "Park Eun Kyo", who also wrote 'Mother(2009)', and 'The Silent Sea(2021)'. The cinematographer for this movie is "Go Nak Sun" who has also worked on 'The Priests(2015)', 'Vanishing time(2016)', 'A Taxi Driver(2017)', and 'Narco Saints(2022)'.

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Beauty in revenge

A deadly mix of kill bill and john wick, I loved this action packed movie. ikuta toma embodies a demon bent on exacting revenge for the death of his family. He makes the audience feel his pain but also his desperation to set things right. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you cheer for him and cringe at every hit he takes. Be warned this movie definitely stays true to the genre which means a lot of blood and violence.
I recommend everyone who enjoys baby assassins, janitor, kill bill, john wick, etch to watch this since it will definitely satiate that love of this type of action.

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"Sorry, you're just making me more confused" Buddy, you're not the only one

Angela Mao starred in Moonlight Sword and the Jade Lion. This script was one of the biggest messes I’ve seen in a while. I tried to attribute the problems to translation issues as the only available version I could find was dubbed in English, but even at that there were serious issues with it. Angela was the only redeeming part of this kung fu flick.

Chu Sau Yin leaves to find her master’s brother. Why? Good question. She spends a month running into dead ends, dead people, or simply getting the run around. Don Wong inexplicably picks fights with her when masked men aren’t attacking him. Then he makes like Houdini and disappears for most of the movie. Anyone who is about to give Chu a clue is murdered by a dagger throwing assassin. She ends up fighting everywhere she goes, sometime even with the “good” guys. Why is it so important for her to find Liu Chan? You’ll have to wait 75 minutes into a 90-minute movie to discover that underwhelming tidbit.

This story was just about as thin as a story can get. Chu searched for her master’s brother for whatever reason her master wanted and she also wanted to know what happened to her parents. Apparently, only Liu Chan knew and he never told anyone, not even his brother for over 20+ years. Meanwhile an assortment of baddies were stealing and trafficking in what appeared to be well-to-do women. Doris Lung trained dancing girls and assassins all while romancing the Big Bad. Don Wong, well, I have no idea what his role was in this movie. He didn’t even warrant a name. He attacked Angela Mao’s character for seemingly no reason other than to show off his food fighting skills. Then there were times the two acted like buddies and fought together against whoever might be attacking them. Wong disappeared for over 40 minutes in the middle of the movie. Maybe he had another acting gig he had to work on simultaneously. People appeared and disappeared, said they were going somewhere-but never showed, and motivations were never given for random actions. Chung Ren wrote the script, the only one I could find he was credited with. Even in the bare bones stories of kung fu films, this movie would win a prize for one of the top three most poorly written and poorly edited films I’ve seen.

But how were the fights? Angela made the most of her fights using a spear. She moved quickly and was quite agile. Her stuntman did a great job filling in with the more complicated gymnastics moves. Whenever her character wore the pink pantsuit, it meant she was about to open a can of whoopass. The fights employed reverse filming, trampolines, complicated weaponry, wire-work, and often stilted action. One fight with lethal dancers and their explosive flowers was at least unique. The film might have been called Moonlight Sword because most of Don Wong’s fights were filmed in the dark which made the action difficult to see. There were also fights between characters who were largely inconsequential to the story. Since there wasn’t much of a script, they had to fill the time somehow.

Angela Mao was the absolute best thing about Moonlight Sword and the Jade Lion. I admit to giving the film a slight ratings bump merely because she is one of my favorite martial arts actresses. The film was a mess right up to the very end when certain characters made perplexing decisions, but by that time all I could think was, “why not?” Only for dedicated fans of Angela.

6 March 2025

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Shock value fest.

A Frozen Flower definitely tries to do a lot—historical drama, palace intrigue, and steamy romance all rolled into one. It has beautiful cinematography, solid performances from the three main leads, and a messy love triangle? at its core. But does it all come together? Kind of. Misunderstanding, betrayal, consequences follow.

Now, the good stuff: The production is top-notch. The costumes, sets, and cinematography are beautiful. The film also doesn’t shy away from it wants to show, tackling sexuality, love, and duty in a way that was pretty bold.

The drama in the story is extra here, some plot points feel repetitive, and the pacing drags in the second half. The steamy scenes were a talking point and feel more like shock value than storytelling.

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A comedy carried by the acting performance

I'm not gonna spoil a lot - but the first three out of 8 stars go t o Choi Min Soo's acting - and I might be biased since he's one of the very few male actors I like like I do (he also looked RIDICULOUSLY handsome here) - but wbk he can do comedy since "What Is Love" and this just drove it home. The comedic timing of this man is just perfect. He is goofy, silly, dumb, and a one-man-comedy show at times. His character had flaws that were common among salarymen/men in general in 90s Korea, and some scenes did infuriate me just because of the pure misogyny oozing from them. But I had to remember, this is a korean office in the 90s. If you were a working woman, misogyny came at you with your paycheck.

The next three stars go to Choi Jin Shil, who didn't have as many moments she could have fleshed out, but was a joy to watch on screen. Hell, she could just stand there and she would be magnetic to watch. She just perfectly sold us her role and her emotions, and I really have nothing to say negatively. She looked so freaking cute in those glasses and one thing I liked about her character is that she had a good reason to be the way she was in the beginning, and her "change of heart" was reasonable and understandable. We really really lost an actress that could have enriched our screens to a peaked in high school ahh abusive deadbeat loser that should have been kissing the ground his wife walked on - it would have been ridiculous if it didn't hurt so much. I'm glad I'm able to watch her through the screen like this - and sad at the fact that there are young juniors of hers that we will write the above sentences about in a few years time.

The next star goes to the baby! Yep, baby Sang Ha was absolutely adorable and a cutie patootie all throughout. Nothing more haha. Job done well.

The last star is just the comfort level of this movie. It feels good, you feel good, it's a movie you could technically watch with your parents, some scenes are weird but they can be skipped in a beat. It's cute, funny and worth a little fun anecdote in the illustrious careers of our main leads.

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August – A Quiet Journey That Speaks Loudly

It wasn’t long ago that I stumbled across Zhang Zhe Han after watching Everyone Wants to Meet You. Like many, I found myself reading his story, what happened, what was lost, and how he came back. But something in me kept whispering that there’s more to this man than headlines, roles, or even his music. So I started searching, not for facts, but for something that felt real.

Then came August.

This documentary wasn’t just content, it was healing. I watched it with noise-cancelling headphones, wanting to shut out the world. Best decision I made. For 40-something minutes, I wasn’t just a viewer, I was walking beside him. The silence, the wind, the emotions, all of it felt painfully human and achingly familiar.

Zhang Zhe Han may never read this, but I hope somewhere the energy reaches him.
From one person who’s had to rebuild from nothing, who has sat in the dark, swallowed rumors, been misread, and yet still held on, just know:
It will be okay.
You’ve found a way back, and that’s already something many never do.

Thank you for letting 12 million strangers witness something so raw, honest, and unfiltered. You reminded us that there's beauty in starting over.

And a quick side note; Zhe Han and Jerry Yan in one frame? Someone make it happen. Same energy, same soulful silence… maybe it’s the hair, maybe it’s the heart.

“The tragedy isn’t in falling, it’s in never standing back up.”
And Zhe Han? You’re already on your feet.

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Short and Poignant– A Quiet Reminder of What Matters

I started following Zhang Zhe Han not long after watching Everyone Wants to Meet You. Like many, I came across his story—the career, the cancellation, the comeback—but something in me felt there was more to him than what’s been said or shown. That’s how I ended up watching Brother. One of those quiet little films you don’t expect much from, and then it stays with you longer than expected.

This isn’t a story that shouts—it just sits with you. And in that silence, it asks one thing: what would you choose? For Wang Yue, it was family over love. For many of us, that choice feels unfair, even cruel. But for him, it made sense. And somehow, by the end, it didn’t feel like a loss—it felt human.

Zhang Zhe Han carries the role with so much restraint, it barely feels like acting. Just a man trying to do right in a world that rarely rewards it. And honestly, I’m glad this story exists—quiet, short, and a little painful.

I truly hope one day we’ll see Zhe Han back on the big screen, where he belongs. Until then, pieces like Brother remind us of the kind of presence he brings—honest, vulnerable, and real.

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Mananambal: A Haunting Dive into Filipino Folklore with Nora Aunor at Her Best

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Mananambal is a gripping exploration of Philippine mysticism wrapped in an eerie horror-thriller package. Set on the enigmatic island of Siquijor, the film follows a group of vloggers on a reckless hunt for viral content. Their target? Lucia (the legendary Nora Aunor), a traditional folk healer, or mananambal, who quickly proves to be far more than they bargained for. What starts as a sensationalist stunt soon spirals into a terrifying reckoning, as the island’s supernatural forces demand their due.

The mananambal tradition, rooted in Visayan folklore, represents the dual nature of healing and harm, bridging the physical and spiritual worlds. This duality plays out brilliantly in Aunor’s portrayal of Lucia, a woman whose silence is more chilling than any spoken curse. With her face deglamorized and her signature expressive eyes doing all the talking, Aunor once again proves why she is a National Artist for Film. Her presence alone is reason enough to watch Mananambal—she doesn’t need words to convey power, sorrow, or menace.

Bianca Umali delivers a compelling performance as Alma, Lucia’s daughter, whose inner conflict provides the emotional core of the story. Yearning to escape the constraints of her mother’s mystical legacy, Alma’s arc is both tragic and enthralling. Her chemistry with Aunor is electric, particularly in the film’s latter half, where familial duty collides with personal ambition in unexpected ways.

On the other side of the spectrum, the city-slicker vloggers—played by Edgar Allan Guzman, Jeric Gonzales, Kelvin Miranda, and Martin Escudero—embody the recklessness of modern social media culture. Their arrogance and disregard for sacred traditions set the stage for a supernatural backlash. Miranda, in particular, shines as Liam, the reluctant outsider within the group, providing a grounded contrast to his more hedonistic companions.

Alix’s direction ensures that Mananambal never meanders, balancing horror with cultural introspection. While the story treads familiar revenge-horror territory, the execution is precise and atmospheric. The cinematography takes full advantage of Siquijor’s haunting beauty—dense forests, cascading waterfalls, and shadowy caves serve as both picturesque backdrops and ominous warnings.

That said, the film could have leaned even further into the emotional conflict between Lucia and Alma. There were moments hinting at a deeper confrontation between the power of healing and the temptation of vengeance, but the narrative opts for a broader supernatural horror climax instead. Nevertheless, the final act delivers a shocking gut punch, an elegant tragedy befitting its themes of fate and consequence.

Mananambal is a must-watch, not just for fans of horror, but for those interested in the rich tapestry of Filipino folklore. Alix crafts a film that is both thrilling and thought-provoking, offering chills and cultural resonance in equal measure. And, of course, there’s the inimitable Nora Aunor—whose eyes alone could haunt audiences long after the credits roll.

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The film works as a metaphor for fascism

Soldier Abel (Sandino Martín) comes running and asks permission, without neglecting martial salutes, to appear before Major Mac Favila (JC Santos). The latter, from a position of authority, which he consequently abuses, welcomes him into a dark and gloomy space (as is the entire film) that looks and feels like a basement.
To get to the place it is imperative to cross a wall, or rather, a row of bars that emphasizes the feeling of an underground prison cell. On the other wall, in the background, in view of whoever arrives, there is a poster of Ferdinand Marcos. At his side, the even more despotic wife Imelda, and a rack of rifles. In the center is a long, narrow bench under bright lights. A new electric shock runs through the viewer's body: everything resembles an interrogation and torture room.
Far away, on the surface, you can hear the cadets singing military marches following the officer's voice of command, while they are evaluated physically and mentally, without their superiors taking into account the cruelty still present, both in the military and in the Philippine educational system.
But dark and gloomy here does not mean uninteresting; On the contrary: it is expressed in the psychological sense of the term. 'Esprit de Corps', the film adaptation by director Kanakanan Balintagos (aka Auraeus Solito), is stunning.
The film, filmed in the Philippines in 2014 and based on one of Auraeus Solito's own dramas written in the 1980s, is visually stunning and will remind us why cinema is considered the seventh art.
From a unique perspective that functions as a metaphor for fascism, the Palawan-Filipino filmmaker, also author of works such as 'Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros', 'Tuli' ('Circumcision') and 'Boy', opts for a closed frame that makes the viewer feel trapped in the claustrophobic and terrifying reality, both of the victims and the perpetrators themselves, of that dark and devastating movement of the 20th century that celebrates the idea of nation-state, of a leader who brings together all the power and usually despises democracy, seeking instead to establish a dictatorship that controls all aspects of public and private life.
Winner of three awards at the Cinema One Original Film Festival, including Best Director, Best Actor (Sandino Martín) and Best Production Design (Hai Balbuena), the film uses real locations, and a cast that combines established and non-professional actors to portray the crudeness of that ideology that has a strong inclination towards militarism and imperialism, and that often uses propaganda to mobilize national fervor and suppress any form of opposition.
A master of the art of documentary, as witnessed by '60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero' (2011), 'Sacred Ritual of Truth' (2002) and 'Philippine New Wave: This Is Not a Film Movement' (2010), the viewer quickly realizes that Auraeus Solito likes improvisation, but within certain limits. That is why in the film there are scenes that were not written, but improvised, and they remained in the final cut because they provide something new and fresh. It is easy to notice the dominant influence of Stanislavski, but also that in 'Esprit de Corps' there is a lot of Brecht. The contentions, the open endings, the appearance that nothing happens, the stopping of chains of actions are essentially Brechtian.
The film allows us to see how at the heart of fascism lays a perverse dichotomy: the glorification of "us" and the demonization of "them."
In a society and institution as homophobic as the Philippine army, we find a common thread of dehumanization: homophobia. This quickly takes shape as officers and recruits display the notion of "masculine machismo", alluding to strong warrior bulls to be celebrated, and those who, whether for reasons of race, religion, or for being weak "faggots", as the young men in the film so vividly call them, or any other arbitrary criterion, are marginalized, persecuted or eliminated.
For the record: Even though the ban on gay soldiers in the Philippine military was lifted in 2010, discrimination persists today.
The film explores the entire range of military philosophy: an officer must be, in addition to being... handsome?, strong; it should be a rock and not a simple gem ("What are you? Jade? Ruby? Turquoise?"). And something I don't know if it really matters or why, but you should know word for word Cyrano's short soliloquy "What is a kiss?", found in the work of Edmond Rostand.
Solito leads the viewer out of that dank, barred dungeon in search of an image of ecstatic beauty: a naked male form floating above us in the water, free from the weight of the world. It's a moment that takes your breath away, no matter what your personal orientation, and goes a long way toward justifying the insertion of Rostand's poem (why did Favila choose that poem anyway, to evoke the romantic nature of warrior culture? It suggests the sensuality of physical exertion and skin contact? Out of sheer perversity?) into the film:
"After all, what is a kiss?
An oath of loyalty taken very close
A seal on a confession
A pink red dot over the letter "i" in "loving"
An example of eternity murmuring like a bee
A balsamic communion with a flower flavor.
A fashion of inhaling the heart of the other and
To taste the edge of each other's lips
And the souls of each one."
Unintentionally or not, with this film its director makes you feel the irresponsible running, the pulsating rhythm of those words.
In this ROTC seduction and ranks game scenario, cadets are questioned for their knowledge and reprimanded for small mistakes. As punishment, they must do an inhuman amount of physical exercises while being physically, sexually and intellectually humiliated. For example, a cadet is accused of being able to claim to become an officer only because his mother became a prostitute to pay his tuition. Another hides before the arrival of the Father Rector at the soldiers' meeting place. He will then tell his companion Cain (Lharby Policarpio), both at odds with each other for outwitting the corrupt Major Marc for his position, that in his childhood he was sexually abused by a priest.
As the cadets are about to faint, the unexpected occurs... or perhaps the imagined: the sliding of a small towel, held by a soft hand, from the muscular back soaked with sweat to the rigid nipple. How will the cadet respond? What could happen to him if he refused to obey his superior's sexual desire? Is the hypocritical attitude one of the reasons why they can be so flexible? Can both the cadet and the superior openly ignore the question of morality? Is what happens in that basement with the low ceiling, bars and interrogation and torture bench that give the idea of a prison correct or not? Should that "prison" be eradicated? The truth is that much of the tension comes from maintaining that carefully cultivated act of evasion.
Auraeus Solito explores deep themes under the guise of an LGBT+ film, for which he decided to recreate the action in Marcos' dictatorial Philippines (overthrown before the play was written), and written when the director was only 17 years old and had just left high school. I should note here that the Reserve Officer Training Program today is no longer mandatory in universities, and attendance, not to mention the sense of relevance, is almost non-existent.
With his distinctive visual style, the filmmaker creates one of the most difficult films to watch in cinema history; a masterpiece that is both a fierce critique of totalitarianism, fascism, imperialism and corrupt power and human degradation, and a character study.
The director creates one of the films most overtly and lyrically obsessed with homoeroticism. Most of the time the cadets sweat and perform physical exercises half naked, under the gaze of the officers who scrutinize them, shout at them, approach their subordinates, touch them, incite them to continue sweating... At other times, you find them grunting against the bars, flexing their exhausted muscles against the concrete floor or grass, or with their bodies dripping with water after the soldier has been in a putrid river as punishment.
But there is not only homoerorism. Also in another peak moment, Auraeus Solito shows us eroticism in its various polymorphic forms: a naive provincial mentions his desire to one day see a diwata, and a forest spirit appears, in all its carnal splendor, represented by actress Sue Prado in a brief but brave cameo.
Capturing the aesthetics of the era, the cinematography and production design serve as the perfect backdrop for this captivating and thoughtful tale. It is a reminder that this political ideology advocates centralized power, fervent nationality and a disdain for individual rights, and has left indelible scars on the fabric of our collective memory. And cinema, with its unique ability to tell stories, has captured and presented fascism in a way that allows us to understand its horrors and reflect on its lessons.
'Esprit de Corps' not only serves as a reminder of the horror of fascism, but also as a call to action. In times when intolerance, hatred and racism prove to be on the rise, it is essential to remember our past and the lessons we have learned. Fascism and intolerance can take many forms and manifest themselves in different times and cultures.
Fascism lives, as demonstrated by the operation of ethnic cleansing, racism and human devastation, perpetrated by Israel in the Gaza Strip, with exhortations to the armed forces of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to replicate the Hebrew revenge against the Amalekites referred to in the Bible: "now go and wound them and destroy absolutely everything you have and do not spare them, but kill them, both men and women, infants and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys".
Fascism lives, as demonstrated by the operation of ethnic cleansing, racism and human devastation, which in the name of Russophobia Ukraine has perpetrated against the inhabitants of Donbass, the vast majority of whom are of Russian origin, with exhortations to the armed forces of President Vladimir Zelensky to raise the flags of Stepan Bandera, the fascist, anti-Semite and leader of Ukrainian nationalism in the 1930s and 1940s, main organizer of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), and its armed wing, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Fascism lives, as demonstrated by the North American president, Donald Trump, who in his second term acts like a 19th century emperor, showing that the United States has a serious problem in its democracy, which is that of oligarchy, exhibiting an imperialist fascism, loaded with authoritarianism with which he mercilessly attacks people he considers subversive or who betray the country (in a new McCarthyism); migrants, whom he calls criminals, and persecutes with drastic methods while attempting to eliminate the requirement that his children born in the United States be recognized as Americans; imposing racism and patriarchal white supremacy in a country where half of the population is of black, Latino or Asian origin, and not white.
Fascism lives, and a film that not only serves as entertainment, but as a call to remember, reflect and act to prevent history from repeating itself, may be the best way to combat it.

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A heartwarming, soul-healing comfort movie you can't miss

If I could describe Hear Me: Our Summer in one word, it would be comfort. This movie feels like a warm hug—simple yet deeply emotional, raw yet incredibly healing. It sneaks up on me, melts my heart, and leaves me feeling soft inside.

The story itself is beautifully simple. No unnecessary drama, no forced conflicts—just pure, genuine emotions. It flows effortlessly, making every little moment feel real and meaningful. One moment, I’m giggling like a fool; the next, I feel warm and healed, only to end up crying my eyes out. It’s that kind of movie.

What makes this movie so special is how effortlessly it captures love—not just romance, but the love between friends, family, and even yourself. It’s not just about the big moments; it’s about the quiet ones too. The glances, the unspoken words, the little things that make life beautiful.

And the acting? Top-tier. Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Minju completely nailed their roles. Even the supporting cast delivered incredible performances. What’s even more impressive is how much emotion they conveyed, often without dialogue. Through sign language and subtle expressions alone, they delivered some of the most heart-wrenching, deeply moving moments I’ve ever seen.

If you need a movie to heal your soul, this is it. It’s heartwarming, it’s real, and it’s 100% worth every second. A new comfort film for sure.

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