Reviews

Hunt

A very intriguing and adrenaline-filled movie that differs quite a bit from director Na Hong-jin's previous films, though it feels similar in pacing and tone to The Chaser.

I also think they got the movie title wrong. This film is not Hope, it's Hunt. I honestly don’t know what the “hope” is supposed to be in this movie — maybe something the main characters want but failed to express or communicate. But the title Hunt is extremely fitting because the entire film is one big hunt. Our protagonists are constantly switching roles — sometimes hunters, sometimes prey — and the chase continues from beginning to end, constantly shifting into a higher gear.

In my opinion, this is the film’s greatest strength: the nearly three hours fly by in a fast-paced, ever-intensifying run that builds tension right up to the so-called ending. It’s hard to say much more about the story without spoilers, so I’ll stop here. On the surface it seems simple, yet it’s surprisingly effective.

Although the characters themselves aren’t at the center of the story (they all serve the larger narrative), the actors are charismatic and have interesting personalities. However, in the midst of all the chaos, there are often awkwardly funny scenes. I’m not sure the humor was really necessary here.

The camerawork is excellent and truly artistic, following the action as if the camera itself is participating in the chase. A lot of effort was clearly put into the scenes; they had to prepare an entire city to look the way it does, and you can see the immense work and dedication from everyone involved in the production. Visually and atmospherically, the film fully meets expectations. The epilogue at the end will certainly spark plenty of discussion, which should help this movie be remembered in both Korean and world cinema.

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This move was weird

This is my first movie review & I'm honestly not sure where to start, so I'm doing a likes and dislikes list.

Things I liked:
* The way it was filmed.
* Fighting choreography was decent.
* Jin just saying "f**k it" & just desides to kill his rapest.

Things I didn't like:
* The script was confusing. Like there was enough there to connect the dots, but sometimes it was unnecessarily confusing and violent.
* I don't understand Kai's obsession with Jin.
* They don't show us some things. For example, Jin's arson & his death.
* The rape reenactment at the beginning shouldn't have made me laugh. But it did. I feel really bad about that, and I really hope that victims in Japan don't really have to do this. Telling the story would be bad enough without having to show the police step-by-step what happened and what was said.
* Jin should have simply moved to another city. I get that Kai wasn't the rapest, but he admitted to it and was following Jin everywhere and was causing problems whether he meant to or not.
* The singing at the end was psychopathic.
* The RAPPING was so bad that I skipped large parts of it or played it at X2 speed. The music parts in general weren't good. There were also way too many of them, and they lasted too long. Also, I get that Kai was trying to help Jin get over his rape by making him rap about it, but it was creepy.
* The ending. After all the shit Jin went through, we couldn't give him a happy ending? How did Kai not wake up while Jin was being killed? How did Jin die anyway? His rapest/killer was heavily burned and in pain; you couldn't even see his face, so how did Jin, who had learned how to fight & was in perfect health (in comparison), lose?
* If you're going to try to kill someone, especially when that someone is rich & powerful, maybe make sure that they are dead? Just a suggestion.
* How did Mr. Rapest find them at the end? They were in the middle of the woods. Even if it was the location Jin followed them to previously, why would he go there randomly? I don't think he followed them because he had to bandage himself up, and a long time had passed. IDK, it just felt very random.

The movie wasn't bad. If they took out all of the music/rapping parts and focused more on exploring Jin and Kai's backgrounds and relationship, I maybe would have been sad, more than annoyed, at the ending.

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This Script Infected My Brain

First thing that came to my mind was, "Ain't no way it's legal to write a script this bad." Then I was like, "Damn... what a waste of talent and money." 'Cause real talk, Colony had a genuinely interesting concept and some solid production value, but it completely fumbled its own potential.

The biggest issue is easily the writing. It's generic as hell. The opening had me thinking they were actually about to do something different, but nah... it falls right back into every zombie movie cliché you've already seen a hundred times. The whole infected hive-mind concept sounded fire on paper, but they barely do anything with it. Instead, you're stuck with lazy writing, convenient plot armor, and predictable twists that kill any tension.

The pacing ain't much better either. This movie had absolutely no business being almost two hours long. The final act just keeps going in circles. They could've easily cut around 30 minutes and the movie would've been way tighter.

The characters are another huge problem. Most of them got the personality of cardboard. The female lead was honestly the only character I actually cared about. And don't even get me started on Ji Chang-wook... they marketed him like he was one of the main attractions just for him to end up being a glorified side character. Bro barely affects the plot. You could replace him with almost anybody and nothing would change. So if you're watching this for JCW... lower your expectations.

Then we got the classic zombie movie syndrome where everybody suddenly loses 50 IQ points just so the plot can happen. Folks keep making the dumbest decisions imaginable, and by 2026 I really thought we'd left this type of lazy writing behind. The dialogue doesn't help either.

The authorities somehow manage to be even worse. They lock the whole building down almost immediately, but somehow nobody thinks about checking the security cameras until 12 hours later? Be serious. That's literally one of the first things any competent team would've done. They could've tracked the infected leader and stopped the outbreak before it got completely out of control.

And that lab scene? Man... they really sent scientists wearing hazmat suits into a contaminated zone with zero weapons before the area was even secured. Meanwhile, the so-called elite tactical team keeps making one brain-dead decision after another, and don't even get me started on their gear. The weapon choices are straight-up awful and make absolutely no tactical sense for the situation. It honestly felt like nobody on the writing team stopped to ask how a real intervention unit would actually operate. I was just sitting there like... what am I even watching?

The only things carrying this movie are the direction, the performances, the makeup, the practical effects, and especially the stunt performers playing the infected. They honestly did an amazing job.

But none of that can save a script this weak. Overall, this was a massive disappointment.

Skip it.

☆ My Summary rating :

● Script - [ 3.1 ] :
• Narrative Structure: 4
• Development: 3
• Consistency: 3
• Predictability: 9
• Dialogue: 3.5
• Originality: 5

● Acting - [ 5.7 ] :
• Individual Performances: 8
• Emotional Delivery: 3
• Consistency: 7
• Supporting Cast: 4

● Execution - [ 6.9 ] :
• Direction : 6.5
• Cinematography : 7.5
• Editing : 5
• Production Design : 9

● OST - [ 7 ]
● Pacing - [ 4 ]
● Enjoyment - [ 4 ]

Final Score : 4.8/ 10 ⭐⭐

if u love my reviews u can check my tiktok profile : Dramalyze

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Awful plot and argument

Intelligent korean organization gathers the most dangerous criminals in one place (maybe for get-together event). Amongst them, there are murderers of countless people and a woman who murdered husband and his parents. I am so happy for Korean people who have the worst criminal woman with these crimes!! I think the writer could come up with more interesting crimes...
So, they gather on a ship with normal cargo and civilian crew and a lot of police. The police force is there to secure the safety of everyone. But maybe they don’t have enough competent people and brought policemen that don’t carry guns (they must be safe in their rooms) and tend to not be shooting when confronting with the worst criminals in Korea.
Then the criminals escape and… something else happens and red and red and blood and blood, limbers to the left, limbers to the right...
Then nothing. A tiny explanation of what happened… a blowjob gone wrong, fat pigs and more blood… a bad guy... more red...
And that´s it…
The end is like the movie…
So… if your favourite colour is red, give it a try!

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Running Away

A movie for mature audiences. From the very beginning it’s clear that something is wrong, and as the story develops things become more and more complicated. A married couple finds themselves stuck on a vacation that simply won’t end, and there will be everything — including +18 scenes. In fact, the film follows the classic formula of American horror movies and successfully builds tension and suspense right up to the very end. I think the ending itself could have been a bit more complete, but overall I’m satisfied with the way everything was concluded.

The lead role is played by the well-known Ma Dong-seok, and although he is known as a good-natured strongman, here he takes on a rare villain role. His acting isn’t perfect, but I can say the villain part suits him extremely well and he was quite convincing as the enigmatic, violent host.

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All the world may be a stage, but not everyone is a great playwright

Set in Shanghai during the days just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Saturday Fiction attempted to be a noirish spy thriller. My experience with the film was trying to follow a muddled mess of a story with little character development. Even the glorious Gong Li could not overcome the film’s problems.

Famous actress Jean Yu returns to Shanghai after spending time away in Hong Kong and globe-trotting. Her ex-lover, Tan Na, is directing a play based on their romance and has asked her to star in it with him. Jean stays in the Cathay Hotel situated in the French Concession. The hotel is filled with spies and soldiers, all skulking about, seeking intell on their enemy. Jean’s ex-husband is being held captive and is loathed by Chinese and Japanese alike. She’s there to help him escape and gather information for her foster father, the enigmatic bookseller, Frederic Hubert. A Japanese officer brings a new code book to town which garners a great deal of interest. Coincidentally enough, Jean is the spitting image of his late wife. Hmmmm…..

Gong Li made the most of her role as the “box of secrets”. She truly is mesmerizing to watch, even with this lame plot. Mark Chao was largely extraneous to the film though the age gap didn’t bother me. I could easily see how they would be attracted to each other. The stage play snippets only served to interrupt the flow and pace of the story which became very frustrating. Also, that was a crazy extravagant set. During the scene they showed repeatedly, the two actors whispered their lines to each other with music blaring in the background. Microphones weren’t used during plays in 1940 so no one in the audience would have heard a word spoken.

I didn’t like Lou Ye’s style in this film…at all. He overutilized extreme close-ups, blurred images, and a shaky camera following each tiny movement. Let Gong Li’s expressive face tell her story! Characters were given no backstory, development, and/or motivation. I honestly didn’t care who lived or died. For older viewers the Cathay Hotel was reminiscent of Casablanca with spies lurking about everywhere. Or for younger viewers, John Wick’s Continental if Winston and Charon listened in on all the phone calls. When the final 30 minutes were approaching, I begged the film to give me satisfactory answers. It did present a long shootout that at least helped determine which side people were on depending who they were shooting at. Even that didn’t provide definitive resolutions and revelations.

Saturday Fiction starred a great cast, was set during a tumultuous time in the glamorous “Solitary Island”, and had enough intrigue to make a dozen films. Yet due to problematic pacing and narrative issues, the film was strangely disappointing. Having said that, if you are a fan of Lou Ye’s shaky style and penchant for blending fantasy with reality, this might be one to check out. I can see where there is an audience for it, it just wasn’t for me.

22 July 2026

Trigger warnings: Sexual assault. Smoking.

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We all need music

This film presents itself from the beginning as a movie about music, but it practically has only one song (plus one "extra" track) that repeats throughout the movie. Both songs remind me of 90s K-pop and evoke nostalgia for the time when Korean music, in my opinion, had the most beautiful melodies. However, this is actually not a musical but a comedy about musicians and the meaning of singing and performing in front of an audience. One singer who is no longer as popular as he once was told me that performing in front of an excited crowd is like a drug and it’s very hard to give it up. Similarly, this film explores how important music still is to the three members of the once-popular group “Triangle,” which broke up after a scandal.

The film has two parts that feel almost like two different movies. The first focuses on the everyday life of the musicians, while the second shows the singer’s road trip filled with funny situations. I thought the second part was excellent, although the first is also very good. While the beginning is interesting, the comedy becomes much more successful in the second half. There’s also the obligatory emotional impact that can remind all of us how important music is to everyone — whether we’re singing or listening to our favorite artists.

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Foreigner in Korea

Most emotional Korean movie I’ve seen in a long time. It starts slow — to the point that I was struggling to stay awake during the first third of the film — but then I simply fell in love with the main character and sympathized with everything she went through.

Even though the film is somewhat slow and lacks big plot twists and excitement, in this case that’s actually a plus. It allows the emotions of the main character, a girl named Hye-seon, to come through much more strongly. She is a North Korean defector trying to adapt to life in the South. and that shows how foreign the 2 Koreas are between themselves. This is a slice-of-life, character-driven movie where the focus is on the experience of living in complicated South Korean society.

Watching how much Korea has advanced, I increasingly see that technology doesn’t necessarily make life easier — it often complicates it even more. Everything is recorded, everything is controlled, everything has its own app and its own rules. I still appreciate, for example, my T-money card that I’ve had since 2009 and still works for all public transport in Korea. But on my last visit to Korea, I rented a car and really struggled with parking in big cities. Also since my foreign card was declined in some stores and the store didn't accept cash i couldn't buy items there.

But back to the film — the way it’s shot, with lots of scenes cut off mid-way and constantly adding new details, builds in a steady upward trajectory. By the end, I didn’t want the movie to finish. Still, I can say it found an excellent moment for a touching ending. It feels like there’s a lot more footage that was shot, and I would love to see an extended version of this beautiful movie about a beautiful soul who continues to move forward in life despite all the obstacles. Hana is a true inspiration.

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Crash, Clash, Chaos

A modern art film of the younger generation, made with plenty of symbolism, decadent shots, and eccentric main characters who nevertheless reflect the experiences of some (I hope not many) teenagers. To understand what kind of film this is, it’s enough to say that it opens with an image of larvae turning into cockroaches and emerging from their cocoons.

So, despite its unconventional style and characters, at its core this is a cautionary film that warns about the real problems faced by young people. The mobile phone plays a major role throughout — it’s the tool used to arrange all the schemes, the means of communication, but also of attack. It’s no wonder the film compares phones to knives as weapons.

I won’t reveal anything about the plot because it’s an important part of the viewing experience. I can only say that the film felt comically tragic to me. I had to laugh at some scenes even though everything carries a depressive tone. I hope and pray that the younger generations will overcome their problems, whether with the help of good friends, parents, or mentors. The actors are very good. The music is excellent at times because the funky musical vibe serves as a strong contrast to the story, and stylistically the film offers a unique viewing experience.

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Consequences of a Photo

Hm, a high school girl falls in love with another girl, but did she really fall in love or did she just find a new best friend? Is it real or just a phase of growing up? This film tackles the sensitive and provocative topic of same-sex love in a careful but still quite stereotypical way.

Careful because it tries to create space for different interpretations and gives hints of many challenges that come with such feelings. It also uses the camera as a prop to represent the voice of the heart. The stereotypes, however, are visible in the plot development — I could spontaneously predict what would happen next. Also, the role of the older person as support, and the other side characters who only appear when it serves the protagonist, make the film feel less convincing and more like a collection of tropes typical of this kind of coming-of-age indie film.

I can understand that the film will find its fans, and I do believe these topics should be discussed, but it lacks a bit of critical commentary. The film isn’t explicit in anything and doesn’t dare to clearly promote it, even though the intention is obvious. The allegorical use of the camera is actually the best part of the film. To photograph something or someone means to answer an inner voice — that’s why we take photos when the heart speaks. This is especially touching in the relationship between the main protagonist and her father.

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