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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Low budget but well acted and well shot and edited
Ramblers is a low budget road movie. Tsuboi, a screenwriter, and Kinoshita, a director, were supposed to supposed to meet up with a mutual friend, Funaki, out in the sticks for a vacation, but he overslept and did not make the train. The two quickly decide to go on without him, occasionally checking in with Funaki to see if he's going to join him. The two are pretty much strangers at the start of the trip, and the thought that Funaki might still make it is more of a Waiting For Godot situation. Nevertheless, they find their way between various scenic spots, ryokans and onsens in the area and have encounters along the way.The point of this indie film is more about the film-making and showing off the skills of director Yamashita Atsuhiro on the film festival circuit. It's not quite a Dogme 95 film, but seems to rely on available light and on-scene sound with plenty of ambient noise. There are some interesting shots, and some fun set pieces with fixed cameras and characters wandering in and out of frame.
Other than that, it's almost entirely free of plot. Nevertheless, the acting is good and there are some surprises and cringe humor to maintain your interest. The largest segment of the film has the two encountering a young mysterious woman (played by Ono Michiko) alone on a beach, and then sharing their adventure with her for a bit. In the end the two run out of cash, but have established a professional relationship by the time they have to head home.
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INSANELY GOOD PLOT - for a specific target group!
I don't understand people claiming that the story is bad or the movie in general poorly written. I have high standards and I can confirm that this story is PERFECT. Everything was so unexpected and so many things about this drama stand out. The story and the description of the movie may sound boring - at first I didn't want to watch it because I myself believed that this would be a low budget movie without high results.However the movie exceeded any expectations and has perfect rewatch value. I wouldn't want to rewatch it now but maybe in a few months after I forgot most of the plot. I think the target group of the movie plays a huge role.
Noh Woo-Sung, as explained in the drama by the "journalist" is the potrait of the average young adult fulfilling his dream of buying a house. In general, he is the most average person and most relatable. I could relate so much with him which made the drama more touching. It was almost as if I felt the same joy/anger he felt. So in the end I believe younger people, which nowadays make up a lot of overseas kdrama population, would not like the movie as majority of its plot aims to be relatable.
However for young adults or even people who already had to go through these rough times this is the PERFECT story for a movie that doesn't take up much time.
I feel like the ending was a bit rushed which made it less exciting than the 2nd & 3rd quarter of the movie, however making it a limited series probably would have ruined it with too many plot fillers. As a movie it is a 10/10, for me. The actors weren't really standing out as everyone fulfilled their role for the plot. There is nothing to criticize about the cast. I don't want to spoiler, whereas I can just say that I have too many questions for it to be more than perfect. Nevertheless I am proud to say that this movie is among my new favorite movies next to great movies like Ballerina or Escape.
Thank you for this masterpiece!
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This review may contain spoilers
BEING HETERO WON'T SAVE YOUR LIFE.
the movie causes you to think that your life will go well when you become straight. it was like when you are gay, your life is processed as if it will be devastated. gayness is bad and treated like something that ruins your life. maki was such a sweet and likable character. i never understood why naomi wanted to hurt maki all the time. i hope things got better for maki.Was this review helpful to you?
BEST DRAMA THAT I EVER SEEN
These were the best two days I've ever had. I DEVOURED the series and I just finished the movie. I've NEVER felt so empty for a drama in 6/7 years of watching them. This drama made me smile, cry, scream, laugh, and experience so many other emotions, and now I feel an emptiness inside me. This version is the best of all the ones they've created so far. It's a shame I'm only watching it now, and I regret being born in 2008 and not before to experience this drama + movie like the others who saw it live and nothing. I have so many more things to say, but I'm speechless, and anyone who feels the same way will already know what I wanted to say. I truly hope everyone can watch this version, experience all these beautiful emotions, and that it becomes their favorite.Thanks again to this drama, the producers, and the cast, who gave me the motivation to start studying Japanese again despite the difficulties. ARIGATO <33
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This review may contain spoilers
Not BL & for sure Not a Gay Romance
this was an interesting concept & well acted BUT idk why it was tagged as Gay Romance, if anything given the ending, its made very clear that there is only straight love, period. as Seo In Woo's spirit asks In Tae Hee's spirit "...& what if in the other incarnation i am born a girl..." & laughing she answers "...i guess i'll wait again." basically saying i can do is love u.. But only if we r the opposite genders(?) then we can have a life together & this BL??? nope.i found this depressing, i get that when it's ur 1st love & ur madly infatuated, then that person ups & disappears, u r left floundering & yearning for that person & answers... as i haven't experienced anything of the sort, hard to image myself in a similar situation - also not a hopeless romantic, plus pessimistic, lol - so seeing an adult lose it in one sec, left me cringing, it wasn't the gender swap that bothered me - it was the age difference.
Seo In Woo is the adult & the teacher, Hyeon Bin was his 17ys old student. like what was he thinking?!? the wife & child sadly is a non-issue, as if u r gonna cheat, u will cheat & having a family has never stopped cheaters. but here Seo In Woo was losing it -
it's like the only thing he saw was Hyeon Bin, he was almost like an addict. he didn't care about where he was or how others would react given his position & behavior, let alone that he was basically wooing a student. it was messed-up.
but as there was never gonna be a "happily ever after" (as In Tae Hee's current incarnation was male), i guess waiting until Hyeon Bin was an adult was not an option. but then i ask how the frack did a 17yr old just up & leave with a stranger, travel to another country?? also couldn't they just live their lives out & then when they die, reincarnate & seek each other out?!? cause sorry, but if u take ur own life, u get punished, no?!? In Tae Hee didn't kill herself - that ending was whack. sorry
even today Korea isn't open to the LBG life style, so i get why the movie turned out as it did, but the conclusion was weak - if anything - if u really wanna show us, how much u love each other. u will find a way to life & tough it out. suffer in this current incarnation, being together & yet apart (cause ur both male) & then maybe u will get rewarded in the next incarnation - oh well it is what it is... it was fine for a one off
side note: really enjoyed see a bucket load of actors look so freakin young
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Really like how Haruka Fukuhara acts in this. She switches from sweet to scary so effortlessly, you never know what she’s really thinking.
Really like some of the music as well. Having a romantic background music, mixed in with a little tense vibe.
Totally gripping and weirdly fun to watch.
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more than just a thriller
A Girl with Closed Eyes has been primarily advertised as a thriller, and as a standalone thriller or murder mystery, this movie is a decent watch, nothing too special. But as a deeper story on female rage, friendship, sisterhood, and sacrifice, this movie takes the cake. Director Chun Sunyoung wanted this movie to be about women, by women. How women are murdered again and again by the men in their life, even as they're left breathing in the end. All the cast did an extremely wonderful job at making the story come to life. Kim Minha and Choi Heeseo (Choi Moon) put on an amazing performance and created a dynamic between the two female leads that was not only full of care, but also intense and riveting. Special shoutout to Lee Kiwoo, who I was extremely surprised to see play such a different role from what I usually see him in, he did beyond phenomenally. And of course another shoutout to Song Jaerim, who never got to finish filming his role for this movie, but whom I thought about the entire film since his first appearance, and who I will always and forever deeply admire.Was this review helpful to you?
A slow-burning descent into madness...
So there's a kind of horror that doesn't come from monsters or murderers, but from the constant hum of a alarm at 3 am, from walls that seem too thin, from neighbours who smile just for a little too long. It understands that kind of dread really well... at least for a while (?)Ha-neul (loml) plays U-sung, a tired man in a tired apartment, just trying to get through life. He's quiet, polite (scared), and clearly not doing great. The kind of guy who's holding everything everything together with weak threads and cheap tape. At first, it's just noise. Someone's upstairs. Or maybe the walls. Or maybe it's him. The film never gives you clear answers, and that's what makes the first half work so well. You (don't) know what's real and what's just in his head, but you feel his exhaustion like it's your own.
The apartment complex becomes its own kind of cage. Neighbours are "strange". Conversations feel off. There's this eerie tension building, and for a while, it's genuinely gripping. I found myself leaning in, waiting for things to explode... or kinda for someone, ANYONE, to just give him a straight answer.
Then... the second half hits.
And look, it's not that bad... There's definitely some payoff. But the story gets messier, like it's trying to juggle too many themes at once: surveillance, power, greed, manipulation, real estate corruption and not all of it lands. The character of Jin-ho brings in a whole new twist that's clever in theory, but a bit chaotic in execution. The movie starts sprinting when it should have taken a breath.
Still, even when the plot stumbles, the emotions stay real. U-sung's spiral never stops feeling grounded. The film might lose its grip a little, but he doesn’t. You stay with him till the end, whether or not the ending satisfies you. For me, it didn’t fully hit, it kinda looked like it would land a punch but maybe that's the point.
Ha-neul is the no doubt heart of this movie. He makes U-sung feel painfully real the kind of person who disappears in a crowd, who people dismiss too easily. His unraveling is what keeps everything together, even when the story starts pulling in too many directions.
So no, Wall to Wall isn't a perfect film. But it's compelling. Creepy in a (very) human way. It taps into that quiet fear that maybe you're not crazy, but everyone around you is pretending you are.
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This review may contain spoilers
Eagerly waiting for this drama to be released. U Sang was relatable, trying his best in this corrupt world, trying to get more money to finally get the life he wants, but faces challenges along the way. I definitely saw myself in him.
The plot I actually liked was who was making the noise, only to discover that a journalist was trying to get evidence from the representative who committed a crime. No one was right with some being worse than others.
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MEH NOT WORTHY AT ALL
I’m so disappointed this was long for nothing it wasn’t even worth me watching this the same day it’s releasedNow what the hell is that ending can someone explain it to me I don’t get anything. I feel so lost lol
Worse is that the first part was really good, it had my heart bumping. I think the movie should have stopped after the pc shut down. After it just quickly goes all over the place, here and there and it’s just become exhausting mentally for me as the viewer (I even slept through a little section of it at some point)
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This review may contain spoilers
Thrilling Ride, Flat Ending
Living in a flat in a city, experiencing an existential midlife crisis and realizing you bit more than you can chew and now neck deep in sh*t, this drama hits so close to home that at first it was so painful to watch.I can totally see myself in how the main character was written - at a time when you realized the life you dreamt of isnt exactly working out the way you planned and you're hanging on to dear life and barely moving forward using the faintest remains of fumes in the barrel that you can almost feel that all the walls are closing in (or have already). This is a very realistic portrayal of an insipid life played perfectly and strongly by Kang Ha Neul.
The story and the character may be boring on paper but the execution sure isnt. One by one the plot thickens with every character introduced and keeps you guessing about their motives. The whole first part I was even thinking that No U Sung is just going through a breakdown and is the real person causing the disturbance in the building. Just when he was pushed to his limit and ready to give up, thats when the real plot started to reveal itself.
For me the only weak part of this drama is that the ending is just as insignificant as No U Sung's life. I would have appreciated it more if they at least tied it with a yellow ribbon in the end just to give us a light feeling after watching it.
Also, Ive got to say that this is the reason why I keep Netflix subscription - because of their widest collection of content and the constant new releases every week. Some of them maybe worthless, but some like this onecan surprise you - new movies and series with 0 extra cost.
Overall, for me its an 8.
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perfect movie to get admitted into mental hospital
In the first half of the movie my brain was not braining and asked my myself can something like this can happen in real life also because I too live in apartment 😭 so started getting new new fears unlocked after seeing first half and got some relief in second half because the wiered things stopped happening and story continues in other ways ,so don't get yourself into the movie or the character just watch for it with open minded don't imagine yourself with that character like me,kang na eul acting was spot on bro really gave me chillsWas this review helpful to you?
