Reviews

Who is the monster?

This has to be hands down my favorite watch of the year so far. I'm probably not even coherent enough to talk about this but the storytelling in this was just brilliant and I could not stop watching but I was also feeling every ounce of dread, anxiety and sadness that the characters went through.
Long story short: The storytelling in this is simply brilliant. Long story long: the plot unravels each point of view and fleshes out the characters in such a masterful and thoughtful way. I don't want to reveal too much because I think one brilliant part of this film is to experience it as you go; just watch it with no context and let the narrative and the suspense take you over.
The acting in this was also probably some of the best acting I've watched. I wish Jdramas were like this, honestly. The raw performances from the adult actors was so moving and encompassing. I could put myself in the mother's shoes almost perfectly. Feeling every ounce of anger and anxiety that she felt. But even more amazing is the performance of the little ones. They were too good. Too precise. Too touching. They just grab your heart, sueeze it then fling it into the sun!
The production is also brilliant from the fire scene to the torrential rains to the details of the mundane and arranging the different perspective of the same scenes over and over again. Everthing was brilliant.
Negatives: None. But if you have a weak heart, maybe keeping some sweet drink near you for possible fainting spells that may catch you unawares as you freak out over the turn of events.
I highly, highly recommend this film. It's one of those movies you don't want to miss.

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Never visit forests with lots of figurine statues!

I don't know why I started watching this at this hour, it's literally midnight and I'm scared to go to bathroom now!

When I started watching this I had very little faith in what I was about to watch. Cause the rating was relatively low for a mystery horror genre but I was being whimsical to watch "something new today" and Hoon Payon surprisingly turned out to be much better than I expected.


At the beginning things feel a bit all over the place. I was feeling distant with the plot cause they were introducing more characters and yet things were getting more obscure and complicated as I was losing interest. But, but after the second half things were started to improve and unfolding mysteries slowly. I just couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. Felt like if I blink I might miss something. And I was not disappointed at all! AND THE PLOT TWIST IS JUST AMAZING!

Hoon Pa Yong is meant as a spiritual bodyguard to guard your asset from theft, and to protect you from the harm of black magic and evil spirits. You basically know what you're about to watch and rest just people being selfish, secretive and scornful. So the film is all about curse, ghosted monks, and JUMP SCARES⁹⁹⁹⁹!!! I'm 3 mins in and I'm seeing a sharp object injected into eyes >_< and poking into skin until blood comes out...I can't explain you enough how much I hate these! JUST. NO. In those scenes I just covered my eyes and peeked through two fingers. Superstitions are made by human for human to scare the shit out of you.

Now coming to the characters, they were not perfect but they did their best. This is my first time watching Phuwin, he was so-so. But Up, ouuufff he just nailed it! I've watched all of his series and now this movie, I can say this is his best work!

Most importantly the cinematography was just awesome. The cinematographer skillfully selected each and every object to give you that eerie chilling vibe. At first glance it looks calm and tranquil but soon you start fearing the atmosphere. It's just aesthetically scary all over.

Overall if you're looking for something quick horror mystry pill to spike up your adrenaline then it's a good watch. But remember, watch this at night for best results ;>

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Is there luck for everyone?

What a strange movie! This is not a movie I'd want to watch twice, but I'm still glad I saw it. It is about a talisman that brings luck to his owner and about a man who tries to finally put an end to the failures he has experienced all his life. The actors should be complimented for being able to sustain the movie since it relies mostly on the performance and acting of the two main protagonists. The entire movie actually has only three scenes in which the entire action takes place. There is only the addition of a church in the background at one scene, which seemed to me to be a convenient insert to the story about superstition. I hope that the church is shown to turn the viewer away from superstition and towards the true faith. The question about happiness and whether there is enough happiness for everyone or whether we have to steal it from each other is also interesting.

My complaint is that the story is dragged out for an hour and twenty minutes, and I would shorten it by a whole hour. All the dialogue is repeated at least twice, especially the message about the lucky talisman, which the filmmakers decided to explain ten times how it works. I think the movie would work great as a short movie, but it is also watchable like this thanks to the energy and effort of the main actors.

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Definitely not for everyone but a fantastic movie

I just finished the handmaiden and to me it was a truly magnificent movie. It can get pretty graphic and leaves little to the imagination. Going into the movie i knew very little about it but I would say that you can go into this movie without knowing too much as long as you´re aware it is 100% for a mature audience.
The relationship between the two female leads is shown very well especially given the time period the movie is set in. The twists and turns the story takes throughout its 3 parts (it says which part the movie is at in the movie itself) was everything i could have hoped for. The acting is phenomenal in my opinion, the story very well written and the music ties it together perfectly.
I give this a highscore for everything else but i wouldn´t say it has a lot of re-watch value. It is very much a one of those experiences that is fantastic once but would just not hold the same magic the second time around.

It really isn´t for everyone and if there are certain topics that you are sensitive to I would suggest doing your research on the movie first.

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More Relevant Than You Think...

This is a creepy film. I think the type of horror films a lot of people are used to is fast and cheap scares that would make you uneasy for the moment. In some ways, a lot of horror films feel like roller-coaster rides. Thrilling at the time, but forgettable in the long run. Not this film, the pace is slow, but the scares creep up behind you and just stick with you. There is a strong hint about the dangers of technology, and how it can drain the life out of people. Also, how isolation can be a silent killer to anyone stuck in it. It is another well told apocalypse story that is interesting to watch play out. I do think the acting can be a hit or miss. I personally think it works for the situation the characters were in, but I can see how it can be dry for some people. I'd say check this film out if you enjoy a slow-burn.

(I say this as a bit of a loner myself, and also being online a lot. Oh no, I'm next.xD)

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Female lead remains a stranger even after the show

This movie isn't for everyone. It's a slice-of-life film that focuses on conversations and the strange friendships among strangers and Chihiro. You'll end up with many questions after finishing this movie. There are numerous unresolved storylines, but I personally think that was the creators' main intention for this film. Instead of solely focusing on Chihiro's past, they emphasized her conversations and special bonds with the strangers in her life. I believe this movie portrays strangers as the central theme, with Chihiro, the female lead, remaining a stranger even after the show.

Would I recommend this to others? That's a tricky question because I think some people may not like it while others might. Personally, I enjoyed the film because I'm a sucker for slice-of-life stories, and I was looking for something calming to watch. It truly embodies 'calmness'. Despite its runtime of over two hours, it didn't feel long at all.

So, if you're looking for something that focuses more on conversations with others, a female lead who is lonely yet can provide comfort to people, and are prepared to be left with many questions—which can be both a pro and a con since you can interpret the film however you like—then you would definitely enjoy Chihiro's journey.

I would rate it 8/10, but since Chihiro and the other characters felt like a home to me, I would give it a higher rating.

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Definitely a no no

I love my shark shows, been watching alot of them in English. So I was actually quite excited when I found this show, unfortunately was greatly disappointed. I know, the sharks mostly are CGIs or if ever mechanical in majority of the shark movies, however, the shark in this movie... is omg totally disappointing and looks more like a big rubber shark. There isn't really much of a storyline for this movie - this is my very personal opinion - but mostly nom nom nom of the shark.

From my personal opinion, I wouldn't recommend this movie. Unless if you love what you read in the synopsis of the movie. I definitely would not do a re-watch of this movie either. The cast, they did an alright job. Personally, I don't really see much "acting" but the casts involve did their best. I just feel the storyline did not bring it any justice.

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“Who’s the Monster?”

“You have an amazing talent”

“Do I bite and poison others?”

“No, but when you’re attacked you let go of all your strength and give up”

“That’s not a strength”

“You stop feeling”

“Am I Hoshikawa Yori?”

I really couldn’t put it into enough words how phenomenal this movie was in the sense that it just, completely overwhelmed me. The thing about children is that yes, their worldview differs from those that are older than them, and yes maybe they don’t, perhaps, fully understand the complexities of life as adults, But i feel that more often that not, children are aware of things; they think and feel and process feelings just as we adults do too. However, there’s a certain rawness, a brutality to the truth that they don’t avoid.

Listening. To not simply hear what is being told to you, but to truly listen and understand. Throughout the entirety of this movie we are led to believe that there is one big mystery that must be revealed. Is Mr Hiro truly the “Monster” that he is portrayed to be, or is the monster Minato? Perhaps even Yori? At different points in the film we are led to believe that this ugly truth could be that this was either a detailed scheme conducted by two disturbed young boys looking to wreak havoc, or that there was a cruel teacher who has been abusing his authority and his pupils. We are even led to believe that Minato could be monster who had been caught by a classmate killing a cat (Allegedly). We see as Minato’s mother Saori jumps through hoops to defend her son from who she believed to be a monster, an abusive monster: Mr Hori. She searches for answers that would support her beliefs and feeds them, recklessly discarding anything that doesn’t align with her version of events. A notable example of this would be when the possibility of her son being the “monster” is suggested to her but she vehemently rejects this idea completely. In an attempt to prove Mr Horims guilt and in turn, Minato’s innocence, she visits Yori and instead of listening to him, gets him to corroborate a story that paints Mr Hiro as the abuser.

Now, Mr Hiro can indeed be seen as a victim here as he goee through his fair share of suffering as a result of false accusations. However, he is not completely innocent and also fails to pay attention and listen. Listen to the children. After being accused by Minato and his mother of physical abuse, he pleads his innocence adamantly, failing to realise that his actions come across aggressive and unhinged especially towards the children. Hori begs for the testimony of a student of his who states she witnessed Minato hurt a cat and begs her to show that he isn't the monster everyone claims that he is, but rather that Minato is. Here is one of the many mistakes the adults in this film make. They fail to listen. Yes they hear what these children tell them, but they only hear what they want to hear, which is why when he begs her to tell the principal that she saw Minato kill that cat, to prove his innocence she claims that, that is what she said, and she would be correct. At her response he lashes out and she is frightened. What all these adults fail to recognise all along is, that the real ‘monster’ had been there all along. Right under their noses.

Saori visited the house of the monster, and hell, Mr Hiro even met him himself. If they had not been so caught up with their own problems, fuelling their own narratives, they would have recognised the bigger issue at hand: Yori’s abusive father, The Real Monster. Upon visiting Yori’s house, Mr Hiro hears the words that started this all, come out of Yori’s father’s mouth. “His brain has been switched with a pig’s”. Yet Mr Hori doesn’t question this, or even attempt to connect the dots. Saori saw the burn marks and bruises littering Yori’s body, and rather than asking who they were from, or why he was so comfortable being left at home for long periods of time, she asked if it had been Mr Hiro who had inflicted the wounds. Another failure, another missed chance to save Yori from the monster.

For Yori and Minato, there was no doubt in their mind who the monster was, and they had not once wavered from their belief in this. For these two boys, the truth was so abundantly clear to them, the monster was Yori’s father. Whatever was going on with Mr Hori, With Minato’s mother, with the school, it didn't concern them, all that mattered was that they had each other and their special place, their escape from judgement, from lies and pain.

We are given several examples throughout the film, of this raw truth that children possess. Minato tells his mother “I’m not like dad” the truck sound conveniently passing by as Minato tells her something that he’s been holding back for so long, once again Saori fails to hear what it is that he’s really trying to tell her. It can be argued that it was either the loud sound of the truck To listen. Minato wasn’t trying to tell his mother that he wanted to be like his father, or get muddy like his father, or play rugby like his father, but he was telling her he isn’t like him. He doesn’t love in the same way his father did. In the way his father loved his mum. He tries to tell Saori he loves another boy, that he doesn't love a woman like his father did. and that is why he tells her “I’m not like dad” The raw truth. If only Saori had heard, had truly listened, had asked what this all meant,

Would we be fair in assuming that maybe, just maybe things could have panned out differently?

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A moving look at the challenges and triumphs that accompany coming out

There are films that seem to be built more from emotion than from reason and that, by making a virtue of necessity, are capable of crossing borders and penetrating the depths of the heart. 'Coming Out' ('Kamingu Auto', its original name in Japanese), is clearly one of those films.
The tenderness and care with which this raw story of a homosexual university student who hides his homosexuality and decides to come out of the closet to his family and friends, in addition to confessing his love to Noburo, his best friend, is treated from the first moment, supplements any possible technical or artistic deficiency.
In the end, within this story, the issue of homosexuality appears almost as a footnote and what is really underlined is that what matters is that LOVE will always remain LOVE, and no one can break that.
So anyone who tries to approach this film in search of morbidity and bait may already forget about the subject. The only thing we find here is a beautiful love story full of meaning and loaded with sensitivity.
Ang Lee had already warned us in another story that took place at the foot of the Brokeback mountains. Being oneself and loving fully becomes practically impossible when desire comes face to face with the wall of the laws of an unjust society that decides in advance what is good and what is not. Laws solely based on prejudices that use any shortcut – homosexuality, for example – to condemn what is not considered correct. A society that prejudges and takes the behavior of others so lightly can only be a sick society. Those who have suffered it in some way and in a similar situation know that a story like this could only be born from the viscera and woven with the threads of pure emotion.
In his debut as a screenwriter and director, japanese filmmaker Inudo Kazutoshi ('Crack', 2015) weaves a story in which Akami Yo, an ordinary homosexual college student who enjoys spending time with his friends, has decided to come out of the closet.
Given the insistence of his family and friends to introduce him to his girlfriend, or the demands of when he is going to get married and have children, the protagonist decides to communicate his sexual orientation to the people around him and who are important in his life, after having accepted herself with that orientation.
The film explores what is perhaps one of the most complicated and at the same time most satisfying decisions in the life of every homosexual. Tired of living pretending to be someone else and, despite feeling afraid of being rejected by others, the boy has decided to take the step, within a conservative family, a heteronormative and patriarchal country that does not recognize marriage between people of the same sex and with high levels of homophobia.
'Coming Out' is a drama with no more pretensions than those indicated in its premise, and it is clear that the director and screenwriter intends to highlight the general attitude of society regarding the issues of the Japanese LGBT community. In that sense, it seems very educational and almost preachy at times, but the purposes of making a film like this in a country like Japan is understandable.
I find the part where Yo talks to his parents the most intriguing and I can imagine that many viewers will be able to identify with it. It's a little cheesy to be brutally honest, but I find it endearing.
First he will talk to his sister because he may feel more comfortable addressing the topic with her, then with his parents and finally with Noburo, who in addition to being his best friend is the boy he likes.
The only ones who know Yo's secret are Tsuyoshi and Madame, two gay employees of the "Bb" bar where he usually goes, and a girl who frequents the same, who will encourage him to come out of the closet.
Despite its seemingly trite theme, this film tells the story honestly by showing the harsh reality of a world in which people hate or fear those who are different. For a homosexual to fit into Japanese society it seems to be necessary to hide one's true identity and repress what one really is.
Also noteworthy is the performance of the protagonist, Takahashi Naoto ('Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'), who manages to intensely convey the feelings of a complex character.
The cast is closed by Taiji Utagawa, Fumika Ichinose and Kosuke Akiyama (TooT Aki), who in fact came out of the closet in the Japanese media.
The film was so popular that it was sold out at an advance screening at the 23rd Tokyo International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
The viewer may like how the camera closes on the protagonist's face when he confesses to his sister, before moving on to her. Likewise, the split screen color and Yo's internal dialogue.
On the other hand, the film presents organizations and self-teaching material about the lives of LBGTQ+ people and a critique of their media representation, something significant if we take into account that it was filmed in 2014.
Despite being a film with a strong dramatic charge, it gives you the dose of energy, optimism and empowerment necessary to go out into the street and proudly shout what you feel.
The message is not only one of self-acceptance, but also of fighting for our rights, offering a moving look at the challenges and triumphs that accompany coming out and the process of accepting oneself.

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Soulmate Review - ZyKuu

A film that paints the story of two soulmates, Ha-eun and Mi-so. This movie takes you through the timeline of when the two main leads first met till the very end. The acting was amazing, you could feel the emotion and pain the characters were experiencing through the screen. The story did get confusing at some points, and you will be questioning things afterwards, but I believe that the premise of the film was delivered clearly. I loved the relationship between Ha-eun and Mi-so as they displayed what true friendship means. The character development in this film is beautiful and I loved the concept of death and life shown through both characters.

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Are we living in Concrete Utopia?

I finally saw this movie. I already watched Badland Hunters and The Bargain pt. 1 and pt.2 in Korean cinemas, which are part of this world affected by a devastating earthquake, the consequences of which turned the entire country into a wasteland. Concrete Utopia is a type of films that I really like because they talk about survival in dangerous situations and about human psychology. On the one hand, I would like the people in the film to be more humane towards their neighbors, because that way they would start rebuilding what the earthquake destroyed, but probably this kind of presentation is more realistic. Man's first survival instinct is to be selfish and take care of himself. Nevertheless, in one impressive scene, the film provides a glimmer of light and hope in an artistic way, through the stained glass window of a ruined church.

So, this film is brutal, less because of the tragedy of the great earthquake itself, and more because of the relationships between people who manage to survive as best they know how. Here we have a number of top actors and all of them managed to convey the emotion of despair and anguish in a very difficult situation. And at the end, I have a question: Isn't the behavior of people in this movie a reflection of the real behavior of people in today's civilized world, because our reality is even more than in the movie, a real Concrete Utopia!?

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More CCTV?

From beginning to end, the film maintains a high level of tension and suspension. It often happens that a movie has a great start, but it gets diluted in the second or third part and then I can't wait for the movie to end. But the director managed to introduce new interesting elements throughout the film so that the whole film has something special to offer. The beginning is interesting because we get to know the main character and his unusual hobby of following other people's lives. The plot is interesting because through a sudden event, it gradually reveals hidden details from the life of the protagonists, and the conclusion of the film leaves us something to think about the personality of the main character and thus completes the whole story. The actors all did a great job here.

The film also has a social message about CCTV surveillance, which is useful when you need to find a criminal, but too many cameras also provide opportunities for greater manipulation. In today's world, virtual life on SNS (social networks) can be very brutal and has a huge impact on people's real lives.

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Inaspettati cortocircuiti con l'Italia

Tre amici di infanzia e soci in affari nella gestione di un fallimentare ristorante HotPot ricavato in uno dei tanti rifugi antiatomici dismessi di Chongqing (retaggio della scampata guerra nucleare sino-sovietica), nel corso di lavori di ristrutturazione nel locale, sbucano per sbaglio nel bel mezzo di un caveau di una banca, trovandosi a portata di mano mazzette di contanti che li renderebbe ricchi sfondati, estinguendo, inoltre, i loro ingenti debiti e guai con la malavita.

La tentazione è forte, specialmente quando i tre scoprono che nella banca lavora Yu Xiaohui (Bai Bai He - 白百何), una loro ex compagna di classe, innamorata di uno del trio, Liu Bo (Chén Kū - 陈坤) ai tempi del liceo.

Il terzetto cerca la collaborazione della ragazza che accetta volentieri, un po’ perché ancora cotta della sua vecchia fiamma adolescenziale, un po’ per rivincita contro un ambiente di lavoro ostile.

Tuttavia poco prima del colpo, Liu Bo desiste dall’intento criminale e rinuncia alla rapina ma l’incredibile coincidenza con un altro colpo progettato da rapinatori “professionisti” che irrompono in banca con le maschere di Xīyóujì 西游记 (Viaggio in occidente) e rapiscono come ostaggi dipendenti e clienti della banca, inclusa Yu Xiaohui, spingono Liubo ad intervenire per salvare la ragazza e, forse, per redimersi dal peccato di aver progettato il colpo o, addirittura, da un’esistenza fallimentare.

Che c’entra l’Italia?
Se si esclude la violenza sovraesposta nelle sparatorie “alla Tarantino”, chi ama il cinema italiano di Totò e la Commedia all’italiana, potrà notare alcune assonanze con “I soliti ignoti” di Monicelli o, meglio ancora “La banda degli onesti” di Totò e Peppino.

Il trio che butta giù la parete sbagliata e il belloccio della combriccola che cerca di sfruttare una onesta ragazza di buone maniere per i suoi illeciti interessi, salvo poi desistere dal colpo e salvare la donzella in pericolo tirandola fuori dal guaio combinato rimandano alla “Banda del buco” e al Gasmann dei “Soliti ignoti di Monicelli”.

Gli onesti cittadini che si trovano di fronte la peccaminosa tentazione di un colpo facile, facile salvo poi desistere all’ultimo, quando tutto era pronto, sembrano proprio il gruppetto di improvvisati falsari capeggiati da Totò e Peppino nella “Banda degli Onesti” di Camillo Mastrocinque.

Tutto questo potrebbe far sorgere un’assurda domanda … Ma vuoi vedere che Yang Qing (il regista) abbia visto qualche film italiano?

A suffragare quest'assurda ipotesi arrivano alcuni "Easter eggs": Liu Bo torna a casa sua in cerca della lettera ricevuta da Yu Xiaohui al liceo quando, come per magia, sulla parete della sua cameretta appare il poster della Nazionale Italiana Epoca mondiale Francia ‘98: Del Piero, Vieri, Roberto Baggio, Inzaghi e Dino Baggio fanno capolino alle spalle del protagonista.

Il nonno di Liu Bo se ne va in giro con con la maglia di Baggio di USA ‘94.

Un film dal ritmo serrato pieno di colpi di scena, il pubblico italiano ha qualche ragione in più rispetto agli altri per amarlo.

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