The movie is heavy, serious, not tear jerker but you'll feel down, you can feel the sadness, regrets, lost and pain the characters are portraying in the verge of divorcing. IF you dont pay too much attention and do not feel what it is, you wont appreciate the movie. If you just got out of breakup, then don't watch it because you may relate into it and you might cry (hehe).
In my opinion, they perfectly portrayed it, no matter how the male lead wants to go back things as they were (he decided to move his office in the basement of the house so he can be with her since he's been working all day till night---car scene) things won't be the same. It is true that some, or mostly women, when they get tired, fed up and already find somebody new (in this case, she cheated on him, and he admitted that he is also to blame, he neglected his wife), it's too late to mend a broken relationship, and it is very seldom that a woman will change her mind and heart (to be back in their marriage again), and the guy is correct, "Getting mad won't change anything.".. You can feel the sadness, the regrets, the wishes but things in reality are not that easy. And I think this movie have best showed that not all relationship that is undergoing "rocky road" will have happy ending.
The cinematography is great, it was able to portray the dark and down emotions, the large and beautiful house became dark, with some roof problems (rain is pouring to some spot)...Personally, I like the movie, some may not appreciate it, but I like it, I felt it.
Was this review helpful to you?
GY and KGE performance is wonderful to behold. They make you believe they are a fated couple and they make viewers want Goblin and Goblin wife to be always together. LDW & YIN performance also very commendable and their 2nd couple status complements the lead pair beautifully. Lastly YSJ is a revelation. It was amazing watching him able to match the light and heavy scenes of his senior costars.
Aside from the off-putting way of endorsement in some scenes, the drama is perfect. Production aesthetics, plot and acting are all top-notch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Four Minutes to Live a Lifetime
There is a saying: "Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it doesn't exist, yet it's one of the most important reasons to be alive." We don't contemplate death for the sake of dying, but to live more profoundly. The closer one gets to death, the more one truly lives—in a way one has never lived before, the way life is truly meant to be lived.4 Minutes conveys a message that is both simple and timeless: live a meaningful life, don't wait until death comes knocking to truly feel alive. Cherish everything in the present. Life (often hidden in the shadow of death) will always greet you with opportunities, but no one can change the past. The only thing you can change is yourself.
I honestly wonder if having read reviews and knowing the premise of 4 Minutes beforehand was a blessing or a curse. Because I knew the direction of the story, I could better understand the filmmakers' intentions, and the narrative flow felt clearer. While it sacrificed an element of surprise, the smaller details within the film were still enough to leave me reeling. Knowing that the first five episodes represented the four minutes where Great’s brain relived his life after his heart had stopped allowed me to piece together his story more clearly and better comprehend this character who is far from being purely righteous. It also made me all the more astonished by the multifaceted nature of Tyme, a character I had initially pegged as a hero.
As some reviews have noted, no character in this film is simple or innocent. Hit-and-runs, disposing of bodies, secret recordings, murder, adultery, manipulation, exploitation, schemes and conspiracies, breaking the law and denying guilt—and yet, strangely, this is what allowed me to watch the film as if I were observing a human experiment. All the sins are magnified to a level of complexity. The human mind is not a flat screen, and these are not archetypes or one-dimensional plot devices acting "righteously" because they are protagonists, or acting villainously because they are antagonists. These are people who carry sin, as people always have. They cannot wash away what they have done; every action has irreversible consequences. What they can do is purify who they are—first in their minds, which then leads to action.
The characters in 4 Minutes are profoundly, ordinarily human. Great is a coward, fleeing the consequences of his actions after an accident (regardless of whether the victim intended suicide) and not daring to report his "friend" after witnessing him commit murder. He is numb to the pain of others because he has become numb to himself. Then there is Tyme, so blinded by vengeance that his entire purpose in life is reduced to it. His path leads to a single destination, causing him to ignore everything around him—emotions, reason, and the small wonders of this life. And we have the weak, compromising, and pragmatic Korn; the broken and frenzied Tonkla; and Win—the supposed barrel of justice, who still surrenders to the one he loves (even if it was love at first sight). All of them, these spiritually flawed individuals covered in scars and past traumas, carry their regrets as they cross paths, weaving together a suffocating, insane, and unpredictably dramatic tapestry.
It's said that "red flags" and "toxicity" in fiction can bring a certain vicarious pleasure, allowing us to experience feelings we'd never want for ourselves—to hurt with the characters, go mad with them, and love as fiercely and intensely as they do. This "toxicity" is no accident; it is a deliberate narrative device used to explore deep psychological territories and create high-stakes drama. It’s strange how humans are fascinated by our own dark side, often without even realizing it. Through this toxicity, we witness psychological trauma and internal conflict, which then allows us to observe the process of redemption and transformation in each character, leading to a conclusion that achieves emotional catharsis. Naturally, what viewers want most is a fulfilling ending, to see the change in these fallen characters.
I must say, the script of 4 Minutes stays true to its course. This doesn't make the film predictable; on the contrary, it makes it more complete. The timeline is non-linear and constantly shifting—it begins with the characters' "rebirth," follows their redemption from their own perspectives, then guides us to the objective reality of a "God's eye view," and finally concludes in a "next life," a timeline where they have been wholly reborn as different people.
Redemption, rebirth, life and death, second chances, love that saves and love that gives meaning—it is all the story of a single moment that lasts for four minutes. The entire narrative is told within this elasticity of time: Great's four minutes stretch across five episodes, the return to reality from an objective viewpoint takes one episode, Tyme's story gets one, and the final episode is for the conclusion. In my opinion, even if the film has its flaws, leaving some questions and plot holes, its narrative structure and pacing, contracting and expanding within just 8 episodes, is an incredibly impressive and commendable feat. The unique arrangement of the timeline, combined with a fresh storytelling approach for an already novel plot and theme, truly wowed me in a sea of formulaic dramas. The editing, cinematography, sound, and lighting are all polished and well-crafted. The script is well-invested, with symbolic imagery like time and the number 4 recurring with artistic intent. The narrative is compelling, and the climactic scenes are deeply emotional. Furthermore, the explicit scenes, which cater to the genre's audience, are bold and impactful, yet never gratuitous. These scenes carry their own meaning, though their "eye-popping" direction might lead some to think this is purely a "flesh-fest." For instance, the love scene between Great and Tyme during the 4-minute revival reflects their true feelings: for Great, it's the confirmation of his love in a parallel universe where he is a good person, a hero on Tyme's side, earning his recognition—this is what Great yearns for in his final moments, a chance to atone, to start over, expressing his regrets. For Tyme, it's a life not defined by the smell of blood and dust from the past, not consumed by hatred, but filled with sunshine, peace, and a gentle, melodious love. This stands in stark contrast to their lovemaking in reality, which begins with conspiracy, is stained by hatred and torment, where love never truly offers them solace.
That's my assessment of the main couple. The side couple's story is a bit harder to grasp and left me with some questions. For example, if the first part is purely Great's 4-minute dream, even if from various dream-like perspectives (first, second, third person), how could he describe in detail things he couldn't have known? Or was an omniscient narrator's voice interwoven with Great's POV from the start, penetrating all characters, inside and out, showing us reality? And how does Dome's return lead back to the present? Or are we, the viewers, also being led by an unreliable narrator—the director himself? This ambiguity and a few scattered, almost surreal puzzle pieces can make the film feel a bit chaotic. But ultimately, grounding the story in a scientific premise and exploring such a new theme is a fascinating direction, showcasing an effort to create something more than just another run-of-the-mill rom-com.
Lastly, I truly want to affirm how fortunate I feel to have watched this film on a whim, amidst a forest of criticism and some surrounding controversies. My own moral compass isn't the yardstick I use to measure a film. I want to see it from a deeper, darker, even amoral perspective—because good and evil are intertwined. To borrow from literature, as Georges Bataille suggested, when humans violate the established rules and prohibitions of organized society, they are, to some extent, marked by evil. Literature that writes about things beyond the pale of reason is considered to be writing about evil.
"Goodness is tedious, for it is bland
Goodness is trivial, for it is safe
Goodness is wicked, for it murders passion
Are you afraid of goodness?
And you?
What about you?
Have you ever been as repulsed by goodness as you are by evil?"
(translated from Mưa Nhã Nam - Nguyễn Huy Thiệp)
P/S: The actors are truly talented. To appreciate this film, you have to look past couple shipping and fan service. I'm not comparing or judging any pairings; I'm watching it as a standalone work. What attracted me and earned my highest praise was the novelty and uniqueness of the narrative above all else; the romance was secondary.
Was this review helpful to you?
I have not watched a series with this much heart and love and loyalty and a very very long time. And I am an individual that goes through series like glasses of water but this one is by far one of the finest. I
The synopsis for this should be completely rewritten as such:
When life gets hard, God can put you in the right place at the right time to get the help, the love, the support and the people you need in your corner to help you overcome it. When you think you have nothing to offer and there is nothing more in life for you these people find that not only are they people value but that there is more to life than the hardships that they have faced. They discovered that they had strength, love, friendship and so much more to fight for. Through friendship they discover love that they never saw coming, strength that they never knew and. Family they never had.
My southern interpretation ?: When I tell you this thing was good I mean it, OK. Yes I got frustrated during some moments but I could understand the reasoning behind the individual behavior that made me frustrated I could completely get it I could not be mad only frustrated that it was taken place that’s how good it was. Of course it is not without the antagonist, yes that crazy rich lady and greedy old guy but it does not surpass the good.
Our male lead had everyone wanting to marry him. Yes he’s the rich guy who knows he’s rich but unlike so many of the other series that I watched this one is different. He’s a rich guy who has a heart that shows he has a heart and goes after what he what he wants without fear of judgment from others. He goes after what he wants without a care to money. He didn’t let money dictate his life for his love.
Was this review helpful to you?
Why not ,
When I say that i loved this, i mean i loved this with my whole heart. The acting was so superb. The actions and the conversations felt so real, like this is an actual conversation that may happen in the real world. The mishap that happened was dealt with and not avoided. The only downside is the length of the movie. It was so short but a nice enjoyable watch. I would really love it if someone took this up and re made this either into a longer movie, or full drama. It has the potential of being great.Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Its better than many think! WORTH WATCHING!!
I don’t understand all the reviews either low rating. This series is a mystery-psychological series. you just need to have a brain and think while watching cause the story telling is not linear nor straightforward.One hint: Halluzinations before death or so called “near death experiences” - showing how different decisions may result into a different future - are mixed with the true reality. Maybe different dimensions are also kinda possible but personally its too far fetched (even though it would explain why both know about the lake they have never been in reality).
It all seems confusing but in the end it’s all explained. I will not try to expain it for you. Just watch it. It’s a genius series!!
Was this review helpful to you?
everything was planned and I can see that they had made no flaws of obviousness unlike in other movies...
although I somewhat wasn't convinced with Angela Baby's acting(sorry fans), atleast it was compensated by Eddie Peng. but the movie together with the stars are a good maatch. a perfect one indeed....it made me cry when I shouldn't be actually because it's a nice story. JUST WATCH IT.
I RECOMMEND IT SO BADLY.
Was this review helpful to you?
Just some spicy Deng Kai wearing an extremely skimpy plot.
Hay there, sexy.I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Damn I can't believe Deng Kai hasn't been cast yet as an ML in a major production, he's so stupid-hot and so charismatic, I feel like an addict, ever since POJ happened I just can't get enough of him."
Well as far as somebody with some SENSE picking him up to lead an A-list show, I can't help you with that. We are fresh out of A-List productions because Arthur Chen ate them all.
But as for the part about not being able to get enough of him.... that I can help you with. Some tiny-ass production team off in the corner of c-dramaland said "50 bazillion people are screaming for Deng Kai right now and yknow what. We hear you. Now, we're too broke to give you the A-list gold you're after. But in the meantime... how about just watching him make out a lot?"
And we like "YASS that will do for now."
Producer says "Well we aint got much. We got some CEO clothes, a decent stylist, and a couplea leather couches. We can maybe scrape enough cash together to rent a boat for a few scenes, idk."
And we like "Green light this bad boy."
And producer is like (scratches head) "Uhhhh.... well we're kind of short on script."
We say, "Don't worry about it, just write whatever you can muster up."
So they gave us this. The story is... I kind of want to say 'inventive'? But I also kind of want to say 'bad'. It's inventive and bad. But it does give us what we crave... Deng Kai in a hot situation looking hot and makin out and stuff. It's not as spicy as I like em. But honestly, the production and script are so SO cheap, that if it were any spicier it'd come off as just way way too gratuitous. It's "satisfying". We are watching Deng Kai learning to perfect the art of onscreen kissing. Someday he'll be in something TRULY hot, like SOKP or WDBTD, and all that kissing practice will pay off. He does honestly keep getting better and better.
As far as the acting.... I'm sorry but it's just asking way too much for actors to return master performances on sets like these with scripts like these. Deng Kai is doing sort of a "you get what you pay for" performance, i'd give it a B grade. Zhang Chu Han the FL expertly matches his tone, and this is actually the very first time I've LIKED her in something. She appears to have dropped the baby-girl act as she matures as an actress, and she's so much better off for it. Now she reminds me of Valerie Bertinelli, and it's cute and she's much easier to watch.
All in all, I would not really recc this to anyone except Deng Kai fans, and I would DEF recc this to them. I enjoyed it despite the jankety script, but would I rewatch it? No.
Actual drama = 5
Deng Kai makin out a bunch = 10
Averaged score = 7.5
Was this review helpful to you?
Calm and Good one, definitely worth a watch.
Don't avoid this because of the other reviewer . I'm writing this cause of other reviewer. This drama is really good. There is no stalking or stuff like that, The couple is adorable, FL is the focus here. She is strong one but doesn't come of as overbearing. The interaction between main couple made it really cute. They have a awkward but good chemistry But Romance takes a backseat here. this is more about work and life as an accountant. her job as accountant showed the hurdles that a company goes through and the people who rip off companies funds without much thought. I was continuously reminded that small pennies here and there add to a large amount.Was this review helpful to you?
Real fantasy, we escape from reality...
Nice storyline for this Kdrama with Kvalues that really make us thing the whole story is just a kind of fairy tale far far away from reality. To me, I would have liked the drama to end on episode 14. I didn't like the last 3 episodes certainly because I am not Korean.If you don't like love stories that are too much deja vu and cliche, if you look for real kisses and passion and dislike stories that deal with destiny and reincarnation, Goblin is really not for you. Neverthless, this drama is worth to be watched for the staging, the music and the casting.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Excellent story
I feel like I watched a different drama than some of the other reviewers. This story had me involved from episode 1 and that doesn't happen with every drama. It usually takes a couple episodes to decide if I will continue with a story or not.I like fantasy, parallel universes, timelines, etc. so this didn't throw me. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Fringe. Both leads were amazing. It was my first time to watch a drama with Lee Min-ho. Some reviewers said his performance was wooden, but isn't that because he plays a king who must not let his emotions betray his thinking? Was his character drinking in information as he was trying to assess the situation and plan his next move? The FL was perfection for sure, strong, confident, just, kind, and a complete bada$$. I loved the minimal dialogue between them at times, yet it conveyed their feelings too. A reviewer had commented that Jeong Tae-Eul turned into basically a wimp as the story progressed, how so? Late in the series after she's already in love, she fights here way out of captivity. That she is soft, emotional, & vulnerable with the man she is deeply in love with is natural. He is the same with her.
Please do ignore the negative reviews for this drama and try it on for yourself.
Was this review helpful to you?
1
1I liked this movie!
So first of all this is a moderate budget Chinese wuxia movie about gay mermaids. I did not go into it with high expectations, and it starts off a bit confusing. But I thought the story they ended up weaving was pretty interesting!In this story, mermaids can make special silk and their tears are pearls. They are trafficked by humans as a source of wealth as a result. And because they are enslaved and tortured to force them to produce silk and pearls, they sometimes fight back.
Because they are seen as a danger to humans, it is illegal to keep them and if someone is caught keeping one both the mermaid and the human should be executed by law.
But when Yuanshan finds the merman Yixia at the scene of a murder, for some reason he spares his life.
The plot is pretty complex, with a fight for the succession to the throne, Yuanshan's wife being a princess, her brother having a dragon beast spreading around bad dragon qi, and Yixia being so cute and irresistible. What is a minister of justice to do?
The ending is also an absolute trip.
Anyway understand this isn't a high budget movie and set expectations accordingly, enjoy the gay mermaid fun.
Was this review helpful to you?
Nice way to kill 50 minutes
Cute little baby baker Shuzo (yes, that Shuzo from TikTok and Instagram) just wants to find love but keeps inadvertently helping the guys he's crushing on with their problems by making them delicious desserts... Except they just take one bite of what he makes and then leave, which is the biggest travesty of them all. Most of them don't even thank Shuzo before they go! Shuzo's sister pretty much carries this show with her 30-second cameo's each episode. This is super short, with a run time of about 50 minutes, so if you're bored and want to look at Shuzo's beautiful face for a bit and watch him make really aesthetically pleasing food (as well as learn some fun culinary facts), this will be a good choice. However, if you're here for a profound plot or deep characters I'd advise you to pick something else. This is pure fluff that is cute and visually appealing.Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
