Movies completed in 2024

Watch it unprepared and it will hunt you forever...

Wonderful storytelling from auteur Sakamoto Yuji: simple, just how life is, but presented in a complex and multilayered way, just how we all live this life of ours.
Exemplary visualization and staging from auteur Koreeda Hirokazu: clever use of building the tension and emotional impact by re-telling the same story through different perspectives of the characters involved, masterful use of light, darkness and colours, profound use of the actors' talent and strength.
Painfully beautiful music score from late auteur's Sakamoto Ryuichi last work, which complimented and enhanced the depth and significance of every powerful moment.
Superb acting from veteran actors and, most importantly, from child-actors Kurokawa Souya and Hiiragi Hinata, who owned the screen, the story and our emotions.

Subtle but deeply affectionate, full of compassion, humanity and understanding of the monster some people hide behind their appearance and perceptions, this is a must-watch and one of the best works of its cast and crew.

"If only some people can have it, that's not happiness. That's just nonsense. Happiness is something anyone can have."
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A wonderful character study through a 'road-trip' around Tokyo's public toilets.
As contradicting as it may sound, this serene slice-of-life story of an ascetic, lonely man living an analog, laconic and humble life surrounded by books, cassettes, photos and plants, dreaming in black and white, repeating the same routine every day, enjoying his quiet simple life to the fullest even though the shadows of a well-hidden pain of his past life resurfaces from time to time, was indeed a unique watching experience.
Slow-paced, minimalistic in dialogues and narration but lavish in scenery, colours, sounds and emotions, with wonderful nostalgic songs and vibes, and a fantastic Yakusho Koji, who delivers a nuanced performance as Hirayama, this little gem was the epitome of less is more.
P.S. The last scene with Hirayama driving while listening to Nina Simone: heart-breakingly beautiful and a pure acting and filming perfection!
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A bittersweet, poignant slice of life story and an exquisite character study of women in Japan of the 60s, through the life of a bar hostess, her struggles to find happiness and financial stability among her demanding family, her unreliable colleagues and the men/clients that try to take advantage of her in every occasion.
Takamine Hideko, with her elegance and charisma filling the entire screen, gave a superb as well devastating performance as young widow Keiko, who lives her hard life with dignity and patience.
A classic and a masterpiece.
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A heart-warming and heart-breaking story of two abandoned siblings and their loyal dog.
Simple but poignant, with fantastic performances from all three leads: Kim Hyang Gi in her debut role when she was only 6 years old, Yoo Seung Ho in one of his first movies and Ma Eum (aka Hearty), a wonderful, talented dog.
Watch with care.
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An adorable time-travelling story with large doses of comedy and romance seasoning.
Fast-paced, inventive and never boring, even though its endless 2 minutes repetitions, this refreshingly unique concept is one more little gem from Yamaguchi Junta and Ueda Makoto duo.
Wholeheartedly recommended high-level entertainment on a low-budget project!
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A masterfully organized chaos in an almost surreal story of a movie within a movie, full of passion, devotion and love for filmmaking.
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Bittersweet, touching and impressively wholesome short movie.
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Refreshingly old-school romcom, with a wonderful pairing and a unique funny approach to some well-known and over-used clichés. A great weekend watch.
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When the story is based in true events and the cast includes Ra Mi Ran and Yeom Hye Ran, who never fail to deliver with any role they're given, the expectations are definitely high.
With many funny, touching, violent and tense moments, this was an entertaining watch, mainly thanks to Ra Mi Ran's down-to-earth and on-point depiction of an ordinary ahjumma that lost everything from a voice phishing scam and takes matters on her own hands, with the help of her friends, trying to find justice and her money back.
Time well-spent.
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A bleak, slow-burn story inspired by a real-life case of a young student's struggling, exploitation and tragic demise, told in two parts.
A piercing social commentary on the crushed hopes and dreams of young people caused by the indifference and derogation they face at their exploitative working environment, as well as the social stigma for those who are unable to 'endure' the suffocating family and societal expectations.
Top-notch performances from Bae Doo Na and Kim Shi Eun, in a difficult but thought-provoking watch.
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Based on true events, this is an inspirational, feel-good and very entertaining sports story about an underdog high school basketball team, full of youth, dreams, talent and hard work that manages to achieve an impossible success.
A perfect weekend watch.
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A heartwarming and inspiring story showing the unbreakable bond between a mother and her mentally challenged child.
Go Doo Shim and Kim Sung Kyun were excellent in their demanding roles, giving justice to their characters without being overly dramatic or exaggerated.
And even if the ending is predictable, I couldn't help but get teary eyes more than once during some heartbreaking and powerful moments.
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Quirky storytelling, snappy filming and a cute couple -played by Sekimizu Nagisa and Takasugi Mahiro- in a peculiar story of second chances, acceptance and compassion, family bonding and healing.
Though it may seem peculiar and zany, I ended up liking this oddball of a family a lot.
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Though a bit slow in the beginning, it soon became an engaging and entertaining action story about haenyeos, smuggling, scheming, betrayal, revenge and a great, badass sismance.
With some great 70s vibes, aesthetics and settings, as well as some wonderful underwater and fighting scenes, the film's biggest advantage was the cast and their teamwork.
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A heartwarming and inspiring short movie with a simple story and a great cast.
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A sweet teen romance with a story with no real surprises but done very well.
Though the FL was frustratingly indecisive, her friendship with her besties and her chemistry, tension and slow-burn romance with cutie pie ML made this an easy and fluffy watch.
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A quirky fusion of historical, alien, sci-fi, fantasy and action genres, spiced with comedy and camaraderie, in a very entertaining outcome.
Great production and special effects, better pacing in a more coherent storytelling, with lots of satisfying action-packed scenes and a a star-studded cast.
A fun, wacky ride!
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Unique, absurd, wild, genre-bending film that was way ahead of its time.
Fast-paced and totally unexpected plot, filled with bloody, darkly funny, tense, disturbing, insane moments.
And, of course, without the impressive performance from Shin Ha Kyun, this would never have been as entertaining and intriguing roller-coaster watching experience as it was.
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This bittersweet, humane story is a piercing social commentary on children poverty and abandonment, bureaucratic prejudice and dysfunctional families, using metaphorically a midsummer drought, water and the lack of it.
With Ikuta Toma in a refreshingly reserved character and two very promising child actresses, this slow-burn film was an interesting watch.
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An impressive neo-noir film, with a tight plot, lots of action and raw violence, and some intriguing plot-twists.
But, its biggest asset was casting Sol Kyung Gu and Yim Si Wan as the main leads: impeccable acting,   fantastic chemistry.
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Bittersweet, melancholic and nostalgic - with a touch of magic - study on afterlife, regrets and making amends.
With a Koreeda-like vibe, wonderful cinematography and a great cast, especially Lily Franky who gave a heartfelt performance as Michael, and a well-balanced emotional impact, this was an interesting watch, even though some characters backstories weren't developed properly.
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One of the few cases when a remake is on par with the original.
An emotional, affectionate story presented in a (not always successful) comedic way, with an unexpected plot-twist and an extremely moving and heartbreaking ending.
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A biographical story about one of the most beloved Japanese authors, Kenji Miyazawa, presented mostly from his father's perspective.
Beautifully directed and shot, though with more melodrama than necessary, it was an interesting and very touching watch, mainly due to its protagonist, Koji Yakusho and Suda Masaki, their exemplary versatility, chemistry and bonding.
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With a piercing, absolute scene-stelling performance from child actress Osawa Kana, this is a sad, difficult to watch slice-of-life story about a ‘rebellious’, lonely, neglected preteen girl in a dysfunctional family, and her unsuccessful attempts to get noticed, understood and loved.
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An enigmatic and complex story which is stylistically beautiful -with idyllic landscapes and forestry around an 'untouched' isolated village- dressed with impressively well-fitted music, but with an incoherent and confusing storytelling, and a very cryptic ending.
A demanding but rewarding watch.
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Beautifully filmed, with a stunning Dilraba Dilmurat in it!
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Lighthearted romcom with some laugh-out-loud moments and some touching ones.
A simple and predictable story in a rather unbalanced outcome, but overall enjoyable thanks to its great, talented cast and cameos.
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With unconventional filming, using vibrant colouring and stylish setting, and different timelines that eventually intertwine, this is a women-centered story about love, desire, traumas, dreams and meaningful connections.
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A post-apocalyptic action movie, with beautifully choreographed fight scenes, lots of blood, gore and brutality, in a familiar setting and a predictable outcome.
But even if the story isn't much, watching Ma Dong Seok do his stuff, smashing villains here and there, is always a pure enjoyment!
P.S. It seems that Ahn Ji Hye is a powerful and very promising addition to the action genre, with some wonderful fight stunts.
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A cruel and honest depiction of the depths of desperation defectors and refugees have to face while seeking a place to belong.
Not bad, but could have been much better if the pacing and the storytelling of the first part wasn't swept away by the forced romance that wasn't romancing during the second half.
Nonetheless, it was nice to see Song Joong Ki in this challenging role.
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Even though the blend of comedy with extreme school bullying didn't sit well with me, and most of the story was exaggerated, I really enjoyed Shin Hye Sun's kickass character and performance in this.
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An awkward and heavy watch about loss and grief caused by an unbearable tragedy, and the alienation, lack of communication, selfishness, prejudices, lying and dysfunctional relationships revealed during its aftermath.
Intentionally quiet, reserved, mundane and slow-paced, this is not an easy watch and definitely not for everyone.
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The rainbow of love in a touching story less than 3 minutes long.

Fast-paced and intense story of escape/survival, with Nakajima Yuto giving a commendable one-man show, which balanced some plot-holes here and there, as well as the questionable plot-twist in the end.
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An easygoing school romance story, with some proper coming-of-age and healing elements.
Predictable, simple and cute.
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A women-centered story that tackles some heavy subjects, such as domestic abuse, economic migration and gender inequality, in a bleak, intense and subtractive way.
Despite the neo-noir vibes and the stylish filming, the sexual tension and an electrifying green-haired Lee Joo Young, this film isn't something memorable, thanks to its weak storytelling and predictable narration.
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A subtle, slow-paced drama set  in Hong Kong during the early days of the pandemic.
With a wonderful cinematography and a quiet, mellow tone, it portrays the financial struggles, anxiety and frustrations of its two protagonists, trying to survive in the new cruel reality of covid-era.
Though the melodrama towards the end could have been avoided, the tangible atmosphere of a period no one wants to ever experience again made this a nice watch.
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A decent courtroom/crime thriller with some interesting twists, that unfortunately suffered from a flat, dry storytelling and mundane cinematography. Not bad, but not memorable either.
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A whimsical story of love and search for happiness told in a peculiar and unconventional way.
With interesting performances from Nakatani Miki and Abe Hiroshi, and a clearly unbalanced tone between the three distinctive act plots, this was a flawed but entertaining watch.
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With a wonderful cinematography and a mellow music score, this slow-paced story with minimal dialogues and a subtle, melancholic tone, is about two lonely grieving people that find solace and a lending ear in each other's company.
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A bittersweet story with melancholic vibes about a sad adult love through which two lonely, burdened people find comfort and fleeting moments of happiness.
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A peculiar film, with a controversial story about Buddhism, monks, sins, merits, moral conscience, ghosts and horror elements.
Though it was initially banned, it was released in theaters, after several scenes were edited out, but was still prohibited for those under 18.
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A decent but very predictable crime/action story that follows every classic film noir trope found in korean cinema during the last decades.
Park Sung Woong was convincing in his role and, even if the plot wasn't tightly woven and some arcs felt forced (especially the romance), it may be an entertaining watch for gangster genre lovers.
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A teacher/students inspirational story, with some cute child actors that make up for the simple, underdeveloped story. Nothing memorable but an okay one-time watch.
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Despite the promising premise and the cast, this longer than needed film and its main characters felt a bit off, less quirky and more lagging than expected. Not bad, but nothing memorable.
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Fluffy, sugary school romance, with a cliche fake-dating story and cute cast.
Nothing demanding or frustrating, just an easy light watch.
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Bleak, heavy and unnecessarily confusing stories of loss and grieving.
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Intriguing concept with comforting and healing vibes, that tackles some serious matters, but the outcome is definitely lacking and the characters not properly fleshed-out.
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Though its quirky and promising premise, it was too short for the story to be properly developed.
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