Imagination is more important than knowledge.
TLDR; GO WATCH IT!We follow along the protagonist Pae as he is forced to transfer to a new high school, with an ultimatum from his father to make to and pay for his university on his own — or else, he is to join their family flour mill, something he has no interest in. Frustrated with his situation, Pae is solely focused on just completing his last semester of high school with no longing for friendships or bonds. Much to his irritation, he is assigned to a deskmate whose first sentence to him was, and i quote (well, paraphrase), “A scientist once said that we only remember 150 friends in our lives. You are my 150th friend.”
This movie reminds me of the art that 'storytelling' is. You can tell your story in any way you want, but there’s a separate art in knowing how to introduce characters to the narrative, how to reveal information not yet known to the audience/other characters, how to take a good story and make it great with the way you present it. It knows how to make you feel, and my god would it make you feel.
Young Thai directors are lately killing in the game that is celebrated Asian Cinema; movies like these make me look forward to the future of Thai cinema.
I wouldn’t go in depth writing about the characters, and acting, and themes and so. You shouldn’t be learning of them through this written response to the movie; you should experience them. Long live, cinema!
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Review of "Brave Citizen" – 10/10?
I watched Brave Citizen kind of randomly — I wasn’t expecting anything too special, but wow… I ended up loving it way more than I thought I would. It made me feel so many things — anger, hope, sadness, and honestly, a lot of inspiration. For me, it’s a definite 10/10💕 because it really left a strong impression and I can’t stop thinking about it.The movie follows So Si Min, a teacher who starts to stand up against injustice in the school she works at. What I liked the most is that she isn’t some perfect superhero. She’s just a regular person who’s been through a lot, and even though she’s scared and unsure at times, she still chooses to be brave. And that’s what makes her so powerful.
A lot of times, when I watch movies like this, the characters feel kind of distant or too “perfect” to relate to. But Si Min felt so real to me. I kept wondering what I would do if I were in her place. Would I be brave enough to speak up? Would I take that risk? I’m honestly not sure — and that’s exactly why I admire her so much.
The film also really shows how often people stay silent when something wrong happens. Either because they’re scared, or they think it’s not their problem, or they believe nothing will change. And Si Min starts out that way too — trying to mind her own business — but eventually, she just can’t ignore it anymore. That’s what I think is the most powerful message in the movie: you don’t need to be famous or rich or important to make a difference. You just need a voice. And the courage to use it.
The acting was amazing, especially from Shin Hye-sun, who played Si Min. You could feel every emotion through her performance — her frustration, sadness, strength, and determination. It wasn’t overacted or fake at all. It was so natural that I forgot I was even watching a movie. It just felt real.
I also liked how the school was portrayed. It wasn’t some perfect, shiny place. It felt more honest — like the way schools can sometimes be in real life, with pressure, unfair rules, and people who abuse power. That made the story even more meaningful. Because when the problems are realistic, the solutions feel real too. And it really made me believe that even one person standing up can start to change things.
After it ended, I just sat there for a minute in silence. It’s the kind of movie that stays with you after the credits roll. And the best part is, it wasn’t boring or too serious the whole time. It had moments of action, strong emotions, and just the right amount of intensity. It kept me interested from beginning to end.
On my personal scale, this is definitely 10/10💕 — not just because it was a great movie, but because it actually made me think. It reminded me that bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about doing the right thing, even when you’re afraid. And that’s something I really needed to see.
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This review may contain spoilers
This movie is pretty entertaining if you're into classic-style murder mysteries. It has that locked-room vibe with a quirky mix of characters, and the setting—a creepy, remote mansion—is perfect for the genre. The movie does a solid job building suspense, and the lead detective has a fun, oddball energy that makes things more interesting.The only issue in on the ending, which might leave you scratching your head—not in a “wow!” way but more like “wait, what?” It’s stylish, for sure, but not as sharp or satisfying as it could’ve been.
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To judge me by the color of my bones
Green Bones is a cinematic masterpiece from start to finish, certainly, in terms of plot, acting, cinematography, but most in terms of leaving the audience contemplating upon and questioning their beliefs and morals.The concept of green bones - that when one's remains contain the green bones, it is a display of their innate goodness. The concept in itself dictates that there is no way of knowing of a person is truly good during their life. But this is the belief that one of our leads, corrections officer Xavier Gonzaga lives with. After a past experience that left him believing there is only absolute goodness or absolute evil in the world, his entire worldview is shaken when he takes up his first assignment. Even then, he is resolute in his beliefs and carrying his prejudice, which has grown to become his safety blanket, he starts off on a path to ensure that our other lead, Domingo Zamora, never leaves the correctional facility.
But this steadfastness only lasts a while, because unlike he trusted, there is no way to tell if a human is good or evil, and there is no absolute on either end. We, along with Xavier, learn about Zamora's past, and all the decisions that led to him as he is in the present. The more he learns, the more he discovers, that Zamora may consider himself a bad person - but there is no way to judge him on the deeds he considered have made him a bad person.
All of this culminates in a harrowing last 30 minutes that changes Xavier as a person, and leaves the audience contemplating on the complex nature of humankind.
This was not an easy watch - it was mentally taxing to witness, not simply because of the scenes, but in their deeper understanding. It keeps you guessing and on the edge, and leaves you feeling completely drained. And honestly, it is worth the watch. It asks important questions, but doesn't really answer them, no, because they are for the audience to contemplate on. The acting completely complements this complex conundrum - both Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid give it their all.
I would highly recommend , but fair warning - this is not something that is an easy watch, and it surely lingers on your mind.
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Great Idea, Poor Execution
Before diving into the movie, I placed high expectations considering the great lineup of casts and the released synopsis. However, I was utterly disappointed. Halfway through it, I was genuinely confused about its central theme. By the end, there were a lot of questions left unanswered. I honestly think the writers/director had a great idea/vision about the plot but they failed to execute it properly. I also had an issue with its pacing, majority of the scenes was going slowly but the events suddenly quickened at the end. There were also some scenes which I found unnecessary to the plot, leaving a bad impression to me. I do appreciate the good acting delivered by the actors as well as the visual FX.If you're planning to watch this movie, you can try it out. But if you're a deep fan of thrillers, it may disappoint you to some extent. So, I suggest reducing your expectations.
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This review may contain spoilers
Once again time skips magically fix everything, though the ending still falls short of satisfying
Bland & easy going beginning ramps up into something cute & then deflates into a flat waste of time. I'm reminding myself that it's fiction, but still;1) male lead doesn't seem to wash (?) much if at all (?) his lack of self care & lack of self esteem is not endearing. At the end they show a clip of the female lead seeing the male lead panic as he discovers he is wearing mismatched socks & THAT singular moment is cupid's arrow hitting the mark (??!!)
2) As for the Male lead's root of affection- there is NO reason (or even process of him) for him to 'fall in love' with female lead - he is only attracted to her superficial qualities as he has no actual interaction with her in the year he is crushing on her
3) They never show male lead putting the perfume on after the initial spritz, thus indicating that he didn't continue using it . & I'm not 100%, sure, but I thought they showed the perfume bottle mostly full & him throwing it away, so , unless he didn't wash at all after the initial spritz (for like, weeks) or the stuff doesn't wash off....then as one scene shows: her affection for him is NOT based on the perfume
4) Female lead confronts male lead & seems reasonable & asks for his side of the story, only to storm off in anger without letting him explain.
5) ending is bad; after parting ways, a year goes by & in that time the male lead has discovered hygiene, and confidence (how??) Female lead is now in a happy place with her mother & sister & when Male & female lead meet, they smile &we are supposed to imagine the rest.
Wow ! whatever happened to them during that year, it was a game changer...time skips are the magical answer & cure all for relationships
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This review may contain spoilers
Too much going on!!
The movie never really decides what it wants to be at the end of the day. You will think it's a spy, fantasy, reincarnation, movie, but you will also see Dragons and end up being confused. The only thing that it had going for it was the cinematography and the costumes. The Nagaland story would have been a great one, but it's mixed in with all the spy and war espionage stories that its hard to truly appreciate it. Only towards the end does it become apparent that something is going on.Was this review helpful to you?
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Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
If ever the motto wrong place wrong time can be used, it would be here!This was a movie that unexpectedly caught me off guard. I had no idea what the movie was about when I stumbled across it, but one I started watching it I couldn't stop.
This is a very dark and extremely unhappy ending of not just the movie, but the lives of four best friends completely destroyed because of deception and misunderstanding.
The four protagonists in this drama go through such a transformation in such a short period of time. innocent teenagers to criminals in a few short minutes.
The acting is fantastic from the all the main players in this drama. Ji Soo is exceptional with his performance. You wish you could step into the tv to help him and his friends out, but no such luck.
I think the only negative I found was the way it ended. It is true in life that sometimes the bad guys get away and the good guys take the fall ... but you really don't like to see it happen, especially the way it did in this story.
Nevertheless, it is an extremely powerful movie, but definitely not one to watch if you're looking for something to make you feel good or cheer you up. It's dark and extremely depressing and eventually you pass a point of no return.
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The by-product of advancement in humanity
Kang Ha Neul is hitting the home run this year with yet another headlining movie lead which is also about a contemporary phenomenon that comes with some really extreme form of storytelling and psychotic presentation, he's just so good at these kinds of roles you just couldn't get enough of his sheer performing power on screen. It's amazing that the director was able to give light to something so prevalent but most of the time ignored in this urban dystopia, it's literally the by-product of advancement in humanity. The final arc of the storyline might have taken a step too far from being realistic, but the intention there was to maximize such absurdity taken from real life situations, that itself is actually very effective and sad at the same time.Was this review helpful to you?
Stylish and gritty but weird plot choices
Not really that unique of a premise but it does what it does best, fine quality cinematography that is stylish and gritty, then the insane sound design which really makes the movie standout at most of the deadly silent scenes. Just as brilliant as the technical aspect is, the storytelling though simply suggests otherwise. There are some really weird plot choices that will eventually make things go south, the ending is especially one tough pill to swallow, as it only poses more problems to an already tangled collection of plotlines, leaving no room for any resolution but only a subpar twist for its closing.Was this review helpful to you?
Fresh urban horror techniques
This is one of the better Korean urban city horror with surprisingly refreshing techniques that doesn't rely heavily on extreme graphics to build its horror, instead it uses multiple plotlines with clever foreshadowing from a narrator perspective to induce fear onto the threat itself. There's even a touch of world building that heightens the significance of the incident site, effectively making the premise believable and spine chilling.Was this review helpful to you?
Jo Jung-suk's performance is not only technically flawless, but also emotionally resonant, he makes you feel for his character while delivering unforgettable comedic moments. It was simply delightful and deeply satisfying to watch.
Pilot is a sparkling and touching comedy, carried by Jo Jung-suk’s charisma and versatility. One of the most entertaining and heartfelt films I’ve seen in a long time. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t miss it!
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This review may contain spoilers
didn't find this as depressing as the OG Korean movie (this was adapted from), maybe cause here at the end, both mains were alive. so didn't get why they chose to bungee jump other then the fact, it was written in the OG movie. the start was cute, very adorable if u put aside how gay people were treated in Thailand in the late 90's - the fact that cause of Aids all the gay students were rounded up to get abused = "treated" for their "affliction", with the approval of their own parents, was horrifying. so in the midst of this, seeing Dew & Pob's love bloom was beautiful & yet terrifying. the out come wasn't shocking - one or the other would be more worried about getting outed.
get & yet don't, Pob lashing out at the one person that was in the same boat as him. but maybe it was convenient to put the blame on Dew, then he could wash his hands off his sexuality & put it behind him. find it ironic that both times Pob was the one making the decision, that Dew paid for.
Natcha told him she wanted to lead a normal life & Pob should've stopped then & there (especially if he loved Dew & felt guilty for what he had done) but Pob is selfish & he couldn't see beyond his own wants & needs. twice Dew had to pay the price. (even if Natcha doesn't die at the end - like i assume. she can't go back to her life as if nothing happened - cause of the clip of her hugging her teacher).
as in the OG movie i think that Pob (his character) should've take this opportunity to help the person he loved without disrupting their lives, if they recalled their past life that is something else. but actively hounding them & then choosing to destroy his own life & theirs isn't love. love is sacrifice, love is giving - he should've taken this opportunity to help Natcha/Dew achieve everything he couldn't in his previous life. & if in another life they were meant to be together, maybe this sacrifice (on his part) would bear fruit & they would end up together & have their happily ever after.
this a one off, even though enjoyed this don't feel like i wanna rewatch...
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A Plot Twist That Changes Everything, True Love Told in the Most Unexpected Way!
True love, a very beautiful story! The transition of the plot twist was nicely done, and although I had a feeling about it, I never expected it to unfold in that manner. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!P.S. It might seem a bit boring at first, but PLEASE STAY it's going to get better, I swear! 🥹✋🏻
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🌟 What Works:
Strong performance by Kang Ha-neul as a man pushed to his limits.
Tense, claustrophobic atmosphere with minimal sound and lighting.
Smart social commentary on housing pressure and urban anxiety in Korea.
⚠️ What Doesn’t:
The second half becomes overly complex with too many twists.
Sudden shift from psychological tension to violent action may divide viewers.
Mixed reviews: Critics praise the first act, but say it loses focus by the end.
⭐ Verdict:
A chilling, thought-provoking thriller with a unique premise and sharp visuals. Not perfect, but worth watching for the mood and message.
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