Reviews

It's all fun and games 'til the tears start flowing

Fool was I to think during the first 20 minutes or so of Dear You that this would would be a whirlwind comedy with a smattering of poignant, emotional scenes. Instead, it ended up being the reverse.

Dear You is a story topped and tailed in the present day, but most of the plot is set during the mid-20th century. It revolves around qiaopi, the letters and money that Chinese overseas (in Thailand, in this case) sent back home to their loved ones.

What makes Dear You so touching is how it uses simple misunderstandings between characters to show how strong bonds between people actually are, and how yearning for home provides strength for a community. Human resilience and sincerity is the emotional force of this film.

Everyone in the movie theatre was trying to be polite and not cry too loudly, but I clearly wasn't the only one that spent the majority of Dear You in tears.

What surprised me when I was reading about the movie afterwards is how much they've achieved with a shoestring budget and relatively unknown actors. I would have never guessed this was such a cheap production!

It's also interesting to see how the movie's success seems to have spurred conversations in Singapore around language politics.

This is the first movie I've seen in Teocheow. I watch a lot of Chinese, Taiwanese, and some Hong Kong cinema, but haven't watched an entire movie or series that hasn't been in either Mandarin or Cantonese. I think the closest has been was the sporadic use of Taiwanese Hokkien in Autumn's Concerto.

This piece of history around qiaopi was also new to me. I think the icing on the cake was the epilogue of Dear You where they showed how qiaopi that had featured in the storyline were actually based on real life qiaopi. And so we all started crying again :')

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Dear You — A Story That Stays With You Long After the Credits Roll

There are films that entertain, and then there are films that quietly break something open inside you. Dear You is the latter.
Set against the backdrop of early Chinese emigration to Nanyang, the film does something rare — it puts a human face on a chapter of history that deserves far more telling. The Chow Shan community's struggle to build dignity in an unfamiliar land is rendered with such authenticity that you feel the weight of every sacrifice, every compromise, and every small victory.

The male lead is the kind of character you rarely see on screen anymore. Not a hero in the conventional sense, but something more admirable — a man of quiet selflessness, constantly searching for ways to grow and to lift those around him. His love for his wife and children isn't performed for the audience; it lives in the small, unspoken moments that reveal everything about his character. And when he ultimately gives his life protecting his neighbour, it doesn't feel like a dramatic plot device — it feels inevitable for a man like him. The fact that the children he helped educate later named schools after him is the kind of ending that hits hardest precisely because it's so understated.

The female lead matches him step for step. Her sacrifices are quieter but no less profound, and her decision to adopt a young boy as her own son is one of the most tender moments in the film — an act of love that expands even as everything else contracts. What makes her arc genuinely heartbreaking is the final image of her in old age, memories slipping away. A woman who lived so fully, reduced to forgetting. It's cruel in the way only life can be.

The one thought I couldn't shake leaving the cinema — if circumstances had held their course, these two would have found each other. The film never dwells on it, but you feel it. That quiet almost-love adds a layer of ache to everything.
Dear You is a film about people who built something lasting without ever expecting to be remembered. Ironically, it's exactly the kind of film that makes you want to remember them.

Rating: 9/10

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"You were used by others for most of your life, haven't you had enough?"

Return to Dust was a story about Fate bringing two unloved and unwanted middle-aged people together in a poor rural community. Resigned to their lonely and meager existence, an act born out of callousness opened up a new world they’d never dreamed of.

Ma You Tie aka Fourth Brother aka Iron Ma is coerced into marrying Cao Gui Ying. Both are past the normal age of marrying. Iron is largely an unpaid worker for his older brother. Gui Ying lives in a shed behind her brother’s house and is regularly beaten. She suffers from a physical disability, infertility, and incontinence which has taken her off the marriage market. The two quietly wed and move into an abandoned house. Together they farm the land and gently take care of each other. Tiny acts of kindness and generosity cause the newlyweds to slowly come out of their shells. They begin to lean on each other, surprised that they could experience companionship and contentment so late in life.

While Iron and Gui Ying showed compassion to people, animals, even plants, such was not the case for the people surrounding them. Their families were neglectful and cruel. The local businessman exploited the old peasants working the land refusing to pay them the money he owed, shorting them when their crops came in, always offering one excuse after another. When it turned out Iron shared the same rare “Panda” blood type of the capitalist patriarch, the farmer was called upon to give the wealthy man regular transfusions. As more villagers abandoned farming and moved to the cities it created vacant homes. The government implemented a new beautification policy offering money for the destruction of those houses. City dwellers returned to grab the cash regardless of who had set up housekeeping in the houses, be it people or swallows. The caring couple had to move ahead of the bulldozers twice, finally resolving to build their own mud brick home. Having spent a lifetime being taken advantage of and never having anything handed to them, Iron and Gui Ying simply took the slights in stride.

Oh, but Butterfly, what was the plot? None really. It was an exquisitely shot and scored slice of life about two outcasts diligently working the land and becoming utterly devoted to each other along the way. The villagers even commented on how Iron doted on his “peculiar” wife. It felt and looked very Zhang Yi Mou’ish. And just like ZYM, the director and film landed in trouble, too. *

Return to Dust was a tender, lowkey love story with two social outcasts that felt deeper and more authentic in comparison to grand passionate romances. Iron and Gui Ying may not have had children but they adored their bell wearing donkey (so did I!) and dutifully looked after their little chicks. No debt was left unpaid. For Iron, “The soil doesn’t despise us,” unfortunately, people weren’t always as reliable.

25 June 2026
Trigger warning: Suicide

*Those darned censors notes:
The film was yanked from being shown in China for reasons unknown. It was later released with an alternate ending. What was so offensive? The peasants were hard working, resourceful, and living a simple life without complaint. Perhaps it was the government’s house destruction policy that ended up harming the most vulnerable. Also, the most impoverished were offered low rent apartment housing. Iron wondered where he would keep his livestock. Illiterate and older, how was he supposed to support himself and eat without access to the land? I learned about the film being pulled when I went looking for answers regarding the ending. The last line of dialogue was contrary to the rest of the film and the previous scenes. Apparently, the original ending was replaced with a more acceptable ending to the censors even though it made no sense.

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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IM LITERALLY ON MY KNEES PLEASE WATCH THIS!!!
Okay okay I've always been a sucker for a flashback type of movie or show, but this one had me laughing, crying, and kicking my feet all at the same time. It's a perfect summer movie where you can eat your ice cream while watching it in the living room.
The character development was insane and the things he did for her had me in tears.
I love how the production allowed us to see how she was still a big fan of her Idol and the realization that he kept his promise years later. They have my whole heart T^T

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Just right

What stood out most to me about this movie is how well-balanced it is in virtually every aspect. Although it has a moody tone with some heavy subject matter, it's never overly weepy or dramatic or dark. There weren't really any surprises in a good way - there was clear set up and payoff throughout; nothing too traumatic happens, and it wasn't too abstract or vague. Sometimes movies go over my head when they get too conceptual, so I appreciated that this presented its story and themes in a more straightforward way while being subtle enough that it didn't feel like it was spoonfeeding me everything and insulting my intelligence. The performances from Baba Fumika and Minami Sara were great and I loved how naturally their characters' bond developed, which is a testament to their chemistry. It's a decidedly subdued take on female friendship and what it means to love someone, and I really enjoyed it!

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"What exactly have I been waiting on"

The Neighbor was an odd story of orphans, loss, and found family. A four-hundred-year-old missing treasure complicates the lives of Takeda and Setsu, but never overshadows the bonds being created.

Government worker Takeda Shunsuke lives in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” existence he has created. Orphaned at a young age, he refuses to create any new relationships. He asks no questions about others and expects the same courtesy in return. Though he tries to keep people at a distance he takes in a “gay, suicidal, drug addict.” Initially complaining about his octogenarian neighbor’s late-night singing, he eventually befriends Isumi/Sanada Setsu who believes she has waited 400 years for him to marry her. Takeda also forms a bond with a mute orphan who has created problems for the orphanage he’s been assigned to. For a guy who doesn’t want anyone close to him, he manages to take in all the strays in his vicinity.

A historian believed that Setsu was the missing “princess” from his uncle’s mountain village and knew where a four-hundred-year-old treasure of gold was hidden. He planned to take custody of her so that the remaining villagers and their heirs would receive the treasure after her passing. When Takeda worked to make Setsu’s vision come true he ran into a mountain of bureaucracy trying to “protect” Setsu though they’d never done a thing to help the older women in her 60 years of isolation.

Takeda’s life changed as he reached out to the people around him. In the process he and Setsu began healing their traumas and pain. The “treasure” was unimportant to Takeda and Setsu, yet each unearthed gifts worth far more than gold as they stopped waiting and started living.

24 June 2026

Trigger warning: Suicide

Genre/tag notes: This was not a Mystery or Investigation in the typical way. Takeda did some research to better understand Setsu to help her, but nothing like a treasure hunt or criminal investigation or mystery. This was a story of healing old wounds and creating meaningful relationships.

Acting note: Ogaki Tomoya played Takeda Shunsuke. I only say three cast listings for him.

Minor spoilery thought below:


















The “treasure” ended up being reminiscent to the treasure discovered in the old folk song “One Tin Soldier.”

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Cute but awkward

So Ao Haru Ride is one of my favorite mangas and I was really excited for this one after watching a super cute FMV on YouTube (link here if anyone wants to watch it: https://youtu.be/uqdrmW9-g_8), but I think the music video turned out to be a little better than the actual movie, just because a lot of awkward line delivery wasn't noticeable.

That's the first thing that stands out about the film — it very clearly feels like a manga adaptation and like most of those, the exaggeration really doesn't work too well. The lead characters clearly have chemistry but some of the dialogue really hampers that.

I know it's hard cutting such a long story into 1.5 hours and they definitely did the best they could with it, but it still comes at the cost. The friend group doesn't feel as tight, side characters are less layered, and some of the story beats feel a bit choppy, with a few iconic scenes being cut. It's ultimately fine because I'd rather have more focus on the leads and the romance though, but it makes the stakes feel a little lower.

Romance-wise, I think this did an okay job; I'm more forgiving of Kou than a lot of people seem to be, and this was no different. I found his struggles very relatable, though I'm not sure it would come across as strongly to someone who came in without any prior knowledge of the story.

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Comedy Duo Movie with an Extreme Job Persona

This is the ideal rom-com, where it actually focuses a lot more on the comedy given the nature of the plot, but I think it excutes very well with the villian and how they play his character out. As I was watching, this, you really can see the actors/actresses shine, especially the main duo as they did in Extreme Job. I love how they really had stakes but you know due to the nature of the movie, that nothing was very tense, so it played really well for comedic purposes. Jin Seok-hyu really outshone himself, I think he really moved on to become a Rom-Com actor as the disgrunted figure with a sweet heart, and he really embraces that. Na In Woo does the same with his youthness, and his clumniess that we lowkey saw in past films/dramas and even in 2D1N. The actresses all did very well, wasn't expecting Kang Hanna and Jeon Seonmin in this but they both played their parts very well, even with limited screen time. Overall, a perfect good rom-com, good to watch with a light heart if you don't want to devote everything to feel the characters.

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hey koreans, i am truly confused

I don't understand what Koreans liked about this so much that it became the second most watched movie in Korea's history! Truly
that so-called guardian was but another traitor at the end !! Ultimately, the warden’s actions cannot be viewed as anything other than a betrayal of trust and an act of self-preservation. Regardless of the political pressures or mitigating circumstances presented in the narrative, cowardice and the abandonment of duty cannot be ethically justified

While the high caliber of acting and filmmaking merits a 8-star evaluation, the film's thematic core remains highly objectionable. The narrative's glorification of the warden's compliance undermines its ethical integrity, arguably rendering the story itself unworthy of praise

edit : This film fell incredibly short of expectations. The comment section appears heavily skewed by fans giving unmerited perfect scores simply because a K-pop idol was cast in the lead role, which undermines the integrity of the reviews entirely.

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An Average and Slow Film Saved Only by the Star-Studded Cast

This movie turned out to be quite a boring and slow experience for my taste. The plot stretches out and fails to maintain a gripping pace, making it hard to stay fully engaged throughout the runtime. If it weren't for the legendary lead actors, it would have been very difficult to finish.The main reason to watch this film is definitely the performances of Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in. Both are phenomenal actors who bring a lot of gravity and intensity to their roles, carrying the entire project on their shoulders. Their screen presence is undeniable, even when the script itself feels stagnant. That being said, I absolutely have to mention the tragic hairstyle they gave to Lee Byung-hun. It was so distracting and honestly terrible to look at, which took away from some of his scenes.Production-wise, it feels well-made, but the execution of the story simply lacks the energy needed to make it memorable. It is a decent one-time watch if you are a massive fan of the main actors, but otherwise, the slow buildup might leave you disappointed.

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Good Performances But Dragged Down By Boring Pacing

The concept of a high school soccer club slowly turning into a delinquent gang is interesting on paper, but the execution suffers from heavy pacing issues. The movie becomes quite boring in the middle, as the plot stalls and doesn't offer much progression. While there are some intense and gritty action scenes later on, the road to get there feels like a chore due to the slow buildup.The acting is easily the best part of the film. The young cast did a solid job depicting the desperation and raw emotions of troubled youth in the mid-2000s. They managed to keep me somewhat engaged even when the script itself was lagging and felt repetitive.Production-wise, the film successfully captures a gritty, unglamorous school atmosphere from that era. The action choreography is messy and realistic, which works well for this type of story. However, the soundtrack is forgettable and does nothing to elevate the slower, more tedious scenes that drag the movie down.Because a large portion of the film felt draggy and slow, I have zero desire to watch it again. One time is definitely enough to experience this story. Overall, Gangster High isn't a terrible movie, but it’s an average one that requires a lot of patience. If you don't mind slow-burning plots that take a long time to get moving, you might find it okay. Otherwise, it's safe to skip.

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