Eclipse (2016)

Really excellent, both as a mystery thriller of high school boys becoming involved in the lurid criminal underworld and in the unfolding of the characters of the protagonists. It's also a classic tale of how an innocent acting for good motives (helping his mother) gets caught up in crime. I also feel the BL theme is absolutely central to this movie. All the events that happened would simply not have developed the way they did but for the initial attraction between Se Joon and Yoon Jae. It's brought out when the pair meet at the end when the truth seems clear even if still unspoken. There's also the irony that the "strong" character Se Joon is revealed as vulnerable exactly where his deepest feelings lie - if he'd been strong enough to express his feelings to Yoon Jae I'm sure the triangle between him, Yoon Jae and Eun Yeong would have been shown as unreal and events would not have ended up as they did. I get the feeling Se Joon realised his attraction but could not express it, whereas Yoon Jae was too innocent and suppressed his feelings but may have finally realised the truth too late. Depends how you interpret the ending. I felt sorry for poor Eun Yeong - well played by the lovely Moon Ga Young - who was really caught in the middle between two boys unable to fully express their love for each other. The treatment of her character's part was for me the most objectionable aspect of the movie - if maybe justified by the plot. The ending was also very well thought out and acted, even if - for those of us with a romantic outlook - a real bummer. Re-watch value high because even when you know the story, it's a pleasure to appreciate the finer details of how the characters develop and the plot is acted out.

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TL:DR It's a good DRAMA movie, but it's not a thriller.

Just a little note that I watched it raw and I am not a fluent Korean speaker, so I may be wrong on certain occasions.

The things I loved:
- Character portrayal. I loved how this movie took its time to show what the characters thought of each other using actions and glances rather than just words. I believe that it creates a certain tension of the viewer thinking whether the characters mean what they do, or whether it is simple over analyzation. This gives credit to the amazing casts and storyline.
- The suspense. Yes I said that this is not a thriller, and I mean it, but there is some level of suspense (or tension) throughout the movie, and I credit the music for that. It's not your dramatic movie suspense but those everyday suspense that normal people feel because of human relations.

The things I didn't quite like:
- The trailer vs the movie. I came for a thriller movie and so I had certain expectations when I started watching. Therefore I am not going to lie. I was a bit disappointed when I watched it (but that added the element of surprise, which is always nice) Don't get me wrong though. I thoroughly enjoyed and was indulged in this movie.
- The last scene of the movie. No spoilers, I know. But when you finish watching, tell me that if I am wrong when I say that the crew/director kind of miss the point of something and maybe thought we didn't notice something. Idk, might just have been me.

Anyway, Choi Taejoon is in here and I love him, so this movie is borderline BOMB.

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IF YOU GONNA WATCH THIS DON'T READ THE COMMENTS AND IT IS NOT BL IT IS MORE OF BROMANCE!!
After watching this I am totally speechless!!!
The story was sooo good that I can't describe how good it was.
I loved the acting so much especially Choi Tae Joon he did amazing. I also loved how the story tracked the relationship between them.
There wasn't much music to talk about cuz all the time I was concentrating on the what is going on with the story.
I would definitely rewatch again but I think it would be better after a long time or after you start to forget some of it.
overall it was definitely my best weekend movie and I also regrate not watching it from a long time as I read the comments and I thought that cuz it is not BL it won't be good but now I found it amazing.

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I want to put a disclaimer that this is not a romance film in the slightest it’s marketed as a thriller and because of that there is some very real depictions of violence including sexual violence ie rape. Also, both characters are very morally grey characters there are no good guys in this film so just know that going in. In my opinion the romantic elements though subtle are the strongest parts of the story as a whole and overshadow the thriller aspect of the film, which is why i find the plot a bit lacking especially since this film was marketed as a thriller/social commentary film. The toxic relationship between the two main characters Yoon Jae and Se Joon is very complex, so complex you may not truly catch everything about their relationship at first watch or even the second. However, the relationship of the boys, through subtle and not so subtle actions truly draw you in. I really wish that their relationship was the main theme of the movie because in my opinion that is where the film excels but unfortunately its not. I will say that when considering the actions of the characters I would look at everything with a critical eye that will really help with any questions you may have about the motivations of the characters. I had to watch this film 3 times to be sure of the big main question this film will leave you with. But if you go in with a critical, nuanced eye you’ll easily be able to answer that question.

Spoilers Ahead

I think Yoon Jae knew Se Joon had feelings for him and also had feelings for Se Joon as well, a lot of his actions subtly hint at that. Such as hiding the gift and his relationship with EunYoung etc. What was his motivation for that? His face when Se Joon walks away from him after finding out that he lied to him. Also, when Se Joon texts him to come outside he hesitates at first until Se Joon texts him a second time saying “its all about you”. And did no-one notice after Yoon Jae gets beat up he literally has no more scenes with Eun Young lol I know he was going through a lot but still if you like a girl you’d think to make sure she knows your alright but who did he actually go see? The real conclusive evidence is at the end though the fact that Yoon Jae even visited him at the prison and actually asked him how he was and looks tearful the whole time he’s there. If he actually liked or loved Eun Young there is no way he could visit her murderer and even ask how he was lol friend or not. Also, he never looked mad at Se Joon not even once like if someone murdered the girl you like you’d feel some anger right? Se Joon even provokes him, describing how her body smelled like perfume and he can still smell it. If he cared about Eun Young he would’ve been outraged as soon as he said that but he doesn’t care. And when Se Joon is about to confess, Yoon Jae bows his head because he already knows. And then he asks the guard to wait because he actually wants to hear him confess because he reciprocates his feelings.

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Oh boy! I found this yesterday and thought I would give it a try. After the first 10 minutes I wanted to turn it off, I don't know why, I just felt this woudn't be worth it. At the end I watched until midnight, I was completely sucked in by the story. It's really, really good. The acting was superb, the story itself makes you think and almost haunts you. I coudn't get it out of my head even in my dreams. It's a psychological work and it's a great one. I can recommend it to everyone who likes good psychological stories. The BL is real, btw. There is no doubt about it. But the focus is on jealousy and obsession.
Give it a try!

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This movie is a very realistic portrayal of the dark side of humanity. How through seemingly normal situations we sometimes end up in the deepest recesses of someone's hell. As far as the subtext goes this film says a lot that will stick with you for a long time. Showing the life of the two main leads. Yoon-Jae (Kim Shi-Hoo) is a transfer student at his new high school. He begins to hang around with mysterious student Se-Joon (Choi Tae-Joon). They become involved in a case involving their junior student Eun-Young (Mun Ka-Young).

The film never spells anything out you have to see it and come to your own conclusions. But basically the relationship between Yoon Jae and Se Joon starts from innocent feelings to obsession from Se Joon's end. Where he starts torturing the bullies who harmed Yoon Jae and ends up getting messed up when Yoon Jae isn't with him.

There's a girl Eun Yung who starts out having a crush on Se Joon but then she's hanging out with Yoon Jae because it's obvious she's developing feelings for him. And Se Joon sees Yoon Jae is interested in her too and his feelings of obsession and pain over not being able to express himself, it all starts creating a storm inside Se Joon which is metaphorically shown by the Jason Mraz guitar getting sold which was the most important dream he had. Not just the guitar itself but his dream was to play it for Yoon Jae.

That's when it all comes crashing.

The movie is just so engaging and painful to watch at times but I fell in love with this story.

That ending where even then Se Joon was the one who blurts out his emotions.

You know that if one or few things had happened different none of this would have happened. If Yoon Jae hadn't been so dismissive of Se Joons feelings, they might have had a different kind of ending.

Really amazing film.

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From romance to mystery/thriller

*outline*
The ending was a real shame. Throughout the entire movie, despite knowing the ending would turn to be a sad one, it felt a little cut off. Unfinished, maybe. And the continuous shifts from romance to mystery to thriller became an addictive endless cycle. It really draws you in.


*analysis*
STORY : The whole thing was painful to watch. It started off with pain and ended with pain. The fact that the plot was so uncliche really kept me on my toes. The pacing was brilliant and although some of the scenes were irrelevant, it set the base for the emotions running through the characters' heads and their background stories.

ACTING/CAST : Choi Tae Joon unfortunately always does bad guy in disguise roles. I was hoping to every God possible that that wasn't the case this time, too. Welp. The ending was a little confusing so I still don't know whether I could class him as a bad guy after all. He just wanted a friend and that just hits me in a sensitive spot. However, everyone did well acting-wise, even the background actors. No one came out of role or felt useless to the plot. Moon Ga Young did really well, as a rookie in 2014, too. She's still the same Moon Ga Young we find today in True Beauty.

MUSIC : All I remember is themes played throughout the movie, I don't remember a song. However, I'll still give it a high rating because the movie was just so good. It was clearly well-thought out and well-written. So much effort must've been put into the story that I don't even think any thought had to be spared for the music anyways.

REWATCH VALUE : I would definitely rewatch this if I ever miss the story. But the reason I came to watch it was for some bromance which I unfortunately didn't get. I really had high hopes for some BL themes, especially with Choi Tae Joon. But oh well. I wasn't disappointed.


*recommendations*
I don't really have any recommendations for something similar. But if you haven't already, go watch Choi Tae Joon's dramas. He mostly plays supporting roles but they never really disappoint. He has a story of his own to tell through his actions and thoughts all the time which is probably one of the reasons I love his dramas and the characters he plays in them. Moon Ga Young is a good actress too, so watch some of her dramas definitely. However sometimes she plays irrelevant roles or roles that have been too detailed or over dramatized.

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I cried.............

I haven't been writing in a while but this film sets out just the right mood to write a review. Perhaps I’ll start to write reviews on series/dramas again because of this film (If you are wondering, yes, it’s THAT good).

If you are reading this review because you are still contemplating whether or not to watch it, I suggest you to stop wasting your time and go ahead and watch it. My only regret is that I didn't watch this drama when it was first released.

To be honest, I had the intention of watching this movie because of the BL moments (which in my opinion, is very subtle and not as straight-forward as you’d expect it to be). But like I said, I have no regrets watching it because it just blew my mind away. The plot is very intriguing and interesting. It’s not a cliche at all. I had some predictions when I first watched the movie but sadly, none of my predictions were right (kudos to the director for keep on making surprises for the audience).

I am truly amazed by how the film portrays the character Se Jun, to the point that I pity him for getting caught in his obsession and uncontrollable desire. Most of his actions were accidental, driven by his anger, jealousy and lust. It wasn’t obviously stated but you can easily deduce that Se Jun really has a strong feeling towards Yoon Jae; he even bursted out at the end of the movie, not what I expected from the dependable Se Jun.

This movie is just sad (in a good way); it makes the audience start having a lot of what ifs and could have beens. It’s just so good that it made me want to know what would’ve happened if Yoon Jae picked up the calls or if Se Jun was being direct about his feelings. I just wished it had a happy ending, but then again, if that’s the case then it wouldn’t have left me in this state.

Believe me, it’d take weeks for me to completely move on and accept the ending. During that period, people would just have to bear with me telling about how good this film is and how it’s worth every minute of your time to give it a watch. I’d definitely recommend a rewatch (I might just be doing that in the nearest time to really get into the feelings of the characters).

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Bullying + Violence + Triggers = last half of movie

Likes:
lighting even during the darker scenes was okay.
acting was decent.
fx were okay.
Music and sound effects done well.

Dislikes:
Writing:
Plot holes.
No punishment for the two guys who controlled the "finding girls". Bullying had no consequences either. No growth for the main actor and no true conclusion either. Sloppy ending, seemed very rushed compared to the slow beginning. The crying of Se Jun after what he did, seems dumb, because he had no problem doing what he did before the bathtub scene.
Production:
Shaking camera, especially with close ups, they should've used a film stabilizer.
Pacing was extra slow in the beginning, then rushed at the end of the movie.

Overall:
There was no bromance as it is tagged that. What the male leads had was barely friendship even. People read way too much into the two male leads calling it boy love. Not at all. They used each other; one for money, the other to get involved with the uncle that's never shown. Bullying, violence and triggering content that due to the rushed ending, doesn't give a satisfying resolution or conclusion. Even if you like graphic violence, this is on the low end of the decent movie spectrum. I don't recommend wasting your time watching this. No scene grabbing parts, that make you want to watch it again.

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The bystander dilemma

If you like psychological films, where the weight of the story resides in the character portrayals and their complex relationships, this is a very good film among the genre.
Although I have seen a lot of people argue about if it is a "BL":
It is not a BL in the sense there is no gay relationship portrayed. This is not a romance film, period. But it is a "BL" in the sense there is a very obvious love from one of the boys to the other; an unrequited love that is the "seed of all chaos", we could say. Warning: lot of spoilers in this review
Our ML, Yeong Jae, transfers school. Since the first moment he attracts the attention of Se Joon, who befriends him quite enthusiastic. YJ is in need of money to pay for his mother hospital bills, so asks SJ for help getting the job where SJ works, that is incredibly well payed...but it is a shady awful business (drugging women to let clients rap* them). Also, YJ begins to develop a crush on In Yong, who is head over heels for Se Joon.
Both of the main characters (YJ and SJ) are human trash, but their characters are really interesting and appealing. SJ actor is absolutely extraordinary in his character of SJ, a bully at school who dominates over other boys with his fighting skills and makes girls swoon over him with his good looks; who works a really immoral job to get plenty of money. Although there is an instance when we see him look stricken and guilty by what he has done to the girl at the end of the film, throughout the rest of the story we can see he has very little morals and does not care about any other human being, apart from our other ML, Yeong Jae. I really don't know what first made him so interested in YJ (his good looks, maybe??) but it is pretty obvious he really cares for him and loves him dearly. He is constantly looking out for him, protecting him and in fact that scene and the hotel room where YJ blames him for introducing him to the job made me feel indignant. SJ is really trash, but he only got YJ in that job because he begged him; and SJ tries to spare him the dirty side of the job (when he began working at the club, and SJ is there, YJ only has to sweet talking women, it is when the two guys begin to contact him without the knowledge of SJ when the criminal side of the job is revealed to him). SJ took the risk to go to that hotel room to clean the mess YJ left behind, but there was YJ saying "you and those 2 guys are monsters". And he was right, but he is so hypocritical; he is just as bad as him, a monster. He should have gone to the police since the first moment he realised what they really did to women there. But no, he chose to play victim and remain silent, even being an active collaborator of their crimes. And he can't even use the excuse of an ill mother, because he knew his father would give them all the monet they needed, but no, it is best to let women be harassed and evil run free than feel humilliated and less dignified asking your rich daddy money because you have issues with him.
What SJ did to In Yong is heartbreaking and has no forgiveness, and I am glad he ended up in prison paying for his crimes, but if there is someone in this story who has no right to condemn him is YJ. I am pretty sure YJ KNEW (or at least deeply suspected) SJ's feelings for him, that's why he hides him all the time his meetings with IY, and the fact he gave her a gift. So at the jail scene he seems sorrowful because deep down he knows SJ did that to IY because he was jealous and was in love with him (which he basically confess to over and over during their conversation at jail: "you really liked her, right?" "you gifted her that parfum", "please tell me the truth just for once"). and YJ more or less conciously took advantage of SJ's love for him, even to the point where after proclaiming he was going to turn himself in he NEVER did it, the f**cking coward. And SJ never snitched on him, which he should have imo lol.
The story depicts very sensitive harsh topics: rape, human trafficking, blackmailing minors... but I really liked the message (or at least that was the one I got from this movie), that BYSTANDERS (YJ) are just as bad as the ones commiting evil, that having some conscience and feeling bad doesn't make you any less guilty that people without any morals, if both of you harm others or let others be hurt and you just turned a blind eye.
We have 2 "evils" represented in the MC: SJ, the straightforward evil, who doesn't give a damn about others but he is honest to a fault and wears his heart in his sleeve, and YJ, who does not say a single truth, who goes all about rightneousness but allows and even commits bad deeds but plays the victim. The worst of them is YJ, who doesn't even pay for anything and has the chance to begin anew in a new setting. I guess he will spend all his life repeating to himself he was just another victim because he didn't want to hurt other people, but deep down is aware he is just a pathethic coward and a monster .

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