Reviews

Some curses age well and Ring stands the test of time.

After all these years and countless rewatches, it's still such a fun movie. It can work as both an entertaining horror flick to watch with friends and the tense psychological horror to watch alone in a dark room.

From the opening scene and setting up the mystery of the killing tape, to the gradual reveal and investigation, up till the final moments - it keeps you guessing what comes next and how the story will conclude. The pacing was just perfect.

What’s more, Ring hits the good balance between building the tension through storytelling and scaring the viewers with good old jump scares. The scares are solid and not constant - you don't get tired from them. What older horror movies understood were the limitations put on the makers based on the technology they used - that’s why so many of the well known titles from the era do not really feel that dated. Knowing how much you can show, how much should be left for the viewers to assume and interpret, and what’s most important - the use of practical effects.

Surprisingly, as much as I find the movie atmospheric and entertaining, the perceived at the time message does not quite land anymore. The fear of the new media and technology is just not something a modern viewer would associate with the movie. I was honestly surprised to know that was the interpretation by many when Ring was released in 1998. The themes always seemed more general for me - the fear of the unknown and the larger consequences of it.

Overall, Ring for sure stands the test of time and I can confidently say it will most likely be this way for at least next 10 years if not more.

Read More

English and Portuguese Review

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧
Koo Kyo-hwan really outdid himself with this one. Just when you think you’re starting to understand the story, everything suddenly feels completely random. It’s the kind of short film you need to watch more than once and pay close attention to every detail to actually grasp the message. It’s a strange film, but not in a bad way. It’s genuinely fun trying to interpret his unique style.

From the title, you’d expect a simple vlog about a driver, but that’s not really the case. For me, this short film talks a lot about emotional dependency. The protagonist mentions that he hasn’t seen his girlfriend in a long time, and while that doesn’t happen, he works as a replacement driver.

The turning point comes when he gets a job with none other than his girlfriend’s sisters. The conversations are funny, but little by little the revelation hits us: their relationship was born out of an affair, since she was married and got involved with him. Things got messy, and she ended up going back to her parents’ house, which is probably why she no longer talks to him.

The sisters suggest that he should just break up with her. Every time he refuses, he ends up “dying” in the short film, as if the film itself is warning him that this is the wrong path. He then suggests eating a whole corn, saying that he will break up with her once he finishes it. He leaves, but a single corn kernel is left behind. To me, this symbolizes that his love hasn’t completely faded, even though he says otherwise. This corn moment was what confused me the most the first time I watched it, but once I finally understood its meaning, I found the way it was portrayed incredible.

In the end, he compliments the sisters’ eyes, and what I took from that was a very strong contrast. Their eyes shine with hope that he will finally end things and move on, while his eyes are completely empty. That emptiness shows how broken he is for not fully accepting the end, to the point that this small “drop” of feeling makes him dream about her again, even after so much time.

In the end, what stayed with me the most was this sense of attachment that the short film leaves behind. Even when the character says he’s going to move on, it feels like something is always left unresolved, as if nothing is truly finished.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐫
O Koo Kyo hwan se superou nessa. Quando você pensa que está começando a entender a história, tudo parece ficar completamente aleatório. É o tipo de curta que você precisa ver mais de uma vez e prestar muita atenção em cada detalhe para pescar a mensagem de fato. É um filme estranho, mas não de um jeito ruim, é divertido tentar interpretar o estilo único dele.

Pelo título, a gente espera um vlog comum de um motorista, mas não é bem assim. Para mim, o curta fala muito sobre dependência emocional. O protagonista conta que não vê uma namorada faz tempo e, enquanto isso não acontece, ele trabalha como motorista substituto.

O ponto de virada é quando ele consegue um trabalho justamente com as irmãs dessa namorada. As conversas são engraçadas, mas os poucos vêm a revelação para nós: o relacionamento dele nasceu de uma traição, já que a namorada era casada e se envolveu com ele. Teve toda uma confusão e ela acabou voltando para a casa dos pais, e é por isso que provavelmente ela não fala mais com ele.

As irmãs sugerem que ele termine logo com ela. Toda vez que ele nega, ele acaba "morrendo" no curta, como se o filme estivesse avisando que aquele é o caminho errado. Ele sugere comer um milho inteiro dizendo que vai terminar, quando o finalizasse. Ele vai embora, mas deixa um único grão de milho para trás. Para mim, isso simboliza que o amor dele ainda não apagou totalmente, por mais que ele diga o contrário. Essa parte do milho foi oque mais me deixou confuso na primeira vez que assisti, mas quando finalmente entendi o significado eu achei incrível como retrataram.

No final, ele elogia os olhos das irmãs, e o que eu interpretei aqui foi um contraste muito forte. Os olhos delas brilham com a esperança de que ele finalmente termine e siga em frente, mas os olhos dele estão completamente vazios. Esse vazio mostra o quanto ele está destruído por não aceitar totalmente o fim, tanto que esse "pingo" de sentimento faz com que ele sonhe com ela de novo mesmo depois de tanto tempo.

No fim das contas, o que mais ficou pra mim foi essa sensação de apego que o curta passa. Mesmo quando o personagem diz que vai seguir em frente, parece que sempre sobra alguma coisa ali, como se nada estivesse realmente resolvido.

Read More

Life was Hard

2025 had some fun movies in Korean cinema, but no movie came even close to "No Other Choice"—not until I saw this movie. The Ugly is a simple but impactful drama that looks back on the hardships of a man and a woman, discovered by their son through a series of interviews. The premise may not seem that interesting at first, but it is made in a Korean style that I really like, contrasting the good and the bad in people and offering a deeply human experience without a mainstream happy ending. We often don’t understand the way of life of our grandparents, or even our parents, so this movie gives us a mirror to reflect not only on the story presented, but also on our society in general, and invites us to have more respect for our ancestors (and the cross they carried).

The movie has a mystery to uncover, but for me it didn’t offer any real surprises in the development of the story. Where the movie truly shines is in the actors’ performances. They did a great job portraying believable and deeply touching emotions.

The movie also invites us to reflect on what is ugly and what is beautiful. As it is written in the Bible, God does not look at outward appearance but at what is in the heart. So what seems ugly to the world may in fact be beautiful, and what appears beautiful may actually be stained with ugliness.

Read More

Impressive Production, Fantastic Music, Watched It Twice

We were very impressed with this movie adaptation of the long running manga: a dynamic paced film with fantastic music score, impressive settings and costume, actors who have made considerable effort and trained hard to portray professional grade dancers. Also impressive is the delivery of the few lines of English conversation by the leads. This is a production with the typical high quality Netflix stamp, with minimum waste and maximum enjoyment. For those who have not read the manga, one of the more intense conversations may be slightly difficult to interpret. It's best to keep in mind that both characters are trying to "best" each other, to motivate the other to be true to their ambitions and be their authentic selves. Will there be a sequel? We certainly think so!

Read More

Watch enough Thai titles and you'll run into (and hopefully embrace) their fantastic fluidity of tone, working by their own rules and inclinations and, for the most part, free from the constraints and limitations of narrow western marketing boxes. This film takes that flexibility even further - genres, western and Thai, become a riotous palette of textures, colours and emotions to play with. Whatever the story needs in each moment, that's what we're given, whether it's a piss-take of revisionist Westerns, an embrace of them, or the melodramatic love story they're wrapped around and woven through.

The art direction shows the intentionality of the filmmaking, with its shifts between organic and artificial. The colours are over the top and glorious, the violence is over the top and fake, sometimes comedically so. The music though, that keeps grounding it back in reality.

And there are so many details to notice along the way. For all that the result feels exuberant, chaotic and free, clearly a lot of care went into it. This is fascinating work.

Read More

English and Portuguese Review

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
This short film has very interpretative scenes, and even though the breakup is the central theme, director Koo Kyo-hwan delivers everything in a very symbolic way. The story focuses on a girl who wants to end her relationship but doesn’t know how to do it without hurting her partner. Everything I comment on here is just my own interpretation, so different people might feel or read things differently.

Right from the start, the car scene already shows how tired the couple is. When the guy accepts the gum the other passenger was chewing just so he can stay awake, it feels like an indirect kiss, something intimate. Her reaction, almost crying, really reinforces that. Right after that, fireworks appear and she smiles, as if that were the perfect moment to finally put an end to it and look for her own freedom.

Another thing I thought was brilliant is the river metaphor. She says she has already crossed a river with no way back, and he, insisting, says he’s a good swimmer and can return. But in the background there’s a warning sign about accidents that he completely ignores and still “jumps into the water,” trying to force her to change her mind. He cries, insists, tries to be cute, and even brings up a past situation, saying she did the same thing to his friend. I found that very manipulative, especially because in several moments he twists what she says when talking to others, since she doesn’t speak Korean. There’s also a really nice visual detail where, in one scene, she can see him through the glass, but he can’t see her.

At the end, she invites him to eat at her place, and then she regurgitates the kebab they ate on their first date. To me, that kebab represents the memories and feelings that were still stuck inside her. It’s a new beginning where there’s nothing left of him in her, and he realizes that the breakup was already inevitable.

The final line about being a “superhero and a supervillain of love” is amazing. In love, things aren’t just black and white. She became the villain in his story in order to be the heroine of her own life. I really loved how much depth this short film delivers in such a short amount of time.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

𝐍𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢 𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫
Esse curta tem cenas muito interpretativas e, por mais que o término seja o tema central, o diretor Koo Kyo-hwan entrega tudo de um jeito bem simbólico. A história foca em uma garota que quer terminar, mas não sabe como fazer isso sem magoar o parceiro. O que eu vou comentar aqui são só as minhas interpretações, então pode ser que cada um sinta algo diferente.

Logo de cara, a cena do carro já mostra o cansaço do casal. Quando o rapaz aceita o chiclete que a outra passageira estava mascando só pra conseguir ficar acordado, foi praticamente um beijo indireto, algo íntimo. A reação dela, quase chorando, reforça isso. Logo depois, surgem os fogos de artifício e ela sorri, como se aquele fosse o momento perfeito pra finalmente colocar um ponto final e buscar a própria liberdade.

Outra coisa que achei genial foi a metáfora do rio. Ela diz que já atravessou um rio sem volta, e ele, insistindo, diz que é um bom nadador e consegue voltar. Só que no fundo tem uma placa de perigo avisando sobre acidentes que ele ignora totalmente e “entra na água” mesmo assim, tentando forçar uma mudança de decisão. Ele chora, insiste, tenta ser fofo e até menciona uma situação passada dizendo que ela fez o mesmo com o amigo dele... achei uma postura bem manipuladora, principalmente porque em vários momentos ele distorce o que ela diz para os outros, já que ela não fala coreano. Tem um detalhe visual muito bom também que em uma cena ela consegue ver ele através do vidro, mas ele não consegue ver ela.

No final, ela convida ele pra comer em sua casa, e então regurgita o kebab que comeram no primeiro encontro. Pra mim, esse kebab representa as memórias e os sentimentos que ainda estavam presos dentro dela. É um novo começo onde não sobrou nada dele nela e ele nota que com isso o término já estava previsto.

A frase final sobre ser "super-herói e super-vilão do amor" é sensacional. No amor as coisas não são pretas no brancas. Ela foi a vilã da história dele pra conseguir ser a heroína da própria vida. Gostei demais dessa profundidade em tão pouco tempo de filme.

Read More

Potential that just deflated into very little.

I'll start and bizzarely say I recommend it, but not for the right reasons. It's a good piece of media to watch to get the idea of what potential there is and look on it as a think piece of how to improve it. If that's not something you want then you won't miss much avoiding this to be honest. If you like arty short films, maybe try it, but it's a shell of what could have been a great short film.

This is a film where you kind of wish there were more competent people at the wheel, because there was some really good ideas in there that just did not work in execution. It's an interesting watch, that's for sure, but that's all I can say.

Saitoh gave a good performance (he usually does with any give role though) but it just lacked a spark. It needed a bit more to it and he just didn't quite deliver. I'd chalk it up to the director seeing that he does spectacularly elsewhere however.

The way it was all shot was very nice, it kept that gloomy atmosphere and did sell you on how apocalyptic the whole thing was, but beyond that, it doesn't really do any more to a film that had wonky execution to begin with.

There were good concepts all over that didn't quite hit the mark. It needed more to all of them, they mostly just all fizzled out except for a few nice ideas that kept up. It give the energy of someone wrote it in a single afternoon and then said to hell with it let's make a short film. Don't do that. Do more work on it please.

The message of the film was nice in the end though, so I suppose I was left satisfied with that? Everything else, not so much. Watch if you feel like it, but otherwise easy miss.

Read More

Watch it, please for the love of god.

Whatever you're doing, scrolling through movies or dramas, just watch this. It's one of the best films I've ever watched in my life. Don't go in knowing anything, just go blind as a bat, I promise you will have so much more impact. Just be warned, there is explicit nudity and sex, so be careful. Even though it's slow, let it ease in, it's worth it 100%.

I think my review could be pages upon pages long if I wanted it, so for the sake of this, I'll simply mention the highlights. The acting was perfect. I've seen some of them in other roles before, but this was just an extremely stunning performance by them all. I felt their emotions deeply within me. It was raw, and I did cry by the end of it. Perfect casting too, they were just all so suited for their characters, it'd be an insult to cast anyone else.

I have to praise the cinematography and sets, there is so much to eat up all throughout the movie. Small details you notice going through, little hints here and there. It always fit the mood, always enhanced the scenes, and it really sold me on every bit being worth its shot in there. You can rewatch it many times and find new things over and over once you know the whole deal, and that's something I will always really praise in a movie.

The only thing I can complain about is the run time. I think it could have done with being about 10 minutes shorter, but neither do I want much of it cut out, so it's not something to be fixed.

This movie played me like a fiddle, and I couldn't be both happier and extremely sadder. It's a depressing movie, but it's made me reflect a lot after the fact, and I appreciate it so much for what it did. An absolute must-watch, I implore you find a copy for yourself if you can help it.

Read More

GOOD NEWS is surprisingly Good! IT'S HILARIOUS, indeed!! :)

DON'T MISS THIS!
Black comedy, done all Right n Very Well.

**
I'm unaware of the Original Real life Japanese Plane Hijack Incident and the events, from which this movie is inspired.
(But not necessary to know that, to understand this story).

We cannot call a Hijack / Crime movie as "Fun to watch" but I can say that about this movie -- This is FUN TO WATCH!! :)

Usually, Hijack themes are full of Nail-Biting Suspense about hostages etc but this is the funniest light-hearted hijack movie that I came across in recent times.
I have seen few such before but they are a mix of comedy and suspense
but this is full length comedy, to be precise, Black comedy which is written n executed so well that I couldn't stop laughing even in a serious scene, haha.

The sarcasm or the black comedy is no where, derogatory or offensive, even though in a serious situation.

**
Story Narration n Execution, done Right n Well.

Direction is Superb -- Creative n Impressive!
Many scenes are shot in a funny n creative way, especially few characters' imagination sequences -- haha, funny n silly :)

Cinematography is Cool.
Pacing is Good.

Sarcastic tone of the dialogues, is funny.
(Probably, All dialogues, characters and events, except the main hijacking theme, are fictional)

**
Every Actor acted Very Well.
Every Character is written Well n is Very Funny.
Every Character and Actor, either Cameo or Main Cast -- Everyone is Very Funny.

Aigoo, the hijackers are such babies!!
They hijacked a plane without any research, any knowledge and any preparation at all, haha.

**
Overall, No moment of boredom. There's nothing I can point out in this movie, as bad 👍🏻
(Except that, there's is a mild confusion at times -- In few scenes, I'm not able to understand whether they are speaking about Japanese officials or South Korean or North Korean.
Anyways, This confusion can be overlooked n one can enjoy the movie :) )

**
Some Sarcastic quotes / Funny dialogues from the movie:

1) Moon is a moon, afterall!
(Actually, this is sad n sarcastic in the scene).

2) Good News, Bad news, what do u want first?.. Is the Good news, really a good news?!
(Funny scene)

3) Is this Pyongyang - Yes or No?
(Hilarious scene)

**
My Rating is 9/10.
(Could be more, if not for the mild confusion at times).

I'm going to REWATCH this :)
**

Read More

Love 1+1

It can happen that when you fall in love with someone and start dating, that person reveals a different personality you never expected. This movie takes that premise to the extreme: when a guy named Gil-gu meets a girl he likes, he has to deal with a daytime Seon-ji, who is kind and humble, and a nighttime Seon-ji, who is literally a demon—aggressive and unpredictable. As the movie progresses, this modern take on a romantic story starts to feel more and more like a classic fairy-tale love story.

This is actually a minimalistic movie, with basically just two roles taking up about 90% of the screen time. The rest of the characters appear only in small supporting roles, mostly for comedic moments. And I must say, the movie starts strong as a comedy. I laughed out loud a few times at the beginning. Too bad they stopped investing in comedy later in the movie (how could they miss such a golden opportunity at the finale?) and focused almost entirely on the romance.

This is a very good movie for a romantic comedy and features some great scenery. It has a few loopholes, but it will be enjoyable for most viewers.

Read More

A good movie if you're interested in the topics it explores

I see some critisicm about this movie, particularly regarding how the actual rapist got off without any punishment or they were focus on, Wang Ke-Chien, who set it up. However, I think this is a good aspect to the movie.

What I mean by that is, it's horribly realistic which is what I think is good (and it's heartbreaking and infuriating). Obviously, I'd love for the perp to be punished, but drunk rape cases are incredibly difficult to prosecute. In addition, I believe it is realistic for Wang Ke-Chien to have her life ruined while the man gets out free. They both arguably did horrible things, but because of society and misogyny, she'll get blamed for all of it and her life will be ruined, while the systems protect men, even when men commit horrible acts. It reminds me of Law and Order SVU season 2 episode 10, where even in the court room, the girls who orchestrated a rape by drugging the victim were punished while the rapists walked free.

With that being said, my main problems with the movie is the shallowness of the characters and their relationships. I think the movie needed more time to properly flesh out the characters and develop relationships.

My biggest problem though is Wu Yun-Heng. I would have liked to either see her face the consequences of her past actions (by losing Ren Li-Chia as a friend) or see her show genuine remorse and apologize for the bullying she partook in at her old school. Because how is she any different from Wang Ke-Chien, and why does she deserve friendship with Ren Li-Chia in the end after what she's done? Maybe the movie is telling us that people who do bad things, really don't face consequenses. Also, why in the world would Wang Ke-Chien want her boyfriend to take advantage of another girl? That is bizarre to me.

Either way, I believe this is a quick and good movie to watch if you're interested in any of the topics it explores.

Read More

Monsters exist, but so do mirrors and sometimes we are staring into one without realising it!

Sometimes you think you understand a situation just because you have heard or seen enough about it. Monster is about that moment when you realise you actually didn't and how uncomfortable that realisation can be. For 2 hours, it somehow quietly rearranges your assumptions and makes you aware as a viewer or the character themselves how quickly people choose a side and how rarely anyone stops to ask what might be missing.

It is like a conversation where everyone was speaking honestly when isolated and just not to each other. The movie isn’t interested in shock or spectacle and is more invested in interpretations. There is no rush to provide clarity.

By the time it settles, you realise the “monster” was never simply just an ugly human, but also a gap between reality and perception. Do not get me wrong, this isn't a defence of some animals that humans are, nor a denial of damage. But rather a forgotten reminder that perspective is not a passive lens but an active force in this world. Meaning changes depending on where you stand. Power, history, and vulnerability bend interpretation. An action experienced as violence by one may be survival to another. An act of self-protection may look like hostility from the outside. Again, this does not excuse harm, but it explains how meaning fractures across distance.

The direction is very good. I usually don't look at the crew list, but I did here. The performances, especially by the two young boys, were exceptional and from others across the board too. I have no complaints about visuals. The lighting, intentional silences... everything just worked in harmony.

My only complaint is that it had too many loose ends. And I am just not talking about a specific event. No doubt it created curiosity, which is usually a strength. I kept thinking about it after it ended...replaying scenes, trying to read between the lines. But some questions didn’t feel like they were meant to make you think. They felt dropped, like the story moved on before they had a chance to land. Maybe it's my obsession for closure speaking here but yes...

Overall, I would definitely recommend this. This is not what I was expecting and I am surprised, but in a good, thought-provoking but also in an unsettling way.

Read More