Reviews

A Thrilling Thai Zombie Series Packed with My Favourite BL Stars

After two years of waiting for DOMUNDI’s next big project, Zomvivor finally arrived on Netflix, and it did not disappoint. This Thai zombie series is everything I hoped for and more.

It reminded me of All of Us Are Dead, but what made it even more special is that it features so many of my favourite BL actors all in one show. I love seeing Janis and Keng/Namping from Khemjira, along with ZeeNuNew, Tommy, Jimmy, Tim, Boss, MaxNat, TutorYim, NetJames, Boun, Park, and Poppy, truly a dream cast for BL fans.

The story follows a group of students whose normal school day turns into a nightmare when a deadly infection suddenly breaks out across the city. Cut off from the outside world and surrounded by chaos, they must rely on each other to survive. As fear spreads and trust begins to crumble, friendships are tested, alliances are formed, and every decision becomes a matter of life and death.

The zombies are genuinely terrifying, the atmosphere is dark and relentless, and every episode leaves you on edge. The tension builds beautifully with just the right mix of horror, emotion, and suspense. The acting is phenomenal, you can truly feel the panic, desperation, and hope of each character. The soundtrack and cinematography are equally impressive, enhancing every scene’s impact.

Even though it is not a BL series, seeing so many beloved BL actors together brings a sense of connection and excitement that makes the show even more special. Their chemistry and emotional performances make you care deeply about their fates, and it is impossible not to get attached.

I finished all seven episodes in one sitting because it was that addictive. Zomvivor is dark, emotional, and action-packed, a perfect blend of horror and heart. A solid 10/10 from start to finish.

Leia Mais

Definition of military's reality

D.P. is a short drama but it still manages to be entertaining and bring up some real military life issues at the same time.


It has a lot of dark, raw, gore and emotional moments, thus it’s not a light drama. However, there are also action and some stress-relief scenes perfectly balanced which make the drama easier to watch without destroying the serious tone of it. As the episodes go by, the atmosphere gets heavier and heavier. The ground is being prepared for the most intense moment of the series: the finale.

The production is pretty decent and meticulous so D.P. is pleasant to watch. There are many nice sceneries, shots, scene transitions and also, the colors and filters of the drama have been selected carefully.

The main color is yellow, the color of madness, sickness, mental illness, egoism, betrayal and caution. The more serious and dark scenes have basically cool colors but in general, D.P. is full of vivid colors similar to a comic’s color palette. The colors, in combination with the old styled (mainly jazz) soundtrack of the series, give a retro vibe. It feels like an old comic is brought to life. Every scene is like a moving comic frame and every scene transition is like turning the page.

The acting is remarkable and almost all the characters are interesting and well-written. Every actor did a great job at portraying a different character of the military corps and all of them look quite realistic. The two main characters, Ahn Joon Ho, the newbie-robot soldier who is doing everything by the book, and Han Ho Yul, the warmhearted, social and funny person that everyone wants as a friend, created a very dynamic duo.

D.P. did actually a pretty good job at highlighting the raw reality of the military and the mental deterioration that causes to humans. Enlisting in the military is like entering another reality, the reality of war. There, public laws do not exist. Human rights do not exist, only the law of the superior, the law of the powerful. Military training tries to simulate the conditions of war by letting bullying and harassment be without punishment. Although this is limited now, it still remains, and this has to change.

Leia Mais

I remember watching the anime first a while ago, but I don't remember much about it other than the fact that I enjoyed it. After watching this drama I still enjoyed it - and loved it! It's a light drama for the most part, you have your silly moments - but you also have your heartwarming and moving moments. While there are some things about this drama that might seem cliche nowadays - you have to keep in mind that it came out almost 1O years ago and it was original for the time.



In the beginning you have all of these arrogant kids who start to change and mature as Yankumi becomes their teacher. She takes care of her students, she's always on their side. It's a drama that says "You can live by standing on your own two feet" - sometimes you just need a helping hand.



The acting is great - Part of my reason for wanting to watch this drama was for MatsuJun: the more I see of him the more I can see him as a great actor for his portrayal of different types of roles. The rest of the cast was great, too, no complaints.



The music is okay - they only really had 1 song that played at the end of the drama. The rest were instrumentals that fit the drama but didn't stand out to me.



I think I'll watch this drama again someday.



Overall: I think this is a drama worth watching. Remember that it came out in 2OO2, that it's also based off a manga. It gets better with each episode - I watched the last 7 episodes in one day. If you're looking for something light and comedic with characters that go through problems and mature - this is a good drama to watch (:

Leia Mais

A disaster-themed movie has quite often produced in Korean Industry these days. But what makes this movie really interesting was, it's purpose to criticize the Korean Government (President Park Scandal, Sewol Tragedy) as well as the concern of many regarding a nuclear power plant in southern areas which is peril of earthquake.

The movies showed a lil bit of government's incapacity to react on national crisis due to politics and nation's image issues. And this fatal mistakes led to a bigger crisis and loss from their citizen. The pace was fast. We got straight to the main crisis on the first few minutes, but the writer still capable to maintain the depth of each character. There wasn't any flashback scene (almost), unlike the usual Korean Movie's with fast pace plot, but we still able to understand each character's idealism and initial heart.

Pandora showed a good, undisturbing, graphics. There wasn't any action and all the focus was to solve one big crisis in any way feasible. Surprisingly, with this thick and intense plot, Pandora wasn't boring at all. In fact, we were brought to a roller coaster of emotion, right from the very start. A mass production, with the purpose to remind that a big advantage has the same amount of risk within it. Entertaining, as well as educating (who knows that South Korea has 24 nuclear power plant in 9 southern cities?)

That's it the Pandora.
"Don't close your eyes because of fear. Don't cover your ears because of fears. We have opened the Pandora's Box. Although disaster were inside. Wasn't there also hope?"

Leia Mais

This is how you do the perfect enemies to lover trope

I waited for this for more than a year, and finally we get this drama, and it didn't disappoint.

This is just an almost perfect story of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and they nailed it. As a huge admirer of LYN, I feel immense pride in him once more, as he flawlessly embodied his role. ZZR also did an impressive job, and she was beautiful, and I applaud her acting here. They both perfectly delivered their characters, so I almost cry at how outstanding it is.

The other characters also needs to be applauded. It's like Journey to Love Again, where you love all the side characters.

I think we all agreed that this has the best intimate relationship ever. This demonstrates the physical affection between a husband and wife who love each other. It's not awkward or displeasing to the eyes. It's just two people who wanted to be in each other's arms. Love love this.

Overall, this is a wonderful show. It's fun, touching, romantic... it has everything.
This will be my favorite drama this year.

Leia Mais

It's over, and the feels are still here.. That's what my ranks are based on!
Well , this drama was the most I was waiting for this year - except of Criminal Minds of course ( because of LJG), and I can say I liked it from the first episode.. The acting was a little raw then, but the cinematography, the mood and the music made it for me! I wasn't really familiar with the actors before ( except Jong Hyun from ML), and I want to say  three of them really impressed me!
Im  Siwan - it was really my first time seeing him, and he was great, from the first moment till the last! I wasn't always agree with Won's character, but he gained my love and respect in the end!
Yoona - I've seen her in couple of episodes of Love Rain, and I've heard some bad rewies about her, but I loved her and her character so much in this drama! There's always something annoying for me in the female lead in all dramas, but I haven't felt it here! She was always adorable, cheerful and brave through all the story! And she could convince me when she started to love the one she loved..
Jong Hyun - If the 4th prince wasn't played by Lee  Joon Gi in  Scarlet Heart, I'd definitly have crush on this sexy villian :) I hated him there, but sometimes I also felt bad for him - that means he could deliver his character! In King in Love he was the total opposite of Wang Yo.. Maybe he was a little frozen at start, but slowly he opened up, and brought one of my favorite characters ever! Yes, I was team Rin, and I'm proud of it :)
There were very different opinions about drama's love line - some loved it, some hated it at the same line, and I want to say - that's what one of the best parts of this drama, but it's also what lowed it's rating (I think), because most people like predictable....  
First of all- imho - there's no first or second lead in this drama - the three of them are main leads -and they totally deserved to be called it! Because this story is about  friendship - deep and genuine, between three young people! And  the actors did amazing job, showing how much these three deeply loved each other! Sometimes love story came in the middle of their frienship (of course!), but none of them didn't want to hurt another, and that what made this story such painful for them! But at the end they have learned how to understand and sacrifice for each other!  The open ending was satisfing and not at the same time for both teams, but it left a little for imagination of all of us! Thank you, writers for making this story so unique!
There were a lot of scenes that I laughed and enjoyed with the characters, and closer to the end a lot that made me cry! It was lighthearted and bittersweet at the same time! One of my favorite scenes were of course Rin and San goodbye scene and the scene on the cliff... Both broke my heart! Also the last friends'  jorney together - we can see how three of them have changed  and grown up there..
I also want to compliment cinematography and the music - both were spectacular ( total joy for video maker :), and I wish there was this cinematography and music in Scarlet Heart - but it still the most perfect drama for me!! :)
I know, I will rewatch it! Maybe not from the first episodes, but I totally will!
I think that's it.. I guess  I made it clear that I totally loved this drama, and would recommend it to everyone.. But I know, not everyone would love it...:)

Leia Mais

“What the actual fuck?!”

I apologise for my language but this is the best and most brief way to describe this completely cray cray drama. Ms. Perfect was definitely bizarre, a bit weird and thoroughly eccentric but left a memorable aftertaste exactly because of all these traits.

Story
Ms. Perfect is one of those hidden gem dramas that should be protected exactly because they can be perceived differently depending on the viewer. On a surface level, Ms Perfect can be described as “the story of a sasaeng fan”. Is that a lie? No it is not, it is actually unexpectedly accurate. However taking a critical look at this and analyzing it from different perspectives, it is arguable that Ms. Perfect is not only deep but actually surprisingly original and profound.

So, what exactly did this drama do so well to make me this passionate about it?

Firstly, It put together several weird, borderline nonsensical characters, gave them obvious roles (the villain, the hero, the victim ect) and forced them to act accordingly but not quite. I think I speak on behalf of every viewer when I say that we were all frustrated by every character’s frustrating decision and way of acting. Having said that, if you take a closer look at the character, it is dead obvious how non-archetype they actually are. There are several layers to all of them, and what I actually loved? It depends on the viewers’ perspective to choose who you want to root for, who is your hero and who is your villain.

Secondly, this is officially the only drama where the 2nd female lead not only was freaking amazing, but WAS the actual drama itself. 2nd female leads… we hate them, don’t we? At this point after so many dramas, we feel intrinsically inclined to dislike them on sight. Yet, here not only do we have a memorable 2nd female lead but one that is so compelling you can’t help but love. The whole drama was built around her and I have never been happier about it! 2nd female leads rule and this drama proved it! My salute to the actress for making this drama work. This drama was a huge celebration to 2nd leads (male and female) and i loved it for it!

Finally, it is arguable to say that the drama is more adjacent to makjang rather than other genres. Don’t expect any heavy crazy shit happening but the drama did manage for at least 15 episodes to make me say “what the hell” at least twice every episode. Continuous plot twists and questions that hover around. The type that hook you on and you cannot stop no matter how ridiculous this shit is. Ms. Perfect was certifiably addicting either you enjoyed it or not.

If I could put the drama under a genre, I would say it is a mystery/comedy (bizarre combination I know). Comedy is reduced to side story character after a while while mystery is strong almost till the end. Despite the quite heavy concept of the situations presented I can’t say the drama ever became melodramatic or depressing or overly serious. Romance is present in the drama but doesn’t happen until the 2nd half and it does not occupy a huge part of the drama. Having said that and since I am not a romance lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the romance here. It was not forced, it was not cheesy, it came naturally and was fulfilling.

All in all the drama for me was unpredictable, with great character writing and well thought-out. It never dragged or had a boring moment.

Acting
I read some negative comments about the acting. Well… I can understand that, but we’ve seen worse haven’t we?

Go So Young was just right and I can tell she really enjoyed her questionable character and drama overall. I wouldn’t say her performance was memorable but I did not face any problems with her
.
I am not Sung Joon’s biggest fan but he’s a good actor. He made a complete 180 here on me.
Yoon Sang Hyun was also satisfying but not memorable.

And after all these peasants let’s talk about the queen of the drama. Jo Yeo Jung. KWEEN! I have deep respect for her. She is not the best actress, definitely, but she knows how to pick a project. I appreciate her because she always goes for questionable dramas and bizarre challenging characters! I don’t think the drama would have worked without her portraying this character! I know if she is in a drama, it’s gonna be a good one! Cheers, you are amazing gurl!

Recommend
All that being said, this drama is not one for everyone. The oddity, the makjang, the frustrating and quite unlikeable characters all have their downside. I would recommend this drama to viewers who enjoy peculiar dramas, want to watch something different and are open-minded. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I can very well see why one wouldn’t.

Characters
The official review is over and spoilers may be included from now on. The drama, even though wasn’t really character-driven (or like one character directed the whole thing) it showed some really layered and multi-faced characters and I want to take some time to reflect on them.

Shin Jae Bok. The seeming victim. I disliked her but I didn’t. I rooted for her to have a happy ending but I can’t argue she really deserved it. Yes some crazy shit happened to her out of the blue and honestly she did nothing to elicit any of it but still… She was the type of woman to bring others down (namely her husband) just for the shake of it. A character that kept looking at herself as a victim (main reason why she’s not one) and was extremely relentless in getting into other people’s business. She could have taken a shortcut and spare herself from all the drama but she just couldn’t do it. A borderline control freak. Having said all that, I can’t deny how strong Jae Bok was, straightforward and direct. Traits I appreciated made her human and relatable but did not make her likeable at least to me.

Koo Sung Hee. The hero (?). Arguably the best written character, why? Because he was rotten to the core, but if you ask him what do you think about yourself? You’ll get such a self-assured answer like he is a war-hero. I was amazed at how selfish he was without realizing it, saying that he “does things” for others either his kids or his wife or his “love”. He said he loved 3 different people in 20 episodes and weirdly, I believe he did all 3 of them, but why is that? Because deep inside it was himself he loved the most. A very incompetent person who tries to always find the easy way out but always with a convenient excuse to look as a hero to himself! Incredible writing for one of the most despicable characters I’ve seen on screen.

Lee Eun Hee. The villain. I am biased, I admit. Bonkers crazy, and she knew it. Batshit crazy, and quite proud. I couldn’t dislike her, not one inch, not at all. Yes she was crazy and her situation could not get any better. If you stand still for a moment and reflect on what she actually did… it is overwhelming, sounds like something no one would do, but simultaneously, quite plausible if you are REALLY determined. To me she was nothing more than a little girl who was never loved. Abused and ignored trying to survive sustain herself and her mental health the best she could, she found settler in one person who gave her the slightest bit of comfort and then she tried to hold on to him. Why? Because he was the first person ever who made her happy. Like clutching at straws, a fleeting moment, her savior. Hence, her constant, relentless efforts to recreate that moment all her life. The one person who made her happy all those years ago, he can do it again. Rather depressing when you actual think of it.

Leia Mais

Intense build-up, decent wrap-up

The first half of this movie was absolutely flawless — I was terrified (in a good way) by all the jumpscares, the mystery was extremely intriguing and I was trying desperately to figure it out myself, and the soundtrack and interactions between the characters all added to the dark vibe of the movie.

I still think the second half, after everything was revealed, was a decent watch, but I did think that it took away a lot of the things that I loved in the first half. Of course, a mystery can't go on forever, but I definitely felt like the story didn't feel as dark as it did before and there was no more anxiety-inducing tension, more just running around and fights. Those were still fun and exciting and I really enjoyed how the story was revealed, intertwining different characters, but the first half still felt more captivating to me.

Leia Mais

I applaud. I had a great time. I'm excited about this mini series. It was so fresh, kind, humorous and honest.
Amaki Rinko (Takada Kaho) is a perfect 27 year old girl with all the facts. What no one knows, he has no sexual experience. When she accidentally finds out in the bar that even her handsome 27-year-old colleague Kamisaka Gen (Totsuka Shota) is also panics, she confidently invites him to the hotel. They reach an agreement to gain "experience", but their path to "independence and adulthood" is evolving a little more tortuously than they expected ... I don't even write anymore, because it only has a little over 3 hours together, so take a look .

Leia Mais

One word for SFD: Epic

Four words for SFD: Epic But With Flaws

Let’s break it down -:

❌ The flaws:

☠️ Power inbalance b/w the dragons:
Two of them are clearly the stars (Sambong/Yi Bang Won). Two of them feel like very endearing supporting characters. (Bang ji/ Mu hyul) Two of them are disguised idiots who insult the term. (Boon Yi/General Syeong Hi) The acting prowess also varies in the same order. (Deteriorating as it descends)

☠️ Boring Middle:
Except of a few outstanding scenes the middle of the show does come with a lot of 'meh'. Endless, tiresome and less than impressive politics. Where the writers keep trying to find new and new problems for the main guys to fight against, often not even properly solving the previous ones. I almost put the show on-hold here.

☠️ Shitty antagonists:
Except one, all antagonists are pretty mediocre with lame strategies and they keep getting replaced. As soon as a villain gains solid footing and identity, the show do's away with it in some way. Makes the back and forth a bit boring since the good guys are way too strong and for a very long time SFD does not take any risks.

☠️ Cop-Outs:
Again, the middle is problematic. The show uses huge ass convenient plot devices to get out of complications and some illogical things don't add up.

☠️ Character Development:
This is also a strength of the drama. While for some the CD is brilliant, others (Bang Ji/Moo Hyul) could do with more of it. Friendship/brotherhood is one of the highlights of SFD, however it could've easily been more explored and impactful.

☠️ No good female characters:
Literally all of them suck/are weak af except one and she isn't even a major role. The female lead is like a blank brainless floppy fish with her wide eyes and sputtering lips. I wanted to slap her silly

✅ The Epic:

👑 Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won 👑

The most fleshed out/dynamic/well developed character of the show and easily one of the best anti-heroes in K-Drama History. He's simply wonderful. Yoo Ah In did the acting of a lifetime- Out of this world.

Among a sea of self-righteous fuckers, he's a hell wrecker. He's evil, good, kind, reckless, weak, strong, deadly, vulnerable, lonely, childish, manipulative, magnificent, insecure, ambitious, a mastermind but above all- he's wholly human. I just don't have enough words. He was the biggest and at times, the only reason I stuck with this show till the end. The moment SFD plunged into monotony, Yi Bang Won was the one who changed the course with all that shit he stirred up. I haven't been this in love with a character, since Empress Ki's Emperor. Truly excellent.

✔️ Music:
Holy fuck. This is without a doubt the best OST I have ever heard. Whether it be lyrical or instrumental, whether it be sung by characters or played in the background- every song was perfect. Perfectly timed, perfectly meaningful and perfectly emotional. Just perfect.

✔️Action/Swordsmanship:
Some of the best action scenes in a drama can be scene in SFD. They are always important too because our guys emote with their blades and no fight is meaningless.

✔️High Quality Production:
Beautiful camera work. Brilliant direction amd screenplay. Very pretty angles. Gorgeous sceneries. Crisp cinematography

✔️Suspense:
The drama has some legit chill inducing, goosebump worthy scenes and some brilliant cliffhangers that promise something exquisite in the next ep. What's more is the next ep always delivers on its promise. So every episode has a great start, a great end and an okay-ish middle.

✔️Last couple of episodes:
While the show significantly picks up at episode 30 and maintains the level of great, the last few eps are just plain awesomeness. My heart was hurting, breaking, sputtering, palpitating and melting all at the same time.

✔️Moral Dilemmas:
Fickle human nature at its finest.

✔️Sambong/Moo Hyul/Li Bang Ji:
The acting done hy Kim Hyung Min is spectacular- Sambong is a genius. The sexy and passive Bang Ji and the big man with a big heart Moo Hyul are all golden aspects of the show.

✔️The End:
Very satisfying.

✔️History:
Most historically accurate show I've watched. It's almost all there. All real.

✔️ 50 hours worth, is it easy to watch?
Yes and no. Some episodes are so gripping and well-executed that you can't help but bulldoze through but some drag enough that you have to actually motivate yourself to push forward.

☑️ Conclusion:
The Epic far outweigh The Flaws. This is a show that is a must-have under your belt as a drama fan. A classic that lives up to the hype.

Definitely reccomended.

Leia Mais

Started well, but ended poorly

I thought the acting and story was good... up until the last few episodes, at which point a few things derailed it:

The singer from Akdong Musician who was working as a convenience store part-timer learning to study to become a police officer - Her appearances were kind of the 'b-plot', until her storyline arc suddenly changed as she 'started singing' randomly while walking home. It felt unnatural and kind of cringe. Yeah, I get it, she's a famous singer, but having her incorporate it seemed forced and more like an advert.

I can ignore that though, what I disliked more was the ending where Hwi-oh 'won back' Minkyung with what appeared to be an act of aggression. It wasn't what it seemed, but something just felt super off about it, much of Minkyungs concerns weren't really addressed but she did an almost 180, and they got back together.

Also, it was pretty unclear where she suddenly vanished to (before she came back)... was it Mongolia?

Anyway I would say the first 9 or so episodes were great, but then it kind of fell off a cliff. It really felt as though they were struggling to figure out how to wrap things up, and went in a bit of a weird direction.

Not a waste of time, not terrible, good.. but thats a shame because it could have been really good

Leia Mais

SO MUCH POTENTIAL in terms of the premise, but everything else was just so BAD and shallow.

The plot was really lacking, first of all. This writer did that romcom + thriller thing in SWDBS, and I LOVED that, but the conspiracy plot in this one was simply underwhelming. Firstly, it was introduced early on, disappeared for a few episodes, and really came to the forefront maybe in episode 10-ish. It was resolved SUPER quickly and unsatisfyingly, and what I thought would really be the climax basically turned into a plot device to make the romance angsty. Even the sort of science/medical plot points were really shallow and had no real explanation or reason to them, and they seemed to just be there so the main characters would be separated by SOMETHING.

Speaking of the romance — I really did not feel any chemistry between the main characters at all. They’re both super high-profile actors who I know can do AMAZING things, but honestly from this drama you couldn’t tell. The first kiss was sudden and awkwardly forced, and I really didn’t even know they liked each other until they were like LET’S DATE. The romance was over-the-top cheesy in so many scenes, showing basically what happens when you use cliches and use them badly.

The entire drama was over-the-top, especially in terms of humor. SWDBS had this too, but the main leads saved the drama with their cuteness. In this one, the “humor” was everywhere, and it was loud and obnoxious. Both the leads’ families were basically there to either cry or react over-dramatically, and as a result I hated basically ALL the family members. The only one I loved was Nam Tae, and I felt like his character and the relationship he had with Miran had so much unexplored potential. The same could be said for Byung-Sim, or Miran’s ex-boyfriend, and her two best friends who I loved as teenagers but HATED as adults.

And Na Hayoung. Dear god, Don’t even get me started on her. She really had no role other than to be an annoying pining ex who would remind everyone that time passed. I’m going to cut this section short by saying that basically all the characters except Nam Tae was BAD.

The one thing I’d say that this show had going for it was that the OST was pretty good, but the show itself was so bad I think it might’ve tainted the songs for me.

Leia Mais

A lesson learned

Don't judge a book by its cover is a saying you hear time and again. For me it was an perfect example of that.

I wasn't going to watch this drama. It looked too dark and the age gap between the leads was too much to accept. But on a whim I decided to start it anyway and I have no regrets.

The story is not a noona romance, nor is it about two individuals supporting eachother through hardship. It is much deeper than that. Eventhough it was sad and gloomy and heartbreaking, I looked forward to new episodes each week. It was at times predictable and I didn't always agree with the direction of the story but it kept me fully engaged and ended on a satisfactory note.

When it comes to acting, everyone did an good job, particularly Kim Nam Joo. She expressed the grief and desperation of losing a child beautifully. That said, it was Cha Eun Woo's performance that made the drama truly memorable. I could feel Seon Yul's pain and desperation as if it were my own. This was easily the best performance of his career. I'm glad he's finally taking on darker, more mature roles, it really suits him. On a side note, while Cha Eun Woo has always been attractive, in this drama he is next level handsome.

The music and cinematography were on point. It was haunting and bittersweet. These two elements really suited the sombre mood of the drama.

Looking back, I'm glad I watched the drama while airing. This is not the kind of drama you can binge. You have to experience it a little bit at a time to not let it overwhelm you. No matter how great a drama it is, I don't think I'll ever rewatch it. I already know the twists and turns. The surprise element is gone.

To summarize, I consider Wonderful World to be among the best dramas so far this year. Don't be like me and judge it based on superficial things. Just give the drama a chance, and you will be hooked in no time.

Leia Mais

“If you want to protect something, then you just do it.”

i went into this film unaware that it was a sequel but i think that was for the best because i would’ve been far more disappointed with this, and i already am.

mantis tries to be a lot of things at once—a comedy movie, an action flick filled with gore, a heartfelt emotional film that focuses on its characters—and it fails at doing most of this considering its less than two hour runtime. i was excited for this because the casting was literally insane and their performances definitely carried the film, but that was the extent of this movies greatness. i absolutely loved park gyu young’s performance and i think her character was the most fleshed out, with jae-yi’s inferiority complex and struggles clearly being her driving motive and acting as the main conflict of the movie as she makes her decisions based on these emotions she’s experiencing. i also thoroughly enjoyed choi hyunwook’s performance as benjamin because he does such a good job playing these bratty and manipulative characters, similar to his character in taxi driver whom i also loved even though he was a little shit. yim si wan’s character han-ul was a very basic character who didn’t have a lot of depth but it was his acting that made him stand out when he wasn’t in an action scene. speaking of those scenes, they were enjoyable for the most part but the best one was honestly the opening scene. the final fight was also slightly memorable but mainly because of a singular shot of yim si wan’s heartfelt and anguished facial expression.

other than the points mentioned above, the rest of the movie is honestly boring. the entire movie is rushed which makes the pacing really off seeing as before i knew it an entire year had somehow passed in the span of like five minutes, there are funky shots in both the good and bad sense as some of them were fun but a lot of them looked ridiculous, and the plot tries to do a lot at once with the sort of love plot between han-ul and jae-yi, the betrayal plot, the group break up, overthrowing and recreating the killer for hire system… it’s just a mess and it’s only mildly entertaining at best.

i definitely won’t rewatch this and i wouldn’t really recommend it, but if you really want to give it a shot i’m sure you’ll at least enjoy the performances done by the really incredible actors in this.

Leia Mais