Reviews

Concerted alliances: common practice of the time recreated in the film

After Sundown is a 2023 Thai film by prolific director, screenwriter, producer and actor Aod Bhandit Thongdee, which aptly combines the genres of horror, supernatural mystery and romance in a creative narrative and a certain historical period. In this way, Thongdee weaves multiple threads with admirable balance and skill.
The film delicately captures the vintage elegance and glamor of the 60s of the last century. The decoration, the costumes, the hairstyle, the scenery enhance the work in that sense. The script is based on the novel "Dap Saeng Rawi".
Rawee (NuNew Chawarin Perdpiriyawong) is a 21-year-old young man who lives a humble, folksy lifestyle. Raised in Aytthaya by his grandfather, the monk Chantakorn (War Jirawat Vachirasarunpatra), he accepts the invitation of Parit (Nu Surasak Chaiat), a generous patriarch of a wealthy family, to live in the city. Chantakorn sees in the invitation the possibility of a better life for his grandson, as well as the opportunity for him to continue his studies, and encourages him.
In his new home, Rawee will soon experience terrifying visions and strange nightmares. Every night he is tormented by the presence of supernatural beings. It will soon become clear that Rawee is the only victim of whatever is lurking and lurking in the house. The question arises from the first bars of the plot: why does he suffer these spooky hallucinations?
In addition to Parit, his son Patchara (Tao Adisorn Athagrisna) and his daughter-in-law Pimpila (Meenay Jutai) live in the rich mansion. The couple has a 25-year-old son, Phloeng (Zee Pruk Panich). This is an entrepreneur dedicated to the family business. Phloeng's parents believe their son is cursed.
According to a prophecy, Phloeng will suffer serious misfortunes during that year. Unless an auspicious event occurs, he is destined to spend the rest of his life alone. Your salvation lies in finding your soul mate as soon as possible. This must meet certain requirements: It is not necessary to get married. It is enough to unite their destinies. His age must be an odd number and not older than 25 years, he must have been born outside Phra Nakhon and it is not mandatory to go looking for him, as the indicated person will come to meet Phloeng.
Rawee meets all the criteria and turns out to be the ideal candidate to be Phloeng's soulmate. The proposal is made by Parit himself after knowing the prediction. But it conveys a doubt: don't Phloeng's parents care that they are men? They both agree that if Rawee can save Praphloeng from misfortune they have no objection.
The meeting of the young people could not be more unfortunate. As Rawee cycles through the city, he collides with the arrogant Phloeng, who is returning home from abroad by car, after being called to return home and seal his fate by joining his soulmate. Class and cultural differences will hinder the relationship of the two. Phloeng does not miss the opportunity to belittle Rawee and accuse him of seeking to get his hands on his grandfather's fortune. Rawee is not daunted. In the face of threats and accusations, he responds with pride, haughtiness and a good dose of mischief, leaving Phloeng without resources to respond. The grumpy servant Pudsorn (Namping Napatsakorn Pingmuang) takes it upon himself to annoy and make life miserable for Rawee.
Phloeng, a modern young man for his time, is not superstitious and is skeptical of his relatives' proposal. Refusing to be a stranger's soulmate, he finally accepts the agreement to calm the fears of those close to him. For her part, Parit asks Rawee for understanding after explaining the misfortune that would befall the family if he did not agree. It is then the young man's time to return the favor to his benefactor. A very common practice at the time, especially in rural areas and provincial cities, was to establish alliances agreed upon by the members of two families, beyond social origins, ages of the couple and other aspects.
The film shows a practice that is still common today in various regions of the world, including Southeast Asia, such as consensual marriage, in which the couple has allowed outsiders to bring them together.
Under these conditions of a consensual marriage to ward off misfortune and in the midst of growing tensions between the two young people, on the one hand, and the terrifying visions that Rawee suffers, on the other, Phloeng becomes engaged to Rawee. But he sets a condition: if after six months the relationship between the two does not deepen, he will cancel the arrangement. They both reluctantly accept the compromise.
To comply with the rules and avoid misfortune, they must remain under the same roof after sunset. The discomfort they feel being close to each other is evident. However, Rawee will soon discover that his nightmares disappear whenever he is around Phloeng. The approach and subsequent romantic commitment of young people is inevitable. We will soon discover that they are both united by deeper ties than an arranged alliance could ever weave.
Let's add as positive features a fascinating narrative, the combination of genres, the historical period as a unique added detail, the impressive images, the majestic landscapes, especially the lake, and the elegant atmosphere.
The film offers conclusive answers about the origins of the ghost that haunts Rawee. Music contributes to the development of the plot and fulfills its function as a vehicle to tell the story.
Positive: The movie seems unpredictable. The viewer is not able to foresee what will happen next. The level of intrigue, suspense and surprising twists for almost two hours. Solid performances, especially from the leads. Passionate and healthy chemistry between the two main actors. Tender gay love scenes.
Negative: Little exploration of the historical and cultural context of the 60s of the last century. Weak character development. Poor construction of the supernatural. Inefficient characterization of the characters, hence the viewer's poor understanding of their personalities and life stories.
The characters, both from the script and the staging and from the performances of the protagonists, are built with so much love and delicacy that the film is irresistible even in its most obvious moments. It may not do anything revolutionary with the gay initiation genre, but it is emotional and honest.
If you are looking to be entertained with a supernatural movie with suspenseful plots and surprising twists, After Sundown is a good option.

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entertaining historical romance with thriller elements

Overall: I thought it was a good blend of a historical setting, romance and scary parts, though it definitely could have used a little bit more runtime (1hr 40 minutes before the credits) to flesh the story and characters out more. If you aren't a thriller/horror person, it's not that bad, just watch it at a faster speed and turn down the sound. Originally aired in theaters in Thailand. Aired on Netflix Thailand (need a Netflix subscription and a vpn to Thailand).

Content Warnings: past death, attempted murder, violence, blood, jump scares, manhandling

What I Liked
- historical setting, I was so immersed I didn't realize it was a historical setting for awhile (thought he just liked vintage cars lol)
- integrating thriller/horror with romance
- sweet moments
- good kissing/both into it

Room For Improvement
- needed more runtime to better show/explain things like instead of the monk saying a character lost something we could have had a short scene of him looking for it/that other guy getting rid of it, why was he not in the hospital towards the end did he imagine that part? who exactly was that one dude at the beginning, was the before aged 25 made up by him, why? instead of a 'getting to know you' montage we could have had more scenes actually shown, they didn't have time to really develop those two male side characters
- choppy parts, were inside during the day then she says to get food then suddenly they are together and it's nighttime
- a few 'because the writer said so' like a character taking something off before he sleeps even though he knows he shouldn't

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A film within a film that like a spider web tangle with reality

I didn't expect to see such a comedy from master of thrillers. I didn't read what genre it is and what it is about, apart from the fact that the time and place of the story is the Korean film industry in the 70s.

I wouldn't call myself a professional of Korean cinema in the 70s, but from what I know, apart from the censorship and the governmental pressure on the studios, films didn't really look like Kim Jee-woon showed it. And he personally agreed with it, stating that he had drawn inspirations from the films of the Korean golden age: Kim Ki-young's "Housemaid" (1960) or Lee Man-hee's "The Devil's Stairway" (1964), as well as from classic Hollywood films like Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960). The similiaities are very much visible, and there's nothing bad in it. Apart from the fact that all of those films are from the 60s. Moreover, he made the film in the film black and white, which was not common anymore in the 70s. But it was all for the sake of distinction of two stories, so I'll let it go.

Main character: director Kim Yeol (played by amazing Song Kang-ho) has just finished his new (first?) film called "Cobweb". However, right after the wrap he changes the script for something more radical and groundbreaking, something that - as he stated - had never been made in Korean cinema before. Not receiving the permission of the censors (which was very common in those times), and not really having much time for reshooting (as studios had to film a lot of films per year in order to receive licenses and permission for the future shootings, there was not enough staff and equipment etc.) he decided to do it all in secret in just two days. His decision led to chaotic events on the set, random people appearing, drinking, shouting, somewhere in the background some romance was born and died. But his maniacal determination for finishing his masterpiece led him to achieve what he eventually wanted. To change the rumours (which were not really just rumours, as we discovered at the end) about his creativness and being just an unexperienced assistant director of late director Shin Sang-ho (at first I thought I misheard it and thought they talked about Shin Sang-ok and was very much confused). In the end all ends well. The masterpiece which was "Cobweb" was shown in the cinema.

And the story of Kim Jee-woon's "Cobweb" is just like the Kim Yeol's "Cobweb", as he had been sued just before the cinema premiere. What had happened and why? Family of the director Kim Ki-young sued Kim Jee-woon stating that the main character was based on the late director. Song Kang-ho smoked pipe and wore thick-framed glasses just like Kim Ki-young used to. However, Kim Yeol was presented negativelly, as someone who stole someone else's work and had no real practice as a director - comparing him to Kim Ki-young, they were two totally different people. In the end, they found the agreement, but I am not surprised with the lawsuit.

Film's "Cobweb" was a melodrama about five characters whose fates crosses and tangled with each other just like spider's web. No matter how much they wanted to have a revenge and flee from the hopeless reality in which they stuck, they couldn't, eventually getting caught by the spider. The monster, who at first seem to be just a small prop in the film and eventually becoming the main character. Someone stated that spider and its web is like a revenge and hatred that people can't run away from and which destroy them from the inside. But then, would this film be so radical and groundbreaking as Kim Yeol wanted? Maybe the spider and its web was a metaphore for the harsh regime of Park Chung-hee in the 60s and 70s? Maybe it was a metaphore of wanting to be free as an artist and filmmaker, but being limited by the censorship and hopeless reality? In my opinion, it would make sense, given the fact that it's the 70s and filmmakers were doing films either commercially and politically correct, or were using incoherent metaphore to criticize the reality which they couldn't yet change or escape from. Or maybe it was just inspired from Kim Ki-young's horror films from the 70s (which I hadn't seen) and had no deeper meaning? I need to ask Kim Jee-woon, once I meet him one day.

Overall, I had a lot of fun watching this film and despite many things that didn't feel right for me (like the black and white parts of the film which were more from the 60s than 70s) I sincerely liked it. I really wish that Korean filmmakers would make more films like that than action-thrillers with the same plot, over and over again. Unfortunately, "Cobweb" did really poorly in the box office, so I doubt it :(

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A hostess film that starts promising and ends in disappointment

I found it interesting that I've seen "A girl who looks like the sun" (1975) by Lee Man-hee before seeing this one, and there's the same actress, dressed up in similar clothes, wearing the exact same necklace with heart and peace sign and it all happened in the same neighbourhood with low-rise flats. Yet the story is somehow different.

"Where is Miss Yang?" by Park Nam-su started as a teenage drama with two main characters: Miss Yang whose real name is Nan-hyang, and Jin-ho. Their roads crossed when both of them are caught by the police and became jail buddies . She was a girl who run away from home, he - a boy who took a break from studies in order to think about his future? His life? It was not rellly mentioned. Nevertheless, it was an interesting view on the teenages lives. People who are about to start an adult life, but are not yet ready to do so. They rebel towards the society that treats them like adults and towards parents who treats them like children. Both which they're not. It was such a fresh presentation of young adults who struggle with managing their daily life, but at the same time try to have fun and use their life as good as they can.

Unfortunately somewhere in the middle it all changed into a typical hostess film: a genre (?) from the 70s, where young woman, not having another option, in order to survive, decides to become a hostess girl (prostitute). Here, on one hand it also symbolized a continuation of rebelion towards her parents, because she wasn't from a poor family and didn't have to do it because of money. On the other, it fit into the common narration of hostess films where young woman is presented as a liberated woman who "doesn't have to, but want to do it". It all would fit greatly to contemporary narration about sex working and feminism, which I prefer not to get into. Here Nan-hyang is presented as a liberated woman, but because of her decision she received her bad ending at the end - which is common for classical hostess films, where division into good and bad is very clear. Moreover, it all ended just like it started: with her running on the street full of speeded cars. Maybe Park Nam-su wanted to show that life of rebeled teenagers is pointelss and would not lead enywhere, maybe he just wanted to make a hostess film, but decided to spice it up more with drama about rich teenagers? I don't know.

For me it looked like two different films. One is where Nan-hyang was a rebelled teenager, wandering and laughing around the city with Jin-ho, and the second one is where she out of blue decided to become a hostess and destroy her relationship with the man. It's also interesting because Jin-ho also changed a lot in the second part of the film: cutting his hair, offending "hippies" for being lazy etc. It really looks like their characters changed 180 degrees. I'm really curious how the censorship changed the original script, because for me it feels like the final version is just an enjoyable, but a failed monstrum of two different things.

It is definitely worth watching, especially for those who are interested in films from the 70s and those times in general, yet would like to watch something that is not really typical for them.

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Should have been a series.

It was obvious that they compressed this to be a movie. The story flow could not convey to us what happened. It would have been much better if it had been a series and the story had developed in a long-term manner. Also, I was expecting to be more scared while watching it, maybe that was not the purpose, so I won't talk about it much.

Apart from that, I expected the characters to solve and discover the events that happened in the past throughout the movie. It was not satisfactory for one of the characters to watch the events like a movie. And it was not satisfying for the ghost woman to give up so easily. A very wrong path was followed in terms of how the story worked. The characters had to fall in love while discovering the events. Something very beautiful could have happened but it turned out something average

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A Hopefully Eye-Opening Review of the Movie

As the title entails, this was absolutely OOZING with sweetness. I am currently in my japanese romance youth phase again and I came upon this movie. This was SO MUCH fluff that it had me kicking my feet and smiling like an idiot in the middle of the night. It's a good romance movie if you just want your heart to flutter or if you're a sucker for fluff romance, you'll absolutely love this. HOWEVER...if I was about 13 years old right now, I would've said this was the best romance movie I've seen but I have half outgrown that and I wanted to review some things.

First off, the story. Again, cute moments but I just wanted to commend the producers, the writers for having to expound the concept of unrequited love. In my 21 years, it's the first time I got to hear someone say, even if it is from a fictional movie, that unrequited love is "fun". At first I was thinking how utterly ridiculous that was, but then I realized the actual feeling of having a crush. It is fun. To love someone, to like someone, to have a crush on someone. The rush of feeling these emotions are quite thrilling. And also, these days, there's a thing called happy crush. Where you just find someone that makes your day, that inspires you, and for you to look forward to stuff because you get to see them everyday. It's so similar to that. This movie made me realize, it's not uncommon.

Next, the "unrequited love game". This isn't my first japanese drama/movie, I am a veteran to japanese dramas and movies already, and I am still baffled by the concepts that they often think about. Rental boyfriends/girlfriends, being someone's pet, or even "buying" a real human on the net (don't ask about that jdrama lol) This is just one of them, except this is kind of a little more tame? BUT Realistically, the "unrequited love game" WOULD NOT be ideal, you can already guess why *points the word "stalking" in bold letters* I was honestly so confused when they said that because, huh, what's the point? You want the girl to come after you, and look like a total loser and creepy stalker? And also, woah, is this what unrequited love girlies and guys do? However, I tried to be more open about it. As much as I found it weird, some of it is kinda true. When we like someone, when we have a crush on someone, we often do the stalking...that is, usually on the internet lol. Or we would come out of our way just to see them because they make our day, we love watching them from afar and knowing what they like and want to like what they like. It just shows how crazy love is because we end up doing crazy stuff.

And with that, I also want to say how interesting it is that they kind of broke the "pretend relationship" genre. Usually it's like this, girl has broken heart, meets the popular cold guy in school, and pretends dating guy who might want his fans to back off and girl wants to forget about her past love and then in the end they for real fall for each other. BUT THIS, this was a different approach, and I LIKED that. And it all made sense when the ending came, where it was revealed that Chigira had feelings for Maya from the start. It made me think how Chigira wanted to let Maya move on, but also he courted her without her even realizing it. He wanted Maya to come to him, he wanted Maya to like him, letting her realize that HE'S THERE. And the more I think about it, it's just so sweet T T

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The acting. I wouldn't change the cast if it were me, they were perfect. But Takahashi Kyohei's acting kind of does need work. I REALLY LIKE THE PARTS WHERE HE SMILES but the expressions in some scenes irked me--I am very meticulous when it comes to, ESPECIALLY when it comes to expressions and emotions in the eyes. There were some scenes where I was looking for worry, pondering, sad expressions on his face but usually his expressions were just blank. That one scene where he was thinking if he should text Maya or not, I did not see any expression on his face.

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All in all, I would personally watch it again if I want a good heart flutter or if I just want something light and fluffy. I would recommend it for those who are still hesitant to watch it because the story's good and kinda unique, also considering how I analyzed it. But would've loved to see this as a drama series though since it felt kind of rushed. But again, go ahead and watch it!

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Less "friends to lovers" and more "struggling with one's feelings"

I was looking for a “friends to lovers”. However, this doesn’t really portray the trope as it should be. It’s more of a struggle with one’s feelings.

It was also a bit boring to watch.

Kenji’s actor is pretty good, he can bring emotions to the screen just by looking at someone.

The quality feels natural, overall everything felt natural and not like a scripted drama (which is a good thing).

The fake kisses annoy me every time tho. It’s not much part of the story but... idk lol.

Overall it’s an okay but not rewatch worthy.

I would’ve liked to see more of them as friends, before they entered the romantic relationship status.

-21.11.21

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Basic romance story, great for newbies xD

It's got depth but only in the main characters, the story was basic but it was fun. I had skipped many parts as I felt I knew what was going on. But not that bad!
I felt the FL could have done a better job, but it was average acting I felt. The twist at the end was only good. The FL is a bit slow, the guy is just into her so there isn't much going around. The story could have tried to delve into more problems in life, as it majorly revolved around the characters learning to open up.
This movie hence might serve as a good watch for those who are new at expoloring love and want a lovey dovey chemistry going around.

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a beautiful movie!

The story is so good, I loved how it showed the beauty of the colors and the sky.

The main leads are so perfect! Ruki and Rinka did so well!
and their chemistry is so good, they're so cute!
Rinka kumada is a good actress fr! She’s so pretty and simple. She potrayed akane well.
Ruki shiroiwa is so handsome! I can’t imagine anyone else being seiji. He totally slayed! I want to see actor ruki more.

Overall, I learned a lot from this movie.
The movie is so aesthetics. The songs are so beautiful. The story is so good and I unexpectedly teared up.
Everything about this movie is so beautiful. Just watch "you made my dawn", a masterpiece!

my new comfort movie ^^

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Watch as an appendix to Part 1

This can more accurately be described as a Part 2 rather than a sequel. It's very confusing if you haven't watched the first Believer. The movie begins with a 5-minute recap of the highlights of the previous instalment, and that's the only bit that was entertaining and made sense. After that, it is just one hot confusing mess. It seems like what happened with the first Believer was that it was such a great show, they decided to eke it out.

This movie is not a sequel because it doesn't carry on from where the first one left off. Instead, it's very weird because it tries to elaborate and explain a back story of motivation for characters in the first one and introduces whole new characters. It is NOT a movie per se but more like watching an appendix. Finally in the last 5 minutes, we finally catch up to where Part 1 left off and then it creates an ending because part 1 ended ambiguously.

I got to give them credit for being able to pull out bits of the first instalment to create a deep enough side story, and then attempt to pull it back to the main story shown in Part 1, and then tie up everything at the end. Hence my rating of 4. It's a real pity that the talents of Han Hyo Joo (who wasn't in the first part) have be under-utilised.

In essence, if you did watch Part 1 and wanted to find out what happened in the end, simply watch the first and last 5 minutes of the entire Believer 2. You can thank you now.

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Societal critic supported by a strong cast and impressive storytelling: very deep and impactful!

A beautiful movie very impactful and that made a deep impression on me upon watching. The scenario is one of the strong point of the movie: it almost felt like a theatre play in several acts. Every question find an answer, every element showcased at one point of the script has an importance for the rest of the story... The film approaches some very important societal topics and provide a sound critic of Japanese society without being preachy and with a lot of subtlety.

The cast is really great: the characters are multi-faceted and the actors and actresses manage to provide plenty of nuances to their roles. There are a lot of angsty and emotional moments that are played with expertise for the adults parts and candor for the children parts.

The production value is good, I loved some of the decors as well as the editing which really enhanced the various storylines intertwined with each other. The soundtrack was not overly present but there are some critical scenes involving music with a very interesting set up.

I would strongly recommend this movie to people looking for a film providing a critic of Japanese society, discussing important topics and very well acted. The ending made a very strong impression on me...I will not spoil it but the message behind it really moved me deeply. There are some triggering aspects to the movie but it is not too graphic, a lot happens in subtext and is understood as the story unfolds itself. If you are looking for some fluff or slice-of-life movie, it is not the film for you. But if you are ready for some great and poignant storytelling, give it a shot!

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Owsm k-movie

Alienoid is a thrilling K-drama that takes the audience on an interstellar adventure like never before. The series seamlessly blends science fiction with compelling human drama, creating a captivating narrative that keeps viewers hooked from the first episode.

One of the standout features is the impressive visual effects that bring the alien world to life. The attention to detail in crafting extraterrestrial landscapes and creatures adds a visually stunning layer to the storytelling, immersing the audience in a captivating otherworldly experience.

The cast delivers commendable performances, skillfully navigating the challenges of portraying characters caught between two worlds. Their emotional journey and interpersonal dynamics provide a relatable anchor to the fantastical elements of the plot, making the viewer invest not only in the sci-fi aspects but also in the human connections at the story's core.

What sets Alienoid apart is its ability to balance high-stakes sci-fi elements with moments of genuine emotion and humor. The writing strikes a delicate equilibrium, ensuring that the alien encounters and the personal struggles of the characters are equally engaging. This duality adds depth to the narrative, making it a well-rounded and enjoyable watch.

The exploration of themes such as identity, acceptance, and the uncharted territories of the universe adds a thought-provoking layer to the series. Alienoid invites viewers to contemplate not only the mysteries of the cosmos but also the intricacies of the human experience, making it a K-drama that transcends genre boundaries.

In summary, Alienoid is a must-watch for those seeking a fresh take on K-drama, offering a mesmerizing blend of science fiction, heartfelt drama, and a visual spectacle that transports viewers to new and uncharted territories. With its stellar performances, captivating storyline, and a perfect balance of the extraordinary and the relatable, Alienoid stands out as a gem in the realm of K-drama.

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