Reviews

DONT waste 2hrs of your life on this

This movie is very boring, slow and doesn’t make sense.the plot was starting to form in the first 20 mins and got abandoned right after.the audience never got their answers about certain things the characters had mentioned which is very frustrating.

The whole movie just consist with:
-sex
-violence
-sexual abuse/harassment/violence
-screaming
-unanswered questions
-spiting
-way 2 long scenes

Some scenes didn’t have to be almost 10 minutes long..for example some talking scenes. due the scenes being so damn long i just started to lose my focus and couldn’t concentrate at all.
The sex scenes were sometimes out of place which made me confused and wondering “is it really necessary?”
I understand this is a pink film but some pink films still put there sex scenes at times THAT MAKES SENSE.

The characters introduction was very weird and how some characters just appeared randomly and how gold boy just disappeared after 2 NC scenes and 1 talking scene.
Gun’s character (James) was something really awkward to look at bc Gun acting looked a bit awkward while playing this character and the spiting was so unnecessary which made it just funny each time Gun spat.

The acting overall was the best part due the actors doing justice for their characters and doing a good job at expressing.
The soundtrack with the weird drums was NAWT it but the punk one was a good one.

Overall dont waste your time for this unless you really wanna see gun or you’re into BDSM stuff.

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Great storyline with amazing acting

The film was immediately captivating right from the start. The storyline is brilliant, anchored by truly phenomenal acting.
​What makes it even more terrifying is the fact that the case is based on actual true events (the Hwaseong serial murders). The movie brilliantly captured the atmosphere of the 1980s, particularly highlighting the enormous difficulties the police faced compared to modern-day investigations with advanced technology.
​On the darker side, it also serves as a stark commentary on the era, where the authorities felt entitled to use brutal methods—even beating suspects—to force a confession.
​The final scene is masterful and gave me genuine chills. I immediately had to look up what eventually happened with the real killer—a testament to how deeply the film hooks you into the investigation's failure and enduring mystery.

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Fun story that doesn't reinvent the wheel but has a great kick to it

I also had a chance to watch this in theaters in Korea (like the other reviewer up now). Contrary to that reviewer, I did see what was coming pretty steadily. Some of the details of how were less clear, but the core emotional issue that is brought up later in the film was pretty clear to me within about 15-20 minutes.

THAT SAID, a great film doesn't have to be shocking or surprising constantly, and that's how I felt about this. The acting and cinematography were solid, and even with my very lacking Korean skills and no subtitles, I found it funny and the characters highly relatable, if a bit cartoonish (that seemed to be the point, though, so it's not a knock).

It made me want to watch other things by this writer/director, and turns out I've seen Homme Fatale, too, which I also really enjoyed!

Mildly spoilery take below:





((And, honestly, I think you can guess that "core emotional issue" just based on reading the synopsis and looking at the casting, particularly the ages.))

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Political satire - that's how it's done!

This was a well-written and well-acted movie. It's been a long time since I've watched a K-drama with the comedy tag that was actually laugh out loud funny. The storyline is very confusing, but that's to be expected with the multiple countries represented. I also like how they actually kept the factual details.

The only reason I couldn't rate it higher was because of the language. The cursing was jarring and constant. If I was able to understand Korean better, if I'd watched it without subtitles, that would have been better. I would still know that the cursing was going on, but, since they talk so fast, it wouldn't have been an issue. Seeing it typed on the screen just took me out of the enjoyment of the movie. Seriously, has anyone ever watched something and said, "I wish there was MORE cursing." It's just unnecessary.

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There are too many politicians in this country, not enough public servants.

After the heroic stories with themes of war from Heneral Luna and Goyo, this film depicts the game of politics of an era which is not too far from the current state of the government of the Philippines.

As someone who had learned the history which depicts most of these historical figures as heroes who fight independence, I have learn that this film, although mixed with fiction, showed people are people; politicians are politicians. Tarrog again showed how these figures could be petty, have inflated egos and would do dirty tricks for the sake of their glory. He never fails to stir my nationalism which makes me extra dubious of the intentions especially of politicians who would speak flowery words especially on elections, who would give false promises to the people would like to hear and when elected, would appease the people but would refuse to speak the truth. It is less entertaining than Heneral Luna to be honest but it has a place in my nationalist heart. I am looking forward to a Magsaysay film, as teased before the credits.

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What's next?

Ok so before I write this, I have to say I watched this movie without subtitles and used my decent knowledge of Japanese to understand the film. There were tons of medical terminology thrown in that went over my head however.

That being said, this was a beautiful movie. It was absolutely heartfelt and made me feel so good after. The premise of the movie is really unique. Nobumasa's daughter Yoshimi has a heart problem that modern medicine cannot fix, so he takes years to learn how to create an artificial heart. In the process, the wish to save his daughter becomes so much more.

Nobumasa's character is so endearing. He fights so hard to get his research and designs throughout the movie recognized. I felt such strong conviction from him. I love how his entire family supported him and Yoshimi thought-out the movie. I would of loved to see more interaction between the family, but they sort of did that at the end. It was good way to make you feel even more strongly about their ties. The movie didn't show too much family interaction next to brief scenes at the dinner table. But there interactions were nuanced and spoke volumes about how they've been supporting each other in the background.

It makes sense, seeing as how it was Nobumasa's story of triumph. The acting was really solid. There were times were Yoko The mother, seemed to be reading her lines. But I'm not sure if that was just how her character was. I really loved Nami's approach to her family with always supporting Yoshimi. It was so so heartwarming. I loved when she has to get her family back on track to do the right thing.

There were a few times were I teared up, so this movie does pull at the heartstrings when it needs to. It's not overly dramatic however. I would say it was a really good balance between triumph and sadness. There is little to no comedy.

The camera shots were really well done. There was a few particular scenes I was excited about. Nobumasa is always shown running against a wave of people up the stairs of the train station. I think it was a perfect visual of his struggle in the movie. There was another scene were the lighting transitioned from the depths of sadness to a ray of hope and it was so well executed. There were some really great transitional shots, I loved all of it. There were some fuzzy issues with like blurring lens focus but very minimal. You don't really notice it unless you are scrutinizing it like me lol. Wow usually makes an excellent product cinematic wise.

Music was well done and suitable. There's a great scene were the mom is with her daughter's and a possible piece is playing that really set a fantastic hopeful mood.

Overall it's a fantastic film to make you feel good. I initially watched it for Arimura Kasumi's random appearance and her single long dialogue scene was fantastic with what little time she had. She's barely in the movie at all, so I was happy that one of her only scenes was fairly moving.

Great film, totally recommend

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The most influential movie of all time

I got my hands on the 70th anniversary Blu-Ray, (I would’ve gotten the 4K Blu-ray, but sadly I don’t have a 4K player yet) and I have to say, this was an incredible experience rewatching my favourite movie of all time.

The story is incredibly straightforward but yet gripping and compelling, The first part of the film puts into question about how easy it would be to actually get Samurai to defend a poor peasants village.

The characters are incredible in the film, it’s impossible for me to decide who my favourite character in this film is, wether that be Kambei, Kekuchiyo, or Kyuzo. All Seven of the Samurai are incredibly essential to the film and would make movie a lot less if one of them were to be removed. One of my favourite details I noticed when rewatching this film is that the Non-Samurai characters have very exaggerated expressions, (Kurosawa likes to do this in his films for the audience to easily understand how a character feels) But the Samurai contrast this by being very stoic and barley showing any emotion all the time. Whereas Kekuchiyo, who is a poser of a Samurai still has these expressions, as he is not a true samurai, and doesn’t understand what it means to be one.

The romantic subplot in this movie is also very gripping, Kurosawa managed to put in a great and compelling romantic subplot into this movie.

The pacing is incredible in this film, despite it being over 200 minutes long, not a single second of this film feels wasted, and the film feels like it’s 100 minutes instead of 200. The film has a ton of build up, the first hour of the film is just to set up and gather the Seven Samurai, then the second hour is the Samurai getting used to the village, where it then finally gets to the battle, despite how long it takes, it never felt like there was any time wasted or that it was boring. The action scenes are also incredibly gripping and put you on the edge of your seat, and are used very well, with the best scenes being put at the very end.

If you are into movies, hell, even if you barley care for movies, PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE BEFORE YOU DIE. It may seem overwhelming, because it’s over 200 minutes long, in a language you probably don’t speak, and in black and white, but it is 100% worth it, it’s influence is in almost every action/adventure movie or anime today.

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early gem of a film

The simplicity of this film is its strength, at least for me. I was right there with the main characters' emotions throughout, worried for them, hoping with them. Did help that I hadn't seen any synopses beforehand. Letterboxd's is particularly bad.

It's a bit coming of age, a bit melodrama, a bit slice of life - religion, gossip, music, a school bully. Always aware of the prejudices someone with disabilities faces and how they impose additional, unnecessary obstacles. And of course it's a love story.

Some of the background music was a bit over done for me, but either that settled down or I got used to it along the way. Likewise the dubbed voices, especially for the children. But those were minor concerns. Santi's flute, the piphat ensemble, Buddhist chanting, effective use of silence too at key moments, all those mattered more.

And of course, Vina and Santi.

A restored version is available with subtitles on Film Archive Thailand's YT channel.

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Watched but sometimes for wrong reasons

Keep in mind this was released in 2016. The beginning and middle held my interest, but the last third I watched more to see if the apparent flaws were going uncorrected until the very end. They were.

The writer had an idea of the growth arc for their main character and like an alligator they locked onto to it right into a death roll. Hideo, the main character, is weak willed lacking in the follow through action part of living. And he does go through some tremendous development at the very end. The problem is that it's delayed through the middle of the story into situations that are simply unbelievable.

The bigger problem is that death roll for the main character was pursued at the expense of the development of certain other characters, in particular the half zombie school girl. It's unbelievable that she's used merely as a McGuffin through until the very last second! She should have had an active role in the final resolution.

Yes, the writer wanted us to understand how important the transformation of Hideo is but this is not news that the main theme can be developed along with other characters and themes.

The nurse carried her load in the story well enough, but the total neglect of the story and character potential of the half zombie girl in the last half was criminal and seriously damaged the finished movie.

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