Reviews

Dangerous Hobby

This film has a distinctive atmosphere. It moves slowly, but that very pace heightens the tension in seemingly everyday encounters and situations in a village where everyone knows everything about everyone else, yet peace and justice remain hard to achieve. At the center of the story are two women, and both actresses deliver strong performances. Despite having completely different personalities, they form a connection and begin sharing hobbies that will have far-reaching consequences.

I’m not sure if this was the director’s intention or just my personal impression, but from the very beginning of the film I felt a certain aversion toward the new neighbor and her hobbies. She arrives like a foreign body, and it’s up to each viewer to decide whether her presence improved things or made them worse. In my view, while I liked the performance, I cannot morally agree with the film’s message—though I don’t want to go into spoilers here.

The subtlety in the way the story develops is what makes this film special, but also a bit less accessible to a general audience, while genre fans may find it enjoyable. Watching it, I noticed elements reminiscent of Korean classics such as Bedevilled, No Other Choice, Oldboy, and Parasite. Although the film cannot be directly compared to any of those specifically, it still shares certain connections with them, and fans of that kind of thriller will appreciate this one as well.

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Petition to abolish lesbian movies written and directed by men

“This is Japan. Nobody is watching,” Kei says, while very conveniently ignoring the fact that she can't even afford to think of herself a lesbian for fear of being shunned by Japanese society.

This film is a public service announcement that, while compulsory heterosexuality and state-sanctioned homophobia are very much alive and kicking, you can't blame all of your self-sabotaging behaviours on them. At some point you have to decide what choices need to be made so you can live with yourself and deal with the consequences of your own actions like a functioning adult. Awful, I know.

But hopefully if you watch this film early enough in life, you'll learn not to choose the toxic jealous Islamophobic girlfriend who's one mental breakdown away from commiting a murder-suicide and taking you out with her. Also, beware to not accidentally become a repressed lesbian's manic pixie dream girl, because she will ruin your life.

P.S. Trigger warning for an extremely unnecessary (and completely optional!) scene of a man beating the shit out of a woman. This is when you check the credits and realise that, ah yes, of course the director is a man.

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Walk away tall...

A Man Under the Influenza was a short film by July Jung. Set in a seedy restaurant, it was enough to make you lose your appetite. There’s a good reason for health inspectors.

On a hot summer day, a young man wearing a heavy brown sweater and coughing walks into a dingy basement restaurant. The menu is small and he orders kimchi fried rice. Another patron is sneezing and blowing his nose in front of a fan. Two foreigners argue over who invented television. And the owner rails at anyone leaving food on their plate and not behaving up to his standards all while the cook kills flies with her ladle.

This is what a restaurant in Hell would look like to me. The man in the brown sweater at the center of attention sweats and feels compelled to eat the food in front of him, trying not to inspect the suspicious bits. The vignettes appeared unrelated. All I gleaned from the film was that we often feel social pressure to do things we know we should not. It’s okay to not eat. It’s okay to walk away. I kept hearing my father’s voice as this film played on, “If it doesn’t feel right, get the hell out of there.” Wise words to live by and I suspect the man in the brown sweater will wish he’d followed it.

4 August 2026

Trigger warnings: Fly killed.
Pre-Covid Note: It was wild seeing sick people coughing, sneezing, and eating in a small area.

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Upgraded Korean Zombies, proceed with caution!

What started as a job hunting by Professor Kwon Sejeong turned into a survival of the fittest race when the biotechnology seminar that she attended is attacked with a bio-weapon. A former employee of the company holding the seminar, Seo Yeongcheol, had turned the whole building into a quarantined area when he injected a pathogen into the CEO, turning him into a zombie that started a chain of scrambling and biting of the rest of the building’s patrons. Amid the chaos, Prof Kwon with her ex husband and a number of people managed to hide inside a shop. A police detective who is holed up with them revealed that the rescue team will not attempt any pickup unless they bring the vaccine out, which turned out to be the sacked employee, Seo Yeongcheol.

Dangit, when i thought Korean zombie being as fit as Olympic athlete had been scary enough, they then decided to up their game by having them hyper zombies able to read each others mind like a colony of ants! That is like being monitored by thousands of CCTV wherever you go, cuz the zombies that can use computers, handphones and assault rifles are everywhere. How scary is that? Not only are they quick at adapting to their surroundings, they’re also being collectively controlled by the king ant, the zero patient who is very much a high-functioning human being. I am so glad this is only a movie, cuz a prolong 8-10episodes of survival game against such creatures wouldve been too much for me. 🫣

The FL isnt nimble, athletic or possesses any martial ability, but she is one helluva brilliant professor, being able to read and analyze how the zombies function hence providing enough intel for the group of survivors to outmaneouvre them. Our usually badass Ji Changwook is just a security guard here, no special skills or fancy martial moves but he is in total control of his knife when pushed close enough to the edge.

The main villain, Seo Yeongcheol is portrayed to have one pretty twisted mind, something he acquired from a life-long trauma of losing his father in his childhood and being rejected by his boss in his adulthood. He is insanely unhinged, ready to disregard humanity in the name of evolution to creating a better communicative world.

Usually in apocalypse-zombie shows, the authority roles are usually upright, honest and responsible. Well, it is a total opposite here in the show. The detective, the professors, the minister, the police force, are all devoid of humanity very much like the zombies, really, the only thing different between them and the infecteds is their still functioning brain. They have no qualm of leaving citizens behind to the infecteds, as long as they get a hold of the vaccine. Truly detestable, but I would think that is actually the reality if this ever comes true.

Honestly this is one of the pieces that i feel more fitting to be expanded into a miniseries, like 3-4 episodes like how The Tyrant was done. The story felt too abruptly end with just less than 2.5 hours under its belt. I’d really like to see more of Ji Changwook in action, really.

The music score is brilliant by the way. The eerie sound whenever the zombies are getting ‘synchronized’ is truly creepy. I really like when theyre ‘sync’ing with each other, totally giving off what-are-they-up-to-now kind of vibe. Made the hair at the back of my neck stand, by the way.

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AI Action

Hm, a strange film. It lasts only an hour and nothing gets resolved, so this is actually the first episode of a possible series. What works in the film’s favor are the well-known actors, of whom there are many, but they didn’t really put in much effort here. The first half of the film is just dialogue between the characters, while the second half consists of AI-generated action scenes that look interesting in individual frames but don’t work in a cinematic format. It’s clear that AI has become part of the film industry, and if used in individual shots it can replace CGI and similar needs for enhancing a scene, but it still can’t look as good as a real film. Therefore the action and fantasy shown here come across as a bit ridiculous and, above all, unconvincing. I have seen so much better use of AI on twitter. Still, as they say, it’s worth a try.

This is an attempt at implementing AI in a film. It didn’t really impress me, and the story isn’t well explained either. Nevertheless, I’m curious how it continues, so if there’s a sequel I’ll look for it.

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cheesy character development but good

I will start thios review by saying that i just found out that this is an adaptation of a manga after having finished the entire film. I found it while browsing bl films and went in blind. I will say this that i will def be going in and reading that manga now that is how i feel about this one. I t does get a bit cheesy at points, but cheesy can also be good. The cheesiness is not the bad kind you know what that bad type is where you cringe this is more heartfelt and honest; and since that this film mainly focuses on an adult relationship, with all that implies. All the ups and downs, the parallels between Togawa who is very open about his feelings and Shima who isnt really that open yet. In essences we watch two people grow closer as they face their deepest insecurities. There could def be some areas that could be dealt with more but for what is it I enjoyed it for the horu and a half it runs.

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bittersweet memories

It tells the story of a girl who has developed anterograde amnesia following an accident whose memory now resets every day to before the event. She meets a boy, with a terminal heart condition (unbeknownst to her) and falls in love.
The film is a warm and tender watch, one that leaves us rather emotionally exhausted by the terrible hand that these two characters have been dealt. The love story stays with you long after the runtime, and its portrayals of love and loss are quite impactful due to the nature of the situations that unfold. It’s a tender and relatable affair that leaves viewers to delve into the bottom of difficult emotions, and one can’t do so without shedding a tear or two.
Choo Young-woo and Shin Si-ah do a commendable job bringing their characters to life. You begin rooting for them early in the film. Their chemistry is the perfect demonstration of the slightly awkward, altogether irresistible teenage love

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Very creative but also very weak

Weak. Probably the worse zombie movie I've ever watched. Korean movies have this thing where they put all their stats into production and not story. It's espeicially obvious in thrillers and horror. Hyeon Seok rampage for his sister came off way too strong and it would have worked if he was the only main character and the main focus. Like some john wick shi. That felt more like it was his girl bruh.

They got rid of characters why too easily also, which I didnt expect for a TWO hour movie. They had 2 hours so why rush. There was no reason to emotionlessly dump everyone in the first half. They could have just wrote less characters. Yeong Cheol was written too flat. Which was definitely a choice. His death felt so anticlimactic. I mean the guy literally just drops on the floor. Also I knew that clique ending was coming.

I applaud them for being creative though.

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Happiness is something anyone can have.

It's really difficult to put into words just how much this film means to me as a queer person. The way the story was told and how accurately it showed how internalized homophobia can make a person believe certain things about themselves was seriously just outstanding.

Other than the complicated mess inside my head when it comes to that, I just want to talk about in general how beautifully written this film was.

I really found myself enjoying how each character's perspective was showed, and how the story was told to make you think things about characters and the situation before slowly discovering the truth. The pacing was amazing, the scenery and acting was on-point and everything really stuck with me.

I cannot hear trumpets playing without thinking of that one scene, and it breaks me apart all over again.

Guys, seriously, if you're considering watching this movie, PLEASE do! It has impacted me in so many ways, and it was truely just a 10/10 watch.

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A tangible sense of damp realism

Salmokji: Whispering Water stands out as an absolute triumph in modern cinema, masterfully balancing an intensely unsettling narrative with top-tier production values and extraordinary acting. The film's story is brilliantly constructed, taking a simple premise about a road-mapping camera crew at a secluded reservoir and weaving it into a multi-layered, slow-burn mystery that relies on creeping, psychological dread rather than cheap jump scares. This compelling narrative is elevated by breathtaking production design and overwhelming mise-en-scène. The dark, swampy reservoir setting introduces a tangible sense of damp realism that practically seeps into the audience, while fresh camera techniques and a chilling, atmospheric score maximize the tension in every scene.However, the true crowning achievement of the film is its exquisite casting and the phenomenal performances that anchor the entire supernatural ordeal. Making a bold departure from her traditional romantic comedy roles, Kim Hye-yoon delivers a career-defining performance as Su-in. She commands the screen with a dry, laughter-less expression and a masterfully restrained emotional execution, grounding the surreal horrors around her in raw, palpable human desperation. Beside her, Lee Jong-won is spectacular as Gi-tae, complementing her performance with a grounded, highly convincing intensity that deepens the emotional high stakes. Together with a stellar supporting cast including Kim Jun-han, the actors deliver a gripping masterclass in realistic horror acting. Ultimately, it is this seamless blend of tight storytelling, immersive world-building, and profound acting that transforms this movie into a cinematic masterpiece.

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A character-driven masterpiece

The Girl on a Bulldozer is a fierce and electrifying cinematic experience, completely anchored by an unforgettably raw, lead performance. Stripping away any trace of conventional cinematic polish, the film relies almost entirely on the visceral acting of Kim Hye-yoon, who sheds her typical television charm to embody an incandescently angry, tattooed teenage hellraiser. She dominates the screen with an explosive, kinetic energy, flawlessly projecting a rough exterior covering deep emotional exhaustion and frantic desperation. Rather than relying on standard melodrama, her acting captures a unique, unapologetic rage that feels entirely grounded, making her relentless crusade against social injustice both deeply empathetic and thrilling to watch. This commanding lead presence is balanced beautifully by a grounded supporting cast, particularly Park Hyuk-kwon and Yesung, who bring a quiet, steady realism to a world deeply corrupted by corporate greed. Ultimately, it is this unwavering dedication to realistic, high-stakes acting that elevates the entire production, turning a social-critique drama into an intense, character-driven masterpiece that demands to be seen.

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Watch this for my Alphabet challenge. Let’s discuss drama…

The story is about Kazuki’s family. The story begins following the divorce of Kazuki and his wife, which leaves 15-year-old Kouki living with his father during a crucial transition period in his life.

Struggling with emotional strain and self-doubt after failing his high school entrance exams on his first attempt, Kouki feels adrift. When he finally gets accepted into a high school a year later, Kazuki wants to support his son and make up for lost time.

Together, they make a pact: Kouki promises to attend school every single day without skipping, and Kazuki promises to make him a homemade bento box for lunch every day throughout his three years of high school—totaling 461 school days.

Despite his demanding musician lifestyle, late-night gigs, and lack of initial culinary expertise, Kazuki stays dedicated to his promise. Every morning, he wakes up early to design, cook, and pack creative, balanced meals. As Kouki takes these bentos to school, the colorful lunches attract the curiosity of his classmates, breaking the ice and helping the introverted teenager make lasting friends. Through quiet meals, the daily bento box transforms into an unspoken language of love, reassurance, and steady presence between a father and son navigating growth, independence, and family rebuilding.

That's pretty much the story without giving spoilers.

This heartwarming story about a father who keeps his promise to his son, no matter what his situation is… That promise, the support from father, is sometimes the simplest thing a child needs from their parents…

Although this can be a little bit boring to watch, but this movie is really worth your time to watch it…

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