Reviews

Not my type

I didn’t like this movie, I was bored but confused. But hold on am not biased to the story concept cause I have watched such things way more than you think not just movies but real life too. I am not sensitive to the topic but the storytelling is slow and tedious. It is like a documentary film with an unstable camera view and natural sounds. Nothing grasped my interest throughout the story, the characters, the kiss, the confusion, and more.

The camera angles went more unstable whenever the leads were close and showed half of the faces, if anyone thinks it's art then it is fine. Cause I don’t know anything about it but I wanted to see the subject properly.

The acting was average, not exemplary. It felt like seeing two people around the corner or the house trying to hide their feelings from themselves and the world.

I really liked the sounds. walking tone, water flows, rains, winds, cars.

If you want to watch, you can just 2x or cause there is nothing to skip. But there are more good movies, I won't recommend this movie Kissing Cousine.

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A heart-wrenching film about the importance of friendships

When people think about the word soulmate, most of the time, the first thought that comes to their mind would be related to a significant other/a lover. But what if I tell you that your soulmate is the pure and deep friendships you've made throughout your life? A soulmate isn't just about finding "the one", a soulmate is someone who understands you significantly, someone who treasures you, and that person can be anyone in your life: a lover, a parent, a pet, or a friend. And this film: "Soulmate" excellently captures this concept. If you're coming into this film with the thought of wanting to know who the ML (Byun Wooseok) ends up with, then you're going to be disappointed because the ML isn't the film's focal point.

Rather, it is the relationship between Miso (Kim Dami) and Haeun (Jeon Sonee). The film takes us from the beginning of their friendship until the end, the conflicts that they have in the middle, and a heart-wrenching conclusion/ending at the end. Miso and Haeun come from different worlds, with different personalities yet they stick together like magnets. With such differences, the film also touches upon the societal expectations for girls such as getting a decent job and marriage and these aspects can be clearly seen in Haeun - an ambitious young woman who wants to paint and draw but had to conform to her parent's expectations of becoming a teacher (something that she is not passionate about). Miso, on the other hand, is more adventurous and she does things her own way. However, she had to cope with harsh circumstances and had to learn the hard way to earn a living by going against social norms. In the end, the only time these 2 characters feel at peace and can be themselves is when they're with each other.

I have already watched the original before watching this and the Korean remake definitely has made some changes, but it did not steer completely away from the main storyline, instead, it adds more substance to it and I really appreciated that. The actors did an amazing job portraying the characters. This film will leave you sobbing after so have some tissues prepared. Definitely recommend this film.

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I Can Feel The Female Empowerment

I don’t know if the purpose of this movie was to empower women or to give a woman a role that is normally gatekept for men but wow was this great. I love action movies especially those involving assassins and this has to be my favorite so far. Having a female lead who is the assassin adds a layer to it that makes it not like the rest! Bok Soon having to grapple with what it means to be a mother on top of her not so ordinary job made this super unique. I loved watching the mother daughter dynamic grow as well as the sapphic daughter being included! As a sapphic person myself that has dealt with my issues with my mother during teenage years it brought a new perspective to me while making it very relatable. I loved this movie and I would highly recommend the watch!

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Slick like John Wick

If John Wick was a woman, her name would be Gil Bok Soon. I quite enjoyed this movie. I just love stories with strong, exceptional women who can kick ass!

This movie is bloody, but the cinematography is exquisitely slick. On the surface, it is about an assassin and the organization that she works for -- similar to the John Wick franchise's world-building of assassin factions/orders with hierarchy and sets of rules. The main character, aptly nicknamed 'Kill Bok Soon' is a highly skilled assassin and at the top of her field - you can see this by what her colleagues have to say about her, both in admiration and jealousy.

The real story (IMO) is Bok Soon's relationship with her daughter and her attempts to understand her as a blossoming young adult. Even though Bok Soon is successful in her field both financially and skill-wise, her role as a mother is an alien concept to her. Her ability to read people and predict their next move just doesn't work on her daughter. Although it is shown as more of a 'side story' (probably due to the time constraints of movie form), you can read between the lines. If this were a drama, I'd definitely be interested in watching it.
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*The following contains spoiler scenes, DO NOT READ if you don't like spoilers!!*

Personal thoughts on scenes and things of interest:

* scene with Shinichiro Oda, both sitting on the ground and conversing while having a cigarette as if they are long-time friends (before the fight) -- had me giggling

* when she foresees her death while looking in the puddle of water (fight scene with Shinichiro Oda), right before she asks to change her weapon -- scene is somehow funny, surprising (I was like "What? She dies so quickly in the movie??), artistic, and a parody (of the iconic "who am I" scene from Mulan) all at the same time.

* scenes with Lee Jae Wook ❤️❤️❤️, who plays a young version of Cha Min Kyu -- had me smiling literally from ear to ear. What can I say, I'm a fan of his, he is sooo sexy and absolutely magnificent . . . what I would give to [insert daydreams of possibly X-rated wishes and situations with Lee Jae Wook ;P] . . .

* the sex scene with her younger colleague, Han Hee Sung (it's not explicit) -- the expression Hee Sung makes when Bok Soon holds him down and denies his request made me cackle hysterically and then wheeze from being out of breath :D

* Can you believe that Jeon Do Yeon is 50?!?! Wow, I hope I can look that fantastic when I'm her age!! Other than this movie, I have only seen her in Crash Course in Romance and Memories of the Sword - but I can totally see why she is known as a chameleon with her ability to transform into her characters. She looks super cool as Bok Soon, her outfits, her demeanor, her expressions and actions as both an expert assassin and an insecure mother were all top-notch and believable. She is a talented actress indeed.

*when her daughter finally tells her why she hurt the ahole student -- I can't imagine how difficult this was for her character nor how difficult it would be for people IRL. It's not often you see LGBTQ themes in Korean content unless it is BL genre - so it's nice to see it gaining more exposure and provoking empathy and thought (one would hope anyway - NOTE: don't read the comment section of this movie here - it's really shameful to see that bigotry and downright stupidity still exists. . .)

* when Bok Soon confesses that she knew she was in the wrong regarding her initial reaction upon learning that her daughter prefers women -- I like that she admitted it, brief moment but poignant. It's an idea and thought process that could have been expanded upon if it was in a series rather than a movie.

* when Bok Soon tells Cha Min Kyu she knows that SHE is his weakness - made me wonder how long she knew this fact; did she ever have romantic feelings for him?; were they ever an item and/or is it possible that he is the father of her daughter??

Negatives:

* would be even better as a drama since there were several questions left unanswered

* characters could have been more developed (downfall of a movie structure)

* Cha Min Hee's character was confusing. It is stated that she is Cha Min Kyu's younger sister, but the way she was portrayed seemed like she was possessively and obsessively in love with her brother -- gross.

TL;DR: A visually striking movie with a badass female assassin who struggles with being a mom to her adolescent daughter. Beautiful and talented cast members. Highly recommend.

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very informative. must watch for newbies. might feel explicit in the start but is very good. even the acting is on point. the whole movie is on next level and i really recommend it to others. this movie is not stereotypical and breaks barrier of the k-drama industry.

Jung Ji Hoo is a competent and popular high-flying employee at work but one day this image threatens to fall apart when a fellow co-worker, Jung Ji Woo, mistakenly receives a package belonging to him and opens it to find a large dog-collar and its accompanying leash inside. What follows is a light-hearted introduction to a BDSM relationship between the two.

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Korea doesn't have too many female action fighters who's not stereotyped so when I saw the preview of this I decided to watch it.

I was thinking of a female version of John Wick and I read another review who thought the same, lol.

Aside from the slow action scenes this movie didn't have too much to go on. Yes we learn there's a company called MK but you don't know what's it about. You have men sitting at a table but you don't know who they are. There's no backstory about what this company is about. There were backstories of Bok Soon but what was the point of some of those back stories?

Then there's stuff that could've been left out such as the semi sex, lesbo, and small incest scenes. Didn't need to see any of that.

My main gripe has to do with the last part of the movie. It went down like a wimp.

This is why I don't care for Korean movies. It seems like they stuff a whole lot of fluff in a two hour movie but just completely rush the ending leaving questions to be answered. Definitely not the kind of movie I like to watch.

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Chinese version of The Holiday

I loved Ying Zhen in Love Me if You Dare, and I loved him here as well. He's got that nice guy next door quality about him. For me, he was the high point of this movie. Well, and the ending was very fairy tale sweet as well.

As for the rest, one of the female leads spent all her time yelling, the other one spent all of her time being self-absorbed. The "poor" FL seemed very immature and looked like she was about 12. She was loud and it was dubbed by the same woman that seems to do all the Chinese dubbing (baby voice, high pitched, irritating). The "rich" FL thought that every guy should fall all over her, and I just couldn't like her.

Plus, everyone seemed like they were overacting in this. It was cringy.

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Park Chan Wook at his most accessible

Park Chan Wook is responsible for seminal works in the movie industry, and he is known as a plot twist deity .

The genius in his works usually make for an unstable watch and most times an inaccessible moment for moviegoers but in Handmaiden he condescends to make an approachable and accessible watch. The themes of colonial Korea and the tension with Japan are enduring as well as the other themes explored that include feminism ,liberation and sexuality.

Its beautifully shot and wonderfully acted too.

I do find Park Chan Wook a bit of a difficult pill to swallow so if he is your fave then you will surely love this.

If you are just starting out in watching his films , then this is the more accessible he has and great for beginners.

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Such fun!

If you want to take a break for heavier drama fare, this is a great watch! It was laugh out loud funny in numerous places and had a cast of lovable characters.

It's a story about love, a love that is based on the person inside, not the outward appearance. Hae Joo (Shin Min Ah is wonderful, as usual. She is just gorgeous as well) and Dong Geum (Ryu Seung Beom - lovely to watch. He's great at physical comedy and his expressions are priceless!) are in love. He is her eyes, basically, as she is blind. I loved the scenes of him describing things to her. She is having eye surgery to regain her eyesight, and Dong Geum feels that he isn't attractive enough for her, so he decides to bow out of the relationship. He makes excuse after excuse to stay away from her and policeman Jun Ha enters the picture (Kim Kang Woo was terrific and one of the most well-written SMLs that I've seen), trying to win her love. Dong Geum takes up with Do Shik (Ahn Kil Kang - he was hysterical in this !), and Do Shik keeps trying to help Dong Geum kill Jun Ha off.

This was a movie that absolutely didn't take itself too seriously and I enjoyed the whole thing. I found myself smiling and laughing through the whole thing.

The music in the jazz club was excellent, as well.

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the leads repulsed by the thought of having one kiss

when i watched the serie first, i can tell that both dont want to kiss but i was like "whatever" the story was so good then and fun so i was able to ignore it but here the movie is kinda slow, not many things going on and the fake kisses?? i mean i will not mind if there is no kiss at all instead of making fake kiss scenes while its so obvious that they are not kissing and it make me wonder ,why those people act as a couple in bls if it make them feel so uncomfortable? look its not a bed scene or anything but one kiss repulse them and i just find it ridiculious? stick to straight series if you cant deal with acting in a bl because i watch and as a viewer i dont get the feels that "those two are in love" their scenes do look awkward asf.
only 2 positive things i want to mention , i like Kurosawa's character , so understanding so patient,so supportive and so in love, the other thing is Yutaro i love his blond hairstyle look so good on him and he is so pretty, i wish to see him in another bl but as a main character instead

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"죽기 전에 또 봐."

?️I've been hearing a lot of complaints that a little brat like Sang Woo is not a realistic portrayal of a naughty kid. Well. I grew up with my grandmother who is currently 83 years old. I was spending the holidays at her house with no hot water and a toilet outdoors. I can't compare that to the rural Korea of 2000s, but as I watched the movie I felt so strangely familiar with its world.

?️Moving from the small apartments with almost sterile cleanliness that my mom maintained to the house with mosquitoes, bugs and mice running around always required an adaptation period. Old people can't put as much effort into cleaning, and their eyesight and memory are bad. I would often ask grandma to cook something, and when she put the salt in twice or even trice I would push the dishes aside and say they are disgusting. When grandma didn't understand what I said I would call her deaf and not repeat my words on purpose. I would sometimes refuse to thread a needle for her. She didn't kick me out of her house, and she wasn't saint nor very patient. She just new I was a silly kid. After a couple of days of being squeamish I started washing the dishes and dusting by myself, and even eat the soup with a drown midge in it. In the end of the summer I didn't want to come back home.

?️집으로... is everything but manipulative. The kid in the story isn't coming over the grandmother's house voluntarily like me. He has problems in his family, he feels abandoned for a weird person he doesn't really know. If you look into your childhood you could probably find the moments you acted like Sang Woo even if you didn't admit it to yourself. There are many moments when the boy does good things, he's not plain evil. It's insincere to call him a piece of sht because most of us were the same and have forgotten that.

As I looked at Kim Eul Boon I couldn't stop thinking how much has she lived through. She saw the Japanese occupation and all the Six Republics of Korea. And how many more old people lived off their gardens in the same conditions as the main character in 2000s?

?️The movie might not be the most subtle or "intellectual", but it has a strong core. I see now, Minari was definitely inspired by The Way Home. There is nothing extraordinary in its cinematography, or acting, or the screenplay, but all of them are very organic. That's what makes people love the movie.

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One calm movie

This is heart warming movie, tell a story about a girl that sick of a life in city & she decided to back to her small hometown & live there for a period of time, healing herself & re-build the relationship with her neighbor & friends.

If you also kinda sick with the life in the city, with all the hardship in the big city & all the stuff the big city can offer you. You can take a peek of what kind of life the little village can offer you.

This movie have very calm environment that can bring peace to your soul. No conflict or anything in the movie, just like Booklover_95 wrote in her/his review: "No angst, no forced laughter, no tears but just sit through it and feel refreshed just watching it." Really one movie to heal your head from all the problem you have in your real life & enjoy the ride for this movie

The one point about this movie for me that I don't too like. The time is so damn slow.... Even after watch it with double speed still so damn slow for me.... But if you want to watch something refreshing & for playing in the background this movie can be your choice. But in the end to watch this kind of movie sometimes still quite good & refreshing for our soul....

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Cliched budget John Wick remake

This movie is essentially a Korean John wick Remake replaced with a female protagonist. Many salient plot points were literally copy and pasted from John Wick: assassins having their own secret gatherings with their own rules, assassins' meeting place is similar to the continental hotel in John Wick, other assassins' turning on Bok Soon/John Wick due to a bounty on their head etc. Makes you wonder if they were trying to time it together with John Wick 4's release date. Aside from the similarities with the John Wick series, the rest of the film's plot was just the same old washed up cliches. Assassin/contract killer suddenly having a guilty conscience for some reason throwing everything in jeopardy blah blah blah. I literally rolled my eyes at that point. Bok Soon has been in this trade for at least 2 decades and yet she gets a crisis of faith trying to kill some politician's son? Why? Oh, it's because she is a MOTHER! But wait a minute, she has been a mother for 15 years and NEVER felt this way until now? This makes no sense AT ALL. You want me to believe that out of all the people she has killed in her career she has never killed someone as "innocent" as this random politician's son? Did she not consider that the other people she has killed before were also someone's child/parent as well?

Other fun tropes in this film also include pairing up the experienced veteran (Bok Soon) with the scrappy intern, Bok Soon's mentor/boss letting her kill him and all the single mother with rebellious teenage children scenarios that you can think of. Speaking of this whole "single mother who is also an assassin" plot point, I really want to say that Bok Soon's daughter is the most poorly written character in the whole show. She is a typical teenage girl going through puberty and coming to grips about being a lesbian but some of her actions are so illogical it just made me annoyed. She oscillated so often between being cold and aloof towards her mother to conveniently blowing up her mother's phone during her "shows" it made me think she was bipolar instead. Also, the whole coming out scene was so strangely written I'm not sure if the LGBT representation should even be appreciated by the community. At least the saving grace was that the acting was decent... though the cinematography and editing were soo choppy it was obvious stunt doubles were used. Oh, and the ending was extremely abrupt and pointless. There was a random mid credit scene about Bok Soon's daughter "confronting" her ex girlfriend and threatening to kill her, to which the ex simply smiled creepily in response while teeny bopper music played in the back. Then the film cut to the rest of the credits. WTF was that about??

With all my various complaints out of the way, I'd say that this is still a fairly entertaining film that you should watch if you're a fan of the thriller/assassin genre. The acting is decent as well, so if you're willing to look past the weak ass storyline, it should still make for an enjoyable watch. I would however, strongly recommend the John Wick series if you have not watched that before instead.

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Great Movie, if you like John Wick

I mean it was really really good, it's like a korean take of John Wick, but they had the ranking system of One Punch Man or maybe even My Hero Academia, but mostly close to One Punch Man. And the mc was a women, so that was kinda breath of fresh Air. Though it's kinda ironic that this came out around the same time as John Wick 4

Storytelling was good, i think in the beginning it's kindly slow because they need time to build it up, I even almost fell off, but good thing i stucked with it as i'll slowly pick up as is goes on.

The sub plot of the daughter being a LGBT was fine, it wasn't distracting or ruining you're experience with the Movie, as they weren't really focusing on in that much.

The Cinematography was really confusing at times, cuz it was like a merge of old style asian and modern cinematography. I really the visualization when Boksoon is thinking on how to kill her opponents, that was really amazing, I think that really adds to her character.

Also, just a nitpick opinion, that sex scene of boksoon and heesung wasn't really necessary imo. I think the story would still be fine if it wasn't there, but i kinda get it why they had to add it, just to show how deep boksoon and heesung's relationship go, but again still unnnecessary.

Overall, I was really invested in the world, cuz it was interesting. It would've been great if this was a TV series, cuz the movie runtime didn't do it justice as it was to short for me, but it doesn't feel like it's rushed either. Still it would've been great if the world would be explored more because it's interesting, i think there's still lots to talk about. Hope they would make a sequel or spin off TV series of this.

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I shouldn't have watched it alone!

This movie was, for me, surprisingly good. The film quality isn't fabulous, it's an older movie, and you need to make sure that the room that you are watching it in is dark, because this film has a lot of dark scenes that are hard to see.

Story/script: SPOILERS! Overall, it was good, but a couple of glaring things stuck out to me. First, her guide dog had to be the worst guide dog ever. She walked her out into the middle of an intersection with cars coming! THEN, the dog left her when she got off the train. Granted, the dog did come back to try to protect Soo Ah, and then died?!?!?! I know it was necessary to the story about "I lose everyone I love" but come on! Thankfully I knew about this ahead of time, so I was somewhat prepared, but then to kill off the inspector?!?! Couldn't the writer just have him be wounded? I was hoping he'd show up at her graduation and was so disappointed. Another thing that irritated me, her burning herself while cooking, and spilling things all over the place. She'd been blind for three years; it seems she would have adapted better than this. I felt that the writers were trying to show us how "weak" she was because of her disability. It didn't ring true to me. That being said, the tension in this movie was real, lots of sudden camera shots that had me jumping in surprise.

Acting: I love all of the actors that were in this and felt they did a good job.

The ending scenes were sweet, showing that she had someone else in her life to care about her.

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