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Ballerina
7 people found this review helpful
by May
Oct 16, 2023
Completed 1
Overall 3.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Make sure to shut your brain off before watching!

To watch this movie you must turn off your brain! The lack of logic in the plot made it hard to immerse myself in the film. Combine that with the lack of character depth given to the MC and you have a dropped film.

I was looking forward to this movie when I first saw the trailer but then forgot about it since I haven't been watching Netflix much recently. I go on Netflix looking for something fun to watch, remember this film, and saw it had finally been released so I started watching. I love revenge plots, regardless of the sex of the MC that is getting revenge. This film fell short in so many ways and I only got through less than 40 minutes of it. My gripes in no particular order:

Camera Work: They tried wayyyy too hard to be artsy + unique. The shots and angles did nothing to enhance the story.

Acting: Was not bad, I only got through 38 minutes so I can't give a well-founded opinion on their acting. I think the actors did the best they could with lackluster writing.

Music/OST: It was so terrible. Did not match anything that was going on.

Writing: You really need to turn off your brain to enjoy this. The story and character motivations made no sense. Based on the bit that I watched I do not believe the friendship between the two girls was deep enough for the MC to do all she did. After not talking to your friend in a while, they call you up and ask you to come over. You get there and find a note, allegedly from them, asking you to get revenge for them. Then you see they unalived themselves in the bathroom. Maybe if they had made them romantically involved, or even made it clear that the MC held an unrequited affection for her friend it would have made more sense for the MC to carry out the ballerina's last wishes. But that wouldn't explain the ballerina's illogical actions or the fact that the MC went through all these things for some estranged friend. Maybe if they did more to showcase the dependency the MC had on the ballerina it would have been better because MC being emotionally dependent on her would explain her dedication but then again it doesn't look like they have been friends for that long.

If they had made the MC obsessed with the Ballerina that would have brought a lot of depth to the story and made it much more interesting. MC would have been obsessed/in love with the Ballerina but satisfied/content with the scraps of attention/affection the Ballerina gave her regardless of how infrequent they may have been but then finds that the Ballerina unalived herself because of that guy. That would have made a very compelling story and although disturbing, anything the MC did after that would not need any explanation because of the obsession. As it stands I just can't believe she would do all that. Like she could end up in prison for killing all these people, even if they are criminals, so why does she not weigh the consequences? She's smart enough to be a bodyguard for foreign officials but acts so impulsively, too unrealistic.

Also, why did that guy feel the need to drug women when they had already agreed to sleep with him since they went to the hotel consensually? Maybe I missed it since I didn't finish the film and they kidnapped women from the club as well as there being girls that happily went. Like even though it may be rare, there are women into CNC who would happily play along with that guy's fantasies. Especially since he is attractive. Again I could have missed later explanations but if he does that to satisfy his desires it doesn't make sense to do it illegally when you could have willing participants. I get that he's a drug dealer and he does other illegal things with people but to be this crazy serial rapist who can get women to go to a hotel with him willingly only to drug them when they are already there just makes no sense. Maybe he's had bad experiences after he convinces a woman to go with him then she runs away after finding out he's into BDSM so he started drugging them... I don't know.

Maybe I am so disappointed because I went in with high expectations? I usually have a good time watching Korean movies and they are really good at revenge storylines so I definitely had my hopes up. Anyways, now I have to find something else to watch...

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Completed
On Your Wedding Day
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 16, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

No way this got me crying almost like 2521

I'm writing this one while crying so hard. As a person who is afraid of changes in her life this really got me. I've seen videos of this movie mixed with 2521 when we got that terrible ending too (not overcome it yet) and when I started watching this one because I wanted to watch every movie or drama where Park Bo Young appear, everything looked so familiar and then, the ending. wtf? I mean is so realistic, its something that everyone could face one day, but it still hurt me so much.

So im rating this one with a 7.5 cause I wont be able to watch it again without feeling the bittersweat feeling im having rn and bc the story got me ruined even if its realistic.

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Completed
Show Me the Ghost
3 people found this review helpful
Oct 16, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 2.5

Not Fab-boo-lous, but not completely boo-ring either

Show Me the Ghost failed to break any new ground in the Ghost Whisperer genre. If they’d trimmed the film by 20 minutes and tightened up the story it might have made a good episode in one of the many ghostly dramas dedicated to the same theme.

Ye Ji and Ho Doo are friends dating back to childhood. When Ye Ji fails yet another job interview she casts her troubles on her friend reminding him that he owes her money. Ho Doo takes her to his new house that is spacious and came completely furnished and as they would find out later, complete with its own ghost. Unable to break the contract the two determine to either fob the apartment off on someone else or drive the ghost out.

The plot was threadbare and I knew within five minutes exactly where it was going. Some of the scenes felt incredibly forced. It was billed as a comedy and that was a reach unless you find Han Seung Yeon’s relentless screaming and ear-piercing fake crying hilarious. There was only one segment involving four pair of shoes that made me chuckle. Kim Hyun Mok’s performance was as understated as Han’s was shrill. The rest of the cast was adequate but not much more.

For a big fraidy cat like me, this was the perfect kind of ghost story. It wasn’t scary and there was a bittersweet resolution to the haunting. Despite being cursed by an over-used paradigm, with a more imaginative script and compelling acting it might not have been spooktacular, but it would have had more spirit.

10/15/23

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Completed
Love 911
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 16, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

This love needs CPR

FL sucks and it's okay if a character sucks but she should get some character development. I'm not saying she didn't get character development, she did, but it was sudden and it didn't make sense.
She only cared about herself and she repented at the end, when everything escalated.

She also approached ML with ulterior motives but then she fell in love with him and forgot about that. Honestly, I'm glad she did because if she asked ML to sue the guy after they were together (in love and happy), I don't think a truck of character development could make anyone like her.

The romance was cute but rushed, one moment ML is thinking of his dead wife and crying and the next he is kissing the FL.

Then they break up at some point and after that, the movie became more stupid but also more entertaining. One example, a bunch of concrete fell on ML but he is completely fine after that and running around. A bunch of concrete never fell on me but I think that's unrealistic.

Also, what was the point of FL being sick. It did nothing except make her faint at very convenient times.

Despite the garbage plot, the leads kissing and being cute together made me smile. The side characters are also nice, no one was annoying.

Overall, it's an okay movie. There's some humor and cute romance at times.

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Completed
My Annoying Brother
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Started with a laugh, ended in tears

I watched this movie with my friend and we wanted to watch something light and funny. So we searched movies with the comedy genre. The start was looking good and we had a few laughs. However at one point, the movie takes a drastic turn.

At the start we see a man sneaking into another person's house. We then find out it's his half brother's house. Since Doo Shik hasn't been there for Doo Young during his life, their relationship isn't good. They are fighting and complaining about each other all time and Doo Shik seems like a prick honestly. However as the movie goes on, their relationship becomes better and Doo Shik helps Doo Young with the things that scares him. This truly shows how a brother should be, even if you hate him for a moment, he is there for you and you still love him, even though you might forget that.

After we find out Doo Shik has cancer, we get to see how devastated he gets. When everything was going well, he got kicked in the stomach with that message. We get to see how he lives his life to the fullest extent, doing what matters to him the most, spending time with and helping out his brother. I think the movie portrayed this in a very good way, and makes you think "would I have told the closest people to me if I had cancer?". It also reminds us that we should do the things we like, live a life that makes us happy, because one day, we might receive a similar message.

I also really liked the character development of Dae Chang and Doo Shik. They went from enemies to friends, helping each other out in their own ways. The same thing with Doo Shik and Soo Hyun, it starts off rough, but when they find out they got something in common, their love and care for Doo Young, their relationship also takes a turn.

This is the first movie that has made me laugh so much and also made me cry so much. It truly is a masterpiece that I would recommend to anyone wanting to watch an emotional roller coaster.

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Completed
Shark: The Beginning
3 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Great action movie but lacking plot

I was actually hyped to watch this action movie starring Wi Ha Joon. After reading the synopsis, I was expecting great action scenes and a great character development.

Even though the actions scenes were good, some parts of the movie was still lacking. I was watching this movie together with my friends and one of my friend said "the action part was great, but I felt like there was no end goal in the movie. He got in prison, learned how to fight and beat up a guy, thats it". So yeah, my friend also felt like there was some lacking parts.

If I'm going to be specific about what was lacking, I can start with the beginning of the movie. We see two parts, one part for each main character. The first one is about Do Hyun and it shows what led to him getting in prison, what I wanted to see more of here was the longing and sadness he felt for his family members, you don't really see him thinking about them throughout the movie. About the part with Woo Sol, it just shows them having a fight and Seok Chan provoking him into stabbing him with a pen. All of that felt unrealistic.

Halfway through the movie, we see Seok Chan joining a gang because of his harsh and brutal fightingstyle. However, it didn't really make sense for him to join this gang, it didn't add anything to the story, it's not like we see the gang members attack Woo Sol.

At the end of the movie, we see Woo Sol free and he is visiting Do Hyun in prison. Again leaving us with a sense of wanting more to the story. E.g Do Hyun could have been set free from prison and we could see them back in their normal lives, but yeah, we didn't get to see any of that.

In comparison to the lacking parts, it was great to see the inmates going from stonecold enemies to friends with a little bromance. All it had to take, was them accepting each other.

I think I would recommend this movie to someone who doesn't really care about the plot and just wants to see some action scenes.

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Completed
The Great Illusionist
0 people found this review helpful
by Ggrosz
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Sequel is better

I happened to warch The Great Illusionist first before this one and although this gave a small introduction to the main character, the sequel would still be understood without watching this prequel.

The main character's personality is so different in this prequel, it is like night and day. I however prefer the character of the main lead in the sequel than here.

So unlike other mystery that later on gets explained how it was done, don't expect it from this film. The story is about Illusions that is a fantasy.
There is a crime commited that needs to be solved but it isn't a normal crime like in the real world.
Though humor was inserted here, the sequel made me burstbout laughing and it didn't do that for me here.

I will recommend seeing this only if you are searching for something to pass time. If you have to choose between this and the sequel The Great Illusionist to watch then watch the sequel.

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Completed
Past Lives
7 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

A diaspora diary of home, maturing and love.

As a diaspora myself, I appreciate how this movie highlights that thriving a life outside your home country can be a challenge. You’re faced with choices that make you lose and find different possibilities. It's also one of the bravest things one might do.

On the production side, the cinematography and characters introductions are great. There are a lot of scenes without words that are meaningful, they’re the best show not tell executions.

This is a very personal statement: I don’t feel any emotion to Nora’s romance life nor the longing or yearning. More than the plot shrouded by the fate analogy, I enjoyed the mature interactions among the three leads; Nora, Hae Sung and Arthur. They act natural and casual. there’s definitely a clear chemistry. It is refreshing to find no typical dramatic love triangle here. No one is toxic nor being overprotective.


Final remark without spoiling it, I wasn’t expecting the sudden ending. Just like that the movie ends and we know what happen. It has a clear conclusion and I agree with everything, but there's no build up that make the grand feeling of "ahh, ending!“

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Completed
Our Times
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

I cried but its my favorite Taiwan (asia) movie.

Well i dont know if i was going through a lot in my life when I watched this, but i cried. I guess im gonna spoiling a little bit, maybe, but the ended got me, like they could've been together for years, but due to a little misunderstanding they couldn't.

Maybe im a little cheesy when it comes to watching movies and dramas, but I really like how the story got developed (until they lost years for not being clear about their feelings, but at the end, i guess it was a happy ending) i mean, im a big fan for the plot enemies to friends to lovers and even if they weren't enemies at all at the beginning, I guess they weren't friends so this dinamic got me waiting for the moment where they would be aware of their feelings.

Anyways, if yout are thinking of either watch it or not, it must be a completely GO FOR THE MOVIE. If you are a dumb romcom fan you must do it.

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Completed
Someday or One Day: The Movie
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

More loopholey but still a great follow up to the series

I guess a series as great as SOOD was just really hard to top but the movie made a valiant effort. They gave Junjie such a fake mustache. The time loop just barely makes sense. Given that this is just a little over one hour, some scenes that can clarify were probably cut out. Still, the movie effectively made me wish again for that happy ending for Ziwei and YuXuan. Though this can be watched as a stand alone, knowing what happened in the series made me root for them more. I just have to say that the people who made this really knows how to deliver that emotional punch, they make you think that all is good then BAAM and show you the reality of emptiness and longing. Also, Alice Ko once again was pretty good in the 2014 scenes. Without words, I already knew YunRu was in YuXuan's body just by the way she spoke slowly and lowered her eyes. I am also glad they showed Quansheng more. In the series, I felt pretty bad for him, he only experienced harsh rejection so that he tried to kill himself. He then became a body host for ZiWei then died in a plane crash, without a chance to be happy. But in the movie, he was able to find love, even if it didn't last. All in all, though I want more from the movie, I am quite satisfied in the closure it gave the characters.

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Completed
The Great Illusionist 2
0 people found this review helpful
by Ggrosz
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

Worth your time if you are into fantasy mystery

I am curious as to the 6.5 rating for this movie. The start wasn't that great but by halfway through, i have laughed and screamed already.
It is a mystery, with humor. The sidekick cracked me up, the mystery got me glued, and the gruesomeness is left foe the viewers to imagine so it is toned down.
It is well balanced comedy, suspense and mystery.
I enjoyed it and I hope you will give it a chance.
I am not familiar with the artists here but they all worked harmoniously in portraying their characters. Production did marvelous with the 1920-1930s set and props. The wardobe is fitting the era. And although it is a bit bland, it worked well for the scenes.
I urge you to watch while end credit is running.
The ending will be nothing you would expect. There will be scenes while credit is running.

Also, this is the sequel to The Great Illusion movie. You might want to watch that too.

Rewatch value - if I get invited by friends to watch it again or if i recommend this for weekend night movie, I definitely wont hesitate to watch it again..

My opinion, this is a pretty good movie to watch alone or with group of friends.
I watched this IN iQIYI. I AM A PAID SUBSCRIBER BUT IT IS UNDER FREE MOVIES.

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Completed
The Childe
0 people found this review helpful
by Zada
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 3.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 2.5
Music 2.5
Rewatch Value 2.0

Watched this for Kim Seon-ho

This is John Wick but Korean.

They kinda miss the opportunity to make the 💀 more interesting. I only liked the character of Kim Seon-Ho. The rest is a copy of movies like Fast and furious and John Wick but this movie is funny.

I liked the cursing of Kim Seon-Ho

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The Miracle Fighters
2 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers
Director Yuen Woo Ping gathered his family together to make The Miracle Fighters---a combination of kung fu, magic, and slapstick comedy. While it was fun to watch the Yuens and Bryan “Beardy” Leung, the story was a bit of a mess and dragged badly in the middle.

Kao Hsiung’s wife is killed because of their mixed marriage-a Han and a Manchu. In order to escape execution and a dangerous sorcerer, he takes the royal son as hostage. When the boy is inadvertently killed, Kao is distraught. He later takes in an orphan named Shu Gut and raises him. The royal sorcerer eventually catches up with Kao and hopes to use the now grown boy to impersonate the prince. Things don’t go to plan for anyone and Shu finds himself with two old sorcerers. The Old Man and the Old Woman have few peers with magic, but bicker constantly even resorting to dividing their property with painted red rocks. They agree to train Shu so that he can defeat the evil sorcerer and be free from his threat.

Yuen Yat Choh had spent most of his career in bit parts. He was adequate in the role of Shu Gat but he was a better fighter than actor. Yuen Cheung Yan was funny in his role of the Old Woman who could fight and make you see double. Yuen Shun Yee as Sorcerer Bat provided the menacing force needed to give the story some movement. At the sorcerers’ altar, Woo Ping honored the late Yuen patriarch Simon Yuen, with a large painting of him from his role in Drunken Master. Bryan Leung made for a spry Old Man with more than a few tricks up his sleeves.

The fights mixed with magic were cuckoo crazy and everyone of the Yuens and Leung could be counted on to do their part to sell the moves. Shu had to not only fight other sorcerers but also a giant wooden stick man that looked straight out of Angry Birds. The problem was when no one was fighting. The slapstick shenanigans wore thin quickly for me. It was like they knew where they wanted the story to end up, with a magic free-for-all, but didn’t create a compelling, coherent story to get there. At 100 minutes, the movie ran ten minutes longer than many other kung fu flicks and those extra ten minutes of bickering sorcerers was not spellbinding. If you enjoy slapstick kung fu and want to know if you should watch this, my Magic 8 Ball says, “without a doubt”. If you don’t care for slapstick and long sequences between action bother you, *shake, shake*, the magic ball reads, “my sources say no” or at best, “reply hazy, try again later.” The Miracle Fighters had entertaining parts to it, especially when the Yuens leaned into their strengths. I only wished they had done more of what they do best because more miraculous fists and kicks would have done the trick.

10/14/23

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Completed
Train to Busan
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10

It will make you cry?

Movie was awesome I would definitely watch again👍😊❤️
My whole family watched it we all loved it wold recommend for any age as long a blood dose not bother you one of the best zombie movies ever I usually don’t watch movies but I could watch this movie a million times and not get tired of it …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… sorry lol had to have 500 characters

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My Beautiful Man: Eternal
8 people found this review helpful
Oct 14, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Eternally Mine

My Beautiful Man: Eternal serves as a solid continuation and conclusion to the story of Hira and Kiyoi. It gave a more introspective view into Kiyoi as a character and also allowed Hira to bloom and grow. By the end, though there is still that master/servant undertone to their relationship, it feels like they understand each other better and are on more even footing. The cinematography mixes grounding tones with more ethereal ones that suit the characters and story. It's nothing groundbreaking, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable and sweet.

The movie is a pretty direct continuation of Season 2. Very little if any time has passed between the two. Kiyoi is still working on his drama and Hira is working as an assistant to Noguchi. There's a decent amount of focus on the two of them, on where their relationship is going and how it's changed over time and also how, despite those changes, some things never change. We're also allowed a glimpse into Kiyoi's thoughts, giving a better understanding of him as a person and his feelings for Hira. Hira continues to battle with his self-confidence and giving voice to what he wants, to be the only one who photographs Kiyoi. There's also the sweet friendship between Kiyoi and Anna which, while not explored too deeply, was still an aspect that I appreciated. Kiyoi being kidnapped by Shitara was something that I think most were anticipating, if not quite to that degree, then certainly expecting something to happen. It, combined with Anna's scandal, allowed the movie to explore a little more the dangers of social media and the frenzy and damage it can cause as well as the dangers of idolizing those in the entertainment industry to an unhealthy degree. Hira explains it very succinctly when he states, "Once you start imposing your will on her, you are no longer her fan."

I appreciated the growing equality between Kiyoi and Hira. As I stated previously, there is still very much that master/servant bond between them, but it grows to feel less of an obstacle to their love and more just a part of who they are and they accept that. Hira's subservience does lead to a few more understandings with Kiyoi, but it seems that overall Kiyoi has become accustomed to it and finds it less objectionable. Through Noguchi he comes to understand Hira a bit better as well as misunderstanding him again, but that scene does show that he wants to know and understand Hira. Kiyoi's kidnapping allowed Hira to show that he was still the Hira who had defended Kiyoi in high school. He was willing to kill or be killed protecting him. But what that scene also highlighted was that Hira's need is not one sided, Kiyoi needs him just as much, even if he doesn't express it as much. I liked that Anna was brought back. I appreciated her strength of character and the friendship that she had developed with Kiyoi. The way they could talk to each other easily was very sweet and wholesome. I also appreciated that she knew what she wanted. She wanted both to be with Kiriya and be an actress. The fact that she didn't shrink away from stating such and that she wasn't willing to give up either was refreshing.

Hagiwara has been fantastic as Hira from Season 1. His eyes are deeply expressive and he brought so much to the character of Hira. The scene where Anna calls him to tell him about Kiyoi is a testament to his acting skills. The change wrought in him is simultaneously subtle and dramatic, because no one messes with his Kiyoi. Yagi has steadily improved over both seasons and again in the movie. His acting style feels more nuanced and natural and he was more expressive with both his face and eyes. That growth really helped to give more depth to the character of Kiyoi.

The cinematography was gorgeous. There are some truly stunning scenes. Again, that scene where Hira gets the call, I loved the lighting change. It gave a whole other dimension to the scene. I also generally liked the music choices. Particularly the song used when Shitara and Hira were fighting, it was unconventional, but also worked very well. The ending with them at the school was really lovely. The way they incorporated the flash backs with the present was well done and simultaneously sweet and entertaining.

My Beautiful Man: Eternal is not perfect. It sometimes feels a bit cluttered with plot lines and there are a few holes, but ultimately I found that none of that really affected my enjoyment of it. It wrapped up Hira and Kioyi's story fairly neatly with the promise that, despite the uncertainty of the future, they will remain together. If you've watched Season 1 and 2 of My Beautiful Man, I think you'll enjoy this conclusion. And if you haven't, there's enough background given that you don't strictly need to have seen the first two seasons. You'll just have missed out on the a lot of the character growth and more details on how the two came together. This will certainly be a movie that I'll come back to in the future.

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