Reviews

A great black comedy about what’s happening in this world

“Sometimes the truth lies on the far side of the moon. But that doesn’t mean what’s on the near side is fiction.”
“It’s still the moon. It doesn’t need a name in order to exist. It also doesn’t need to be recognized to hold meaning on its own. What you did, in itself, was worthwhile.”
“Sometimes, even the truth lies and lies also tell the truth. Real events that happened, a little bit of creativity, and the willingness to suspend disbelief. If these three components come together, Reality turns into a story… and the story becomes the truth.”

In the world we are living in right now, I deeply connect with the storyline in Good News. It’s a reminder to not believe everything we see or hear. Every news in the media is designed to make you feel something and to lead you to the things they want you to believe.

Hong Kyung is at his best in this movie. Air Force First Lieutenant Seo Go Myung, you have all my heart!

I’m also surprised that I recognized every Korean and Japanese face in this movie, from the main characters, supporting roles to cameo appearances. They all did a great job with their performances.

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I understand punk now

his experimental art movie is a mix of real life and fiction, following a young punk group in a diverse city where several incidents occur, and the group members try to make sense of them. The image of Bruce Lee keeps appearing, and it seems to have something to do with the incidents — or perhaps it’s simply an attempt to find answers that ultimately can’t be found.

It’s hard to talk about this movie because there is no clear plot, only images and scenes that contrast with each other. We hear a lot of punk music, and between scenes, various foreigners introduce themselves in their own languages. For me, punk as a genre is just noise — but maybe that’s the point: to make noise, to let everyone express themselves loudly, to give a voice to those on the margins of society. So this movie is a punk commentary of our society.

This movie can’t truly be described; it just has to be seen. So I don’t have anything more to add here.

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So many characters, so little story

From the start until the end of this movie, I couldn’t really understand the direction it was going in. The movie begins by introducing all the characters with short clips and then slowly tries to connect them, but it doesn’t quite work. It’s a mix of many elements that, in my opinion, don’t fit well together. It seems as if the director incorporated every idea that came to mind without considering what would actually work for the film. Watching this movie feels like scrolling through social media posts, and in the end, you’ve just lost two hours of your time.

Yes, there is a romantic storyline, but it’s overshadowed by unnecessary side plots, strange behavior, and lazy comedy. Even the kiss between the two people in love feels forced and unnatural. I’d say this movie is watchable, but it’s not very romantic, and the comedy isn’t funny—so I can’t recommend it.

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Ask for a water pistol, get intergenerational trauma instead

This is an odd movie. Firstly, Above the Dust isn't your usual Chinese production. Chinese film faithfuls will note the lack of dragon seal in the opening credits: the usual sign a movie has passed Chinese government film regulations (i.e. censorship).

Director Wang Xiaoshuai did submit Above the Dust for review, but he ended up having it screened overseas, after the censorship process dragged on.* And I can see why regulators would take issue with the film's substance. It casts a critical eye on the cultural revolution via the viewpoint of a family descended from a rural landlord.

Second, the movie is also odd in its storytelling approach. Narrating through the eyes of a modern-day child who encounters the ghost of his grandfather is a well used narrative device. Using the kid's obsession with a water pistol as a springboard into major political themes was a clever move.

However, it felt like narrative cohesion suffered due to split focus. It touched on family betrayal, connection to land, urbanisation, and contradictions within state governance. Yet with so much to chew on, I felt the storyline didn't delve deep enough for me to digest any of this properly.

In terms of visual style, I'm not sure why, but the blanched colour grading felt grating to me after a while. I know its purpose was to emphasise the dry land and provide a dream-like quality. However, to me I felt like it was...obscuring something? I don't know. I just kept constantly wondering what the scenery really looked like.

Still unsure if I can say whether I liked this film or not. I'll need to sit with this one for a bit.

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* Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/wang-xiaoshuai-china-berlin-above-the-dust-1235913938/

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A not so deep story that didn't need a 2 hour run

It was a good indie like movie with a not so clear message, many awkward silences and shots that really didn't make that much of a difference, characters that you wonder what is their purpose, and a meh good ending.

Story:
Sadly there isn't really anything to the story when it seems there is. Many things unfold and make you think oh here it comes, but nothing really comes. Sometimes change comes in an extremely subtle way that really doesn't fit a 2hours run of many empty shots!
It is more of a kill time in the summer movie than any message it allegedly tell.

Characters:
There isn't really that huge character development because our MC was set to work from the start and that's what she does. Aside from that there is a tiny development for MC and one of her relatives but it felt so insignificant because of many factors I won't spoil.

Production:
Screams indie in a not so bad way. Like the shots sometimes felt amateur and empty, and others it felt so artistic in a show don't tell way. It is obvious that the budget was somewhat tight but it was not an issue at all.

Acting:
Some characters really didn't even hit the bare minimum, while our MC did a really good job and some of the supports did well too. However, nothing too fancy was the outcome but it did fit the atmosphere.


Enjoyment:
I did enjoy watching the MC daily life, it is precisely why I gave it a high rating because it kept me there for 2 hours. However, it did feel like watching an empty shell afterwards. I got nothing out of the watch, I was left with nothing, and nothing really happened.

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Robin Hood plays it safe

Kundo feels as if some film bro wanted to play around with some Western genre tropes and picked up the first script that would suit his purpose.

It's a typical Robin Hood style narrative. The underdog protagonist and his tight crew give their all as they fight against the tyrannical overlord. Swords swing, arrows fly. And a female character is even allowed a few lines.

The result is a patchwork of horses, fields, and fight scenes. And by patchwork, I mean patchy. The entire thing is very roughly sewn together. Once every 20 minutes there's an awkwardly inserted Western trope, after which the film awkwardly limps until the next one.

That said, there's a couple of well choreographed fight scenes in here that helped lift the production value a little. And just to help me get past the halfway mark is Kang Don Won who plays a captivating villain, aided by the fact that he's quite hot. Thank you for your service.

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One Of The Best Korean Movie In This Year

"Murder Report" is a 2025 South Korean psychological film about a desperate journalist who receives a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be a serial killer and wants to interview him.

The film is a kind of film (one room) that such films are characterized by a stable environment and relies on dialogue and flashbacks (characters' past) to create an emotional and enjoyable environment series) is

The film gets into another mold in the second half when the events and the stories of the characters are generally connected and the director takes us into a whirlwind of emotional events and stories that completely turn the story around and offer us a wonderful plot twist

After All , Murder Report is a very good and unique film that, in my opinion, was one of the best Korean films of the year and absolutely worth seeing and trying out

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Some films win us over slowly, quietly weaving their way into our hearts and MuMu does exactly that. While many movies explore the bond between parents and children, none have portrayed a father's love for his daughter with such mastery and tenderness.

Xiao Ma (played by Lay Zhang) is a skilled man with a hearing impairment who lives with his daughter, MuMu (Li Luo An). Despite his ability to fix almost anything, he struggles to maintain a stable job that accommodates his condition. Yet, he does everything within his power to raise his daughter with love and dignity. Their modest world may be small, but it is full. The sudden reappearance of MuMu’s mother, Xiao Jing, sets off a chain of events that alters MuMu’s fate.

I couldn’t feel any sympathy for Xiao Jing. She accuses Xiao Ma of being selfish, yet never once tries to listen to MuMu, rebuild a relationship with the daughter she abandoned years ago, or understand the deep bond between father and child.

Xiao Ma is a devoted father who fights to give MuMu a life filled with joy, stability, and respect. But the film goes beyond their story. With a creative narrative and well-crafted conflicts, MuMu invites us to reflect deeply on the realities faced by people with disabilities and the families who live on the margins of society, especially in terms of communication, inclusion, and emotional connection. It shows how lack of accessibility and understanding can isolate, but also how love can break through those barriers.

Lay Zhang delivers a powerful performance as Xiao Ma, portraying a complex character who transcends his disability and commands every scene with authenticity and grace. His portrayal is natural, heartfelt, and deeply moving. Yet it’s Li Luo An who steals the show as MuMu, a bright, empathetic child, wise beyond her years. The chemistry between them is the soul of the film.

MuMu is a magical, touching, and profoundly captivating film. Genuine love flows from the heart, and true communication doesn’t always need words.

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I Am the Secret in Your Heart is a light, youthful school romance built around a classic love triangle, where emotions run high and logic often takes a back seat. The story opens with chaotic energy: a fight on the first day of school, chalk dust in the air… and then Cheng Yi walks in like the perfect “school prince.” For Xiao Xia, it’s instant love, and from that moment on, her mission to win his heart begins, bold, messy, and completely over the top.

The film embraces every cliché of teen romance: the impulsive girl, the idealized boy, and the childhood friend who watches from the sidelines, quietly judging and not always approving of her choices. Xiao Xia throws herself into her crush with zero hesitation, which gives the movie its comedic charm, though it sometimes sacrifices deeper emotional development.

This isn’t a story trying to reinvent anything. Instead, it delivers a sweet, nostalgic look at young love, the kind that starts with a single glance and feels like the entire world. Some conflicts resolve quickly and stay on the surface, but the film’s simplicity is also part of its appeal.

In the end, I Am the Secret in Your Heart is a light, easy watch. It won’t surprise you, but it will give you a warm, playful trip back to those teenage years when falling in love was chaotic, dramatic, and wonderfully naive.

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Love that tingles in nostalgia and cozy feelings

Love Untangled instantly unlocked my high school era and threw me back into that chaos of crushes, puppy love, and reckless decisions powered by zero foresight but maximum emotion. It captures that age when humiliation feels like the end of the world, yet you still dive headfirst because the butterflies are louder than your survival instincts. The vibe is youthful, messy in a cute way, and honestly just comforting.

I had a full ecosystem of butterflies flying laps in my stomach while watching this. The story stays light without being empty, and even without major complications, it still pulls out different emotions like it’s running its own little emotional variety show. It’s a simple premise executed with so much charm that you don’t even look for anything deeper. You just sit there, watch the kilig unfold, and feel your heart do that little giggle.

This is hands down a perfect ten for me. It’s warm, it’s sweet, it’s nostalgic, and it delivers exactly what it promises. If serotonin was a movie, it would look a lot like this.

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