Reviews

The Ending!??

A Normal Family starts as a compelling Korean drama, delving into the complexities of family loyalty, morality, and difficult decisions. Based on The Dinner, the film sets up an intriguing story about two brothers and their families grappling with the fallout of a morally ambiguous incident.

While the buildup is strong, the ending feels like a letdown. After investing in the characters and their struggles, the final act feels rushed and lacks the emotional payoff the story deserves. Instead of delivering a thought-provoking or satisfying conclusion, it opts for a resolution that feels overly simplistic and out of sync with the tension that had been building.

It left me feeling frustrated and disappointed, as though the story had so much potential but didn’t quite know how to land. For all its strengths in the first half, A Normal Family stumbles in its final moments, making the journey feel less impactful in retrospect.

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It Will Leave You on Chokehold

The Time of Fever is a story between Hotae and Donghee. The story started with Hotae playing the soccer ball with the children, while wearing mourning clothes. He came back to his hometown because of his father's death. Donghee is his friend since they were kids. Since Donghee came-out, his father kicked him out of their house. Because of this, he needed to stay in Hotae's house. The story revolves around the two of them; Donghee's resistance to his feelings toward Hotae & Hotae finding his feelings getting closer towards Donghee.

There are two listed The Time of Fever in the website of My Drama List, but it is just the same. The movie is just a compiled episodes of the series. The parent drama of The Time of Fever is the Unintentional Love Story. It came-out first and Hotae and Donghee is the side couple of that drama.

In terms of actings and casts, Won Taemin (Hotae) and Do Woo (Donghee) really did amazing on this movie/series. Their chemistry together is really beyond expection. They did really well on their respective roles and their scenes together were spectacular. Korea is known for having such a mellow down NC Scenes, so you will only see kissing scenes in this series. Regardless, the tension between the two and their kissing scenes were really done well, no inch of uncomfortableness was seen on the both of them.

In terms of the technicalities, the film was really edited well, the sequence are well put together, and the way the scenes were filmed was really good. I want to highlight how the color grading of each scene was well done and how it fit just right on the emotions the scenes wants to give.

The ending is really not that great, as it remains open ended to the viewers perceptions. Regardless, it was a really great Boys Love film and deserves a high rating. It deserves a special episode or much better, a season 2. Watch The Time of Fever because you will fall in love with it.

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So underatted, open ending, realistic.

This short film is so underatted the actors did great, and I quite enjoyed the ending even though others didn't.
The cinematography was nice and beautiful.

The open ending made sense to me, especially because they were kinda like experiencing new feelings.

If you watched closley you can see the other boy already had feeling for the one in the khaki hoodie (i forgot their names ?) when he kept asking for his type the boy discribed his type as tall and short hair.

The film is quite realistic and if you ask me sorta emotional. You can tell they cared for eachother dearly and didn't wanna ruin the friendships.

Also the necklace vape was kinda cool, I need it. The fact that theres no edits on tiktok about this film kills me, i only found 1 video!!

My personal ratings !
Recommend 8/10
Would watch again 6/10
Acting 7/10
Story 9.5/10
Overall 8/10

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Sweet family ever in horror story

Some people maybe felt confused in the part 1 movie, why wasn't the ghost woman died? Well, the answer is here. Yak appears again as our superhero, the big brother that seeks justice for his deceased sister Yam. He risked everything to kill the Puang (the ghost woman). There are some unexpected helps came thru Yak's way (and i recommend you to watch it yourself!)

Ever since the first movie (and this one also), what I love the most is the family's chemistry. They've been wanting to fight Puang for so long, even the father kept his eye wide open if she ever come back again. The plot is good. Fine movie you would enjoy (i mean... Nadech... how would you ignore the diva). If u ask me does it scare you... I'd say not really. I'm an average horror enjoyer so you can't ask me if this made me scared or not bc my standard might be different from yours. But overall, if u watched the first movie, you won't regret watching this one. I still think this needs the third movie, tho. That's it!

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"You choose your own destiny"

Infernal Affairs was a gripping case of cat and mouse accentuated by both main characters having existential crises over their paths in life. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Andy Lau in their prime, they took a tight cerebral script and made it shine.

Chan Wing Yan and Lau Kin Ming are both cadets at the police academy. Yan is kicked out and seemingly turns to a life of crime. Ming seemingly becomes an upright police officer. Turns out both stories are false. Yan goes deep undercover for 10 years fighting his way into Hon Sam’s triad while Ming under orders from the crime boss climbs the ladder becoming an Internal Affairs officer. Each seeks to sabotage their employers until it becomes abundantly clear to both organizations that they have a mole amongst their midst. The men are assigned to discover the mole, knowing they are the mole their bosses are looking for, and also discovering the opposing mole. Yan and Ming circle ever closer and closer to the identity of their cunning counterpart.

Infernal Affairs would have been a fine cops and robbers film as it was. What set it apart were the motivations and yearnings of the main characters. Yan was tired of being seen by society as a bad guy regardless of the suffering he endured to help the police and that same society. He wanted out, but events blew up making that dream unlikely. Ming seemed to have no such qualms for much of the film about his dirty dealings until confronted with who he truly was, and secretly desiring to be the good guy he portrayed to others. The honorable cop was disguised as a bad guy while the bad guy was disguised as an honorable cop. The emotional and mental gymnastics each went through attempting to determine who they truly were set both men on a collision course not only with each other but also their true selves.

The writing, cinematography, music, and sets were all stellar. Tony Leung and Andy Lau had great chemistry with each other and their co-stars. Even though there were internal conflicts, that didn’t mean there was no violence or gun play. The thrilling hide and seek was balanced with action and life or death consequences. Too many gangster films overly rely on revenge, double-crosses and gruesome body counts. Infernal Affairs excelled in bringing two compelling characters to life who struggled to stay alive and keep their identities secret while never letting the story drag. Each man became entrenched in his own hell with very little hope of escaping. Infernal Affairs delivered from beginning to gut punching end.

15 February 2025

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Kind of what I was expecting but really not bad

The plot isn't bad. Go to isolated island, find the miracle plant, go home.

But wait! We have giant snakes, flying carnivorous fish, explosive tree fruit, Audrey 2, MORE giant snakes, and women with machetes.

I turned this on thinking it would be a ridiculous B movie and not finish it but I'm kinda glad I gave it a go.

The acting isn't half bad, the CGI is pretty good on the snakes, and I will definitely be watching the next 3 in line just to see if they get better or worse.

(I found the sub version on YouTube of all places. Everywhere else was an English dub.)

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The law’s got a face... but It’s hiding!

Faceless / Shotai is a suspenseful crime drama that highlights just how flawed and corrupted the justice system can be and how it affects the innocent.

It's a story of Kaburagi who is wrongly accused of murder and has escaped prison, becoming a fugitive. Throughout his journey he meets several people, each with a new identity,  to find answers on his own when the system fails him, earning the trust from all of them.

Faceless was an appropriate english title for this. The disguises he adopts definitely serves the practical purpose in hiding his identity, but they also symbolize the psychological pressure to forced to exist as anyone but himself.
There is an eerie tension surrounding everyone, whether it’s the suspect or those investigating them.
The background score was really on point, adding a lot to the suspense without being too extra. It totally helped build the vibe and kept things tense in the best way.

The only issue for me was the pacing. The first half felt extremely slow compared to the climatic second half. They were trying to paint a picture in the first half, but it could be expedited a bit. And maybe they could have provided more context about Kaburagi and his background to help connect more with him as a character.

The acting across the board looked solid with everyone fitting perfectly into their roles. No one seemed out of place or unsynchronized. Yokohama Ryusei particularly stood out in the emotional scenes.

Overall, this was a good movie that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, questioning some serious flaws on how law works and serious consequences of turning a blind eye.

Note: I have neither read the novel nor seen the series, so this review is based solely on the movie, without any prior background.

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Love in the Big City – A Journey of Growth and Acceptance

While Love in the Big City revolves around both leads, my attention was drawn more toward the female lead (FL) and her personal journey. She is an optimistic, easy-going person who falls in love easily but also gets hurt multiple times throughout the movie. Her biggest flaw is her poor taste in men—she tends to attract and fall for the wrong people. Yet, step by step, she learns and improves, becoming more honest with herself and her emotions.

In her first relationship, she liked a man simply because he liked her, showing how easily flattered and naïve she was. She isn’t calculative, which makes her an easy target for men who take advantage of her innocent nature. However, the film beautifully portrays how love isn’t about adjusting to others but about being accepted for who you truly are.

By her third attempt at love, she starts dating a co-worker who genuinely understands and accepts her. Unlike her second boyfriend, the lawyer, who was possessive and obsessive, her new partner trusted her and her friendship with the male lead (ML). The lawyer’s reaction, while aggressive and wrong, was somewhat understandable—he discovered his girlfriend was living with another man and was only later told that ML was gay. His trust issues were expected, though his violent behavior was inexcusable.

Her first boyfriend, however, was truly awful—someone who used her due to the image she had in college. The film highlights how both leads struggle to fit into societal norms—ML hiding his sexuality and FL being judged for her free-spirited, carefree attitude. Their unconventional living arrangement only fuels the judgment they face.

What makes Love in the Big City brilliant is its realistic portrayal of relationships, personal growth, and societal expectations. KIM GO EUN delivers an exceptional performance, bringing depth and authenticity to her character. She makes FL’s journey of self-discovery and emotional maturity incredibly compelling to watch.

A must-watch for those who appreciate character-driven storytelling and heartfelt performances!

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an indie production with representation

Overall: I gave this 40 minute movie an indie and a representation bump. Aired on Wayufilm's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJuzPtHUKMs&vl=en-US (membership has access to steamy scenes).

Content Warnings: past death

What I Liked
- representation of a character in a wheelchair as a romantic lead and also a character with a neurological issue
- caring moments

Room For Improvement
- slow pacing but then the romance needed more development
- odd that a character was smiling/laughing as he talked about how his dad died
- I'm not an expert but I found it odd how he could use the bathroom on his own at night but not get into the bed

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Recommendation Challenge feb 2025

Watch this for my recommendation challenge by Crafty. One heart-warming story of a family. Sometimes the most beautiful family is not the one we were born into, but simply the one that we found later on in our life. As usual MDL summary is quite messy. Let me tell u the story from my perspective.

Story about Mo San Mei (SM), who has been lost in the world. SM feels forced to do his family's business for generations; to arrange the funeral for the dead one, they offer their service from doing make up, rearranging the body if the body is crushed by accident, until providing the urn after they're being cremated. One line of work that we often look one eye at because we think it brings bad luck, but also one important job to escort our loved one for their final time…

One day, when SM was preparing the body of an old woman, he got attacked by a child. This child is Wu Xiao Wen (XW), the old lady is XW’s grandma who was dead during her sleep. So, XW’s grandma never said her last goodbye to XW & XW has no one except her grandma, feels SM took her grandma from her. Since no one really cares nor pays attention to her, XW slips to go search for SM's car & begins harassing SM to give her grandma back.

Frustrated yet not knowing what to do with XW, SM only could call XW’s uncle to take XW back. But it turns out XW uncle's household did not allow them to take XW in. The desperate uncle finally turns to SM for help. At first only for a few days, but soon those days turn into permanent.

SM with the help of his friends / employees Yin Bai Xue & Wang Jian Ren, adopt & take care of XW. From XW, SM learns how to take responsibility, how to be a dad & find a new meaning for his life & learn new appreciation for his line of work. And XW herself learns that someone loves & welcome her.

When everything looks beautiful, comes a new problem; XW’s mom returns & asks for XW back. So how in the end SM handle the situation…?

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers. From this movie we really can see how selfish adults are, & also how beautiful the child love is. Really one beautiful story to be watched.

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Must watch

Disclaimer: I watch this movie only with English Dub. (It makes it so much funnier, in my opinion.)
The story itself it pretty funny on its own, but having the English dubbers talking for the characters just gives it that little bit of extra funniness. All the characters have excellent comedic timing, but I think that Show Lo does an especially good job at making me laugh. But this movie is much more than just funny.
It touches upon a man who has made his fortune by being ruthless but realizes, in finding his roots again, that things have gone too far and it is hurting the very person that he has learned to truly care. She can see him for who he is rather than just how much money he has and he must save her.
We can also see the impact on the environment and the ocean and see him realize that all of its creatures (including mermaids) should be treated better than they are. But not everyone thinks this way though, so toward the end, things get very sad and emotional but it ends happily.
The fact that a movie can go from being so funny to being so touching is a testament to how much thought was put into making it.
I love to rewatch this movie every other year and I think that if you haven't watched it yet, it is definitely worth it.

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Chef x Snob love <3

This is a fantastic love story between a food snob and a chef that loves the challenge of making him like her food.
The two leads are so unique and different but they also really compliment each other. I would say kind of like a grump x sunshine trope as well.
They learn to grow alongside each other through all of the shenanigans, it is just so wholesome and sweet and funny.
Every year or so, since the first time I watched it, I have to do a rewatch.
I highly highly highly recommmend this movie, but be prepared to get hungry, because the visuals of the food are mouthwatering.
Prepare a snack beforehand!

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I want everyone to watch this.

I think this is 2024 one of best movie that i have watched in 2025, it can be also character driven story then plot driven, because i don't think there isn't any plot, more of an emotional ride in my perspective, and also it is teen or early adult hood perspective so remember that, we shown through eyes of character.

I liked the grandma character, she was sweet and supportive of liu chunhe.
And please don't think the mom character as red flag character she was just stressed and frustrated she put all that on liu chunhe, that scene made me watch the movie.

It was a great movie and i really like it and connect to it on emotional level, specially this mom and child dynamic, maybe That’s why i like this movie. And the acting was top notch, the main character actor and actresses did a fantastic job.

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