Reviews

... and if this never gets a sequel, I am happy with what we have. But I'd really like a sequel

Japanese BL movie, so I was scared about tragedy and a sad ending. Word on the street was so unclear about whether the so called "open end" of this movie comes with a positive or negative connotation, but ALL IS GOOD. All is good trust me. That open end is a serotonin high.

This is a romance. The characters both had past relationships with women, 💜 🩷 💙 , and as the movie plays out, it's revealed that they are each other's professional and artistic inspiration. They're not just rivals.

Then they fall in love. It's implied that it's impossible for them to be together but my boy Suzuki was SMILING in that open end, AND there is this event in the last scenes, it's a stunning and incredible climax of the movie. It's on a level of delusion that it's either a mass hallucination, or 10Dance is coming in at a level of escapism that rivals Red White & Royal Blue, but we have to believe the impossible. We have to dream it into reality. Dance is about LOVE, and about the performers and the audience connecting. This movie does that, too.

The women deserve their own fluffy yuri spinoff. Tajima Aki and Yagamo Fusako are incredible characters, and good friends to Suzuku and Sugiki, and Suzuku and Sugiki are good friends in return. Truthfully, not always, but it is implied that the obstacles in their respective friendships in the end brought them closer together.

It's perfect. Obviously. Costuming is sexy as hell, and the music is phenomenal.

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A waste of chemistry and good actors!!

I really expected more than what I got. Be serious, who’s sitting through a 2-hour movie where 1 hour and 45 minutes is just dance routines, and the romance barely gets 10 minutes? The dancing was cool, sure, but that’s not why I showed up 🤣. I came for the romance and the chaos, and got neither!

The leads? Phenomenal actors with insane chemistry. But what’s the point of all that spark if they don’t actually use it?

Visually, the cinematography was solid. And after that train kiss, I genuinely thought we were about to dive into the real drama. But nope, it just fizzled out again 😭. This could’ve been one of the greats if they’d leaned into the romance instead of going full dance showcase.

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A movie, which leaves an impact without making any noise

I am not really in review mode at the moment, so I won’t write much about the movie.
But I didn’t want to leave only rating numbers, either.
So, here I am. Hmm.

A citation from the movie, which I think tells a lot:
“My thoughts about the night:
It’s always the darkest before dawn. …
I think, humans have always felt some kind of hope in the dawn.
Without the morning, many life forms would’ve never been born.
But without the night, we would have never noticed the world outside earth.
Thanks to the night we’re able to envision the vastness beyond the darkness.
Sometimes I wish, that the night continues for ever, so I can keep gazing at the night sky.
Darkness and silence keep me connected to this world.
Maybe someone in another town is unable to fall asleep and waits for the morning to come.
But regardless of our thoughts and feelings this world continues to move.
As long as the earth keeps rotating at 1.700 km/hour, night and morning come equally to everyone.
As long as it orbits around the sun at 110.000 km per hour, there will never be a same night or a same morning.
Darkness and light, that exist only in that moment. Everything continues to change.
One scientific truth - ….”

I hope, it made you interested enough to give it a try.
Beforehand I was in a weird mood and afterwards I feel calmed down and in a better mental state. LOL
Recommended movie therapy 😅

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Dance is just a cover for watching hot men make out... and am I happy about it?

No, I am not.

Oh my god. I was so excited for this one.

When I saw the trailer, I immediately subscribed to the notification bell.

We have to start from somewhere so why not with the title. Why this title? The title was referring to the competition and it becomes increasingly irrelevant as the movie progresses. Not to miss pointing out that this competition does not take place by the end of the movie (is it spoiler? what am I spoiling exactly? we don't even know why the competition is not in the movie after which movie was named).

My frustration about evident laziness is reaching a boiling point

....what will take it there is not weakly developed main characters, female dancers portrayed as useless and expendable nor randomly placed blond plot twist which was not twisting...

it is that the trailer gave off this impression that dancing is their world and they manoeuver this intrinsic mystique, sensuality and dominance that dance possesses the best.... and that would lead to explosion when the two bests meet each other.

I ate it up and couldn't wait to see this clash. Because the only special thing about this movie is the DANCE aspect. That they are dancers. We have seen BLs with rivalry, bad upbringing etc. etc. but professional dancers from different sides falling in love? Not that I know of!

They instead exploited this intrinsic sensuality of professional dancing to hide lack of plot and cliche' characterisation. First of all, the dancing does not look clean or professional. I can tell you I was not convinced by their dancing at all.

Secondly, male leads are developed weirdly chauvinistic, both of them. Sugiki really was not likeable character at all. And all of his motivations scream chauvinism to me, that does not make sense that they serve dance narrative. Dance is sport with two parties that are essential to the other. The whole movie is portrayed in a bit of hmm discriminatory manner? It is paradoxical cos it is supposed to be breaking traditional role of couple in dance and life.

Then, I understand Suzuki is supposed to be polar opposite from Sugiki, but what is with this representation of hot/wild latinoamerican dancer? Too obvious my man, there is subtlety to everything. Like what is with those reactions in every dance and then literally wielding the female dancer as a tool? I am kind of also slightly offended that they used the concept of dancing in service of what? audience seeing hot men making out?

I thought the dance was the igniter to the fire, not the burned down object..which it ended up being.

I would still put it as a recommend to try out, but it is not a rewatch for me. It has a nice cinematography. Actors are okay. A lot of thirst traps. And some cringy plot wrapped in dance.

Thanks for reading. Bon appetit! :')

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The Little Star: Nina Ye's (I-Jing) performance is described as "a hurricane."

The film marks the solo directorial debut of Shih-Ching Tsou, a longtime collaborator of Sean Baker (director of Anora and The Florida Project). Baker's style is evident: the film was shot entirely with iPhones, which lends a raw, vibrant, and extremely intimate aesthetic to the streets and night markets of Taipei.
The story follows Shu-Fen, a single mother who returns to Taipei with her two daughters: the rebellious teenager I-Ann and the young I-Jing, aged 5. They try to survive by opening a modest noodle stall at a night market.

The central conflict explodes when the conservative grandfather forbids little I-Jing from using her left hand, calling it the "devil's hand." This superstition becomes the catalyst for family secrets kept for three generations to begin to surface, revealing traumas and lies that sustained the union of these women.

The Little Star: Nina Ye's (I-Jing) performance is described as "a hurricane." Her naturalness and the way she portrays the anguish of believing her own hand is "cursed" bring moments of lightness and heartbreak.

Urban Realism: The film uses Taipei as a living character. The chaos of the markets, the neon lights, and the pressure of the working class are captured in a documentary style, making the viewer feel the heat and exhaustion of the characters.

Female Dynamics: The work avoids obvious villains. The focus is on the "invisible work" of women and how affection and resistance go hand in hand, even in situations of extreme poverty and patriarchal oppression.

"The Left-Handed Girl" is not a cliché overcoming-adversity drama. It's a film about survival and identity. It balances "cute" childhood moments with the harshness of family secrets that, when revealed, permanently change the perception of who is "mother" and who is "sister."

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10Dance: When Chemistry Takes the Lead

I decided to watch this film without any spoilers from the manga or the movie itself, and without reading any prior information about it — and I was not disappointed. The film is truly fascinating, suspenseful, and filled with emotion and sensuality, all of which are expressed through dance.

I am not familiar with the characters as they appear in the manga (I have read that they are somewhat different from their film counterparts), but I really loved the characters portrayed by Keita and Ryoma. In my opinion, their performances were extremely professional, especially when compared to other BL productions I have seen. It is clear that both of them are genuine actors with immense talent.

Additionally, I know that the actors trained and prepared for a very long time to learn the dance techniques, and it is evident throughout the entire film. More than once, I forgot that they were actors and not professional dancers. One of the strongest aspects of this movie is undoubtedly its main characters and their personalities. Suzuki is more energetic, open, direct, occasionally provocative, and more expressive of his inner emotions, while Sugiki is defined by elegance, minimalism, and precision. I was very pleased that the characteristics of their dance styles flowed seamlessly through the entire film, influencing both their decisions and personalities.

The love storyline and the emotions the characters share were truly impressive. The electrifying chemistry between Suzuki and Sugiki was incredible — I honestly haven’t seen anything like it in a film or series in a long time. From the very first minutes, I was drawn into their story and could feel the unspoken emotions conveyed through every small glance, movement, and dance — pride, jealousy, desire?

Even though 10Dance does not include many typical romantic scenes, such as kisses, dates, or explicit +18 content (thankfully), it beautifully portrays sensuality and shows that dance itself can be a powerful form of expression. Sometimes, it can convey emotions more deeply than a simple kiss or the words “I love you.” This was exactly what I needed at the end of this year.

The only minor drawback was the pacing — at times, it felt as if certain scenes were cut short or something was missing, or perhaps the issue stemmed from the translation. (The scene on the stairs before the subway scene particularly surprised me, as it felt as though Suzuki had offended Sugiki.) It’s possible that if I had read the manga, some scenes would have been clearer, especially since I’ve heard that certain plot points were omitted in the film adaptation.

Despite this, I wholeheartedly recommend this movie. As someone who loves both dance and BL, this film was an incredible experience for me, and I truly enjoyed it. I will be eagerly waiting for a sequel if one is planned.

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Promising 1st act, followed by terrible 2nd and final act

Starring Kim Da Mi, The Great Flood is more than just a disaster movie, and you won't realize it unless you actually give it a try. The outcome, for me, was a big disappointment.

The opening 30 minutes is breathtaking, it is the movie's strongest point. It is a "breathlessly tense" survival thriller with impressive digital effects that capture the terrifying scale of a global tsunami.

The protoganist, An-na (Kim Da-mi), a top-tier Al researcher performance is also greatly appreciated. Her maternal role performance is praiseworthy. She carries the physical and emotional weight of the movie, making her desperate fight to save her son feel grounded and believable.

The biggest problem and the twist comes in the second half, where the movie pivots from a simple disaster flick into an "ambitious action-packed puzzle box". Drawing comparisons to films like Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar, it explores a recursive, "time-looping" narrative. However, this tonal shift leads to a super complex plot with so many loopholes, that by the final act I already got tired of seeing it till the end, and yes it still disappoints.

My thought - The Great Flood is presented as a disaster movie, however the narrative moves deeper with high ambitions, and a very little payoff.

My Rating : 3.5/10

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Tsunami (The Great Flood) is not the Main Role in a Disaster movie, huh !? :O

**** SPOILER : THIS IS A RANTING REVIEW ****

I love Disaster/Survival movies.
So I was all excited n waited for this movie, seeing in Netflix "Coming Soon" but I'm highly disappointed now!!

Promoted as a Disaster movie n so expected a Full Length Disaster Survival movie but NO!

The Title, Cover pic n Summary cheated me :(
(So the Tsunami is not the main role but it's just a support role / a minor side role, Instead AI project is the main lead here, haha).

***

After watching first 20 mins, where there are Good CGI scenes of Flood and the struggle and when there is mention of some AI baby project, AI emotions builder project etc and there's a Time Loop -- I'm all excited thinking that I'm getting a combo of Disaster + Sci-Fi.
But NO!

IT IS EXCLUSIVELY A SCI-FI / TIME LOOP PLOT, WHICH IS NOT THAT CAPTIVATING.
Even Hae Soo Oppa's character didn't capture my interest (I like to watch his dramas).

***

A Full Length Sci-Fi movie with Disaster theme as subplot but promoted as an exclusive Disaster movie, actually gave a great disappointment to disaster movie fans (like me, who love disaster/survival more than Sci-Fi) and ruined the interest to watch the Sci-Fi plot.

(Just a thought -- Since AI is the new trending talk of the town, now-a-days, maybe the movie team wanted to be one of the first ones to grab a place in that buzz, with their movie on that theme but left with many disappointed audience and bad reviews).

*** THE PLOT :

The Sci-Fi Plot is Good
but somehow Everything (Acting, Direction, Execution) gone Messy.

This Plot can be executed better n with more clarity.
The Time loop or iterations, which are actually inputs to the AI project mentioned in the story -- These sound interesting but NO, it got confusing n uninteresting at one point.

Just the CGI scenes are Good -- loved them.


*** SOME MORE RANTING:

The Title should be
"The Baby project" or
"Finding the Kid" or
"The Emotions project" or
"The Time loop"
Only then, Disaster movie fans, like me, will not be misled!
Aigoo, me! :(

The disappointment is so great that I wrote this lengthy RANTING REVIEW, which I never did even to a very bad movie/drama :o


*** RATING:

My Rating is 6.5 / 10

My Final take on this movie:
If U are an exclusive disaster/survival movie fan n strictly not Sci-Fi, then this is not for U.

But if U are a fan of Sci-Fi/Time loop movies too, then U can give a try!
But watch with zero expectations!!

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Unusual bullying horror movies

We’re usually served horror stories where the bullied kids die and come back to get revenge on their bullies, but this movie twists that idea in a really unexpected way. At first, I was genuinely confused, because it didn’t feel fair at all to the victims. Even after the bullies died, the bullying didn’t stop. They were still being tormented, just this time by ghosts. That reversal honestly made me uncomfortable in a way I didn’t expect, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Just when I thought I had figured out where the story was going, the movie hit me with another twist that completely caught me off guard… including an extremely unusual fetish element that I never would’ve imagined 😭.

The twists were wild enough to keep me hooked, and I can see why people are talking about it. It’s creepy, disturbing, and oddly playful at times, which makes it stand out from typical revenge-horror stories. I do feel like people who were bullied in school might really hate this movie, and honestly, I get why. If that’s you, I’m genuinely sorry.

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Dance Challengers

The concept suggested by film trailer is two rival professional dancers falling for each other through teaching each other their respective dance genre specialties, but that's not what it delivers. The film is the most fascinating when exploring the psychology and athleticism of competitive dancers like when Suguki poses Suzuki in the female dancer positions to illustrate the grueling pain of dancing for hours and hours in heels in order to make him understand he needs to be supportive while leading his dance partner and the chilling scene where Suguki who everyone admires as the dancing gentleman cruelly puppets his near catatonic from ptsd shock dance partner by shouting instructions to get her through the competition. The movie fails to deliver on romantic tension or any feelings of yearning and longing outside of Suguki's yearning to finally be champion. Although Suguki is the one that initiates them working together and later to make out on the train, he never shows any kind of attraction or feeling for Suzuki aside from the flashback where it's revealed that he cried from the overwhelming feeling of inspiration when he first saw Suzuki dance. Suguki only loves dancing, he doesn't really care about any human being for themselves. Even his ex girlfriend that left him for another dancer, he just really liked how she danced with him. In the end he embraces his love of dancing for the sake of dancing rather than to be champion where he's not favored by the judges for whatever arbitrary reason by the slimmest margins though he's obviously at the top of the game, with Suzuki that he enjoys dancing with. Like how in Challengers everything is about tennis and tennis is about sex, here everything is about dance and dance is the sex. If this was how it was advertised, then perhaps it would be less disappointing in the romance department.

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It could've been longer

It was a pretty good movie; however, it could've been better. The beginning was very straightforward (like BOOM zombies); the MC seemed a bit childish and didn't really understand what was happening until he got attacked. Which finally turned something in his head.

The middle was nice; it showed a sort of realistic way of how one would live during an apocalypse. HOWEVER, the ending felt COMPLETELY RUSHED because wdym they fought off all those zombies by themselves without getting bit or anything? Even the helicopter coming out of NOWHERE felt rushed.

Overall the movie is a solid 8/10.

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