Reviews

Is it ever too late to become a good man?

The Scoundrels was director Hung Tzu Hsuan feature film debut. Starring Wu Kang Ren (formerly Chris Wu) and JC Lin it was a decent first film, though nothing groundbreaking and leaning more toward Korean crime films than Hong Kong.

Rui (translated as Ray in the version I watched) tickets cars and clandestinely stashes GPS trackers on luxury vehicles to be stolen later for the gang he works for. His life took a wrong turn when he was a professional basketball player and attacked a fan during a game leaving the man in the hospital. Racked with debt from the incident and labeled a criminal he turned toward the unsavory way of making a living. While ticketing a car late at night he is kidnapped by the “Raincoat Robber” which leads to a deeper involvement with the dangerously enigmatic crook.

The Scoundrels wasn’t very deep though it did try to make a comment about society treating petty criminals and murderers the same, which kept people from reforming and starting over. Rui wasn’t a very sympathetic character nor was his background or personality expanded upon. Hot-headed, always spoiling for a fight, impulsive, and quick to place the blame on others for his actions, it was no surprise he ended up on the wrong side of the law. He was unable to envision or accept consequences which didn’t help people give him the benefit of the doubt. Wu Shun Wei aka The Raincoat Robber also lacked character depth but Wu Kang Ren managed to grant the baddie much needed charisma and an underlying menace. Rui and Wu had a ‘don’t turn your back on your bro’ bromance. The two female characters were blank canvases never filled in. Jack Kao played a veteran cop who had Rui tried, convicted, and executed in his mind before ever gathering all the evidence.

Hung made use of dim, cramped alleys and dilapidated stairwells for much of the settings. There were numerous brawls between Rui and the gang and Rui and Wu against the gang and finally the no holds barred fight between Rui and Wu foreshadowed in the first scene of the film. A few of the fights had dark humor in them though the fights became more brutal as the film went on. There was an element of Wylie Coyote as characters survived steep falls and bloody blows to the head. Double-crosses led to more double-crosses and more fights.

The Scoundrels was fast-paced which helped the viewer not have time to puzzle over plot holes and lack of character development. Overall, it was entertaining even if it needed narrative help.

30 May 2025

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Worth watching

Hye Sun was amazing in this movie. The acting was amazing and the plot was well written. If I can say something negative about the movie it’s the way how slowly everything was. The idea with the hidden cameras was interesting but not something original. But of course we’ve had and plot twist which i didn’t expect. I can’t put the movie truly into the horror genre, more like a thriller/crime. The ending wasn’t truly what I expected but it was nice. The story of how easily something small can become so big caught me and my interes. The suspense was everywhere and of course the atmosphere was great.

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Interesting yet kinda weird

Quite a recent movie with the house haunted by a vengeful spirit clichee we all know. This one sounded interesting to me cuz the spirit is obese and I wondered if there was a reason for that (and there was, which is incredibly heartbreaking).
I liked the pace of the movie until about halfway, when the dementia-plagued (I think) grandma turns into a hippie ghost-repelling-pro, using sheer force of will and tai-chi or smth similar to literally beat the sh*t out of the spirit. It was just so random and totally took me out, given that almost her entire family was just murdered and she could've done something to prevent it, but didn't "transform" until they were dead.
The story of the spirit is unbelievably sad and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, but the part where hippie grandma effortlessly gathered her living family for her to murder and then having a boss fight with the spirit after that was just weird. The love interest of the protagonist being alive "inside" the spirit instead of being killed like the family members also seems convenient for the plot.
Overall it's just the usual haunted house with the family trying to get rid of the possession but ironically not using the shaman/religious route but beating the spirit with sheer will and determination. I like the concept of not giving into the fear and despair spirits, ghosts etc would want you to feel, but the random comedic elements feel so misplaced in this otherwise okay plotline

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a brutally honest portrait of love, change, and emotional accountability

this isn’t the kind of BL film that wraps itself in idealized tropes or gives comfort in romance. it’s an uncomfortable, messy, and deeply human story—and for that reason, it's one of the most powerful i’ve seen.

at its core is kyouichi, a man who lives a pitiful and hollow life. a womanizer and emotionally vacant, he gets married not out of love, but out of a vague sense of obligation—because it’s what society expects of him. he’s never really stopped to think about what he wants, who he is, or how his behavior affects others. he moves through life selfishly, detached, never truly caring about those who try to get close to him.

then there’s imagase, who represents everything that challenges kyouichi’s emotional stagnation. his love is obsessive, manipulative—even predatory at times—but it’s also raw, honest, and unwavering. his searing line, “you have a weakness for people who love you, but you don’t trust that love in the end, and sniff around the feelings of those who approach you,” cuts deep, not just into kyouichi’s character but into the emotional detachment that defines many modern relationships.

and yet, what makes this film resonate is not the toxicity—it’s the potential for growth. kyouichi isn’t a likable man, but he is human. and for all his flaws, he proves capable of change. he begins to accept who he is, stops running from himself, and starts taking emotional responsibility—not just for his own life, but for the people he’s hurt. that willingness to grow doesn’t come easily or quickly. it comes from being challenged by someone who, despite everything, truly loved him.

this is beautifully encapsulated in the final scene. kyouichi sits alone at the barstool—on the same stool where Imagase always waited for him. the ashtray is no longer thrown away but placed gently on the table, washed and cleaned. the curtains are white and sheer, replacing the tacky blue ones. small, quiet details, but they say everything. he’s not waiting for someone to fix him anymore. he’s doing what he can, on his own. as he puts it, “i want to wait. by myself. i want to do what i can.”

in the end, imagase's love—unconventional, obsessive, but undeniably pure—becomes the catalyst for kyouichi’s growth. and in that sense, the film suggests that to truly love someone is for them to become your only exception.

it’s not romantic. it’s not easy. but it’s real—and that’s what makes this story unforgettable.

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Yasuko and the men she loved.

Inspired by the story of actress Hasegawa Yasuko and her time with the famous poet Nakahara Chuya and prominent literary critic Kobayashi Hideo. The movie transports us to early showa and tells us the complicated story of the bond between Yasuko, Nakahara, and Kobayashi.

Starting with the 20 year old Yasuko and 17 year old Nakahara, both spending their youthful days struggling in their craft as they carry a heavy sadness from their childhood. They are eventually drawn by each others' impulsiveness and start living together.

As Nakahara continue to pursue his literary career, they move to Tokyo and there Yasuko and Kobayashi meet through Nakahara himself. Kobayashi was captivated by Yasuko's beauty although his interest on Yasuko started because of his complicated admiration towards the genius Nakahara.

In the movie you could see how Yasuko uses a red umbrella at first which was handed by Nakahara. Further, the two enjoys a persimmon fruit. The flawless persimmon symbolizes the prosperity of each other when they were together—Nakahara recognized as a genius by his colleagues and Yasuko finally getting relevant roles as an actress. They seem to not struggle financially at all. However, the red umbrella symbolizes the intense and turbulent relationship between the two. Nakahara loves Yasuko but he is often immersed in his poems. They always quarrel and turn violent with each other. Nevertheless, he shows his appreciation of her through little things like praising her food despite it being actually bland. Nakahara could also easily match Yasuko's youthful playfulness as shown in the scene where the three dances together.

The shift of Yasuko's love for Nakahara to Kobayashi was marked by the bruised green apple eaten by Kobayashi. Eventually in the scene where the two decides to be together, Kobayashi hands a white umbrella to Yasuko. These two also symbolizes their relationship and life together. The bruised green apple is akin to how the two started to struggle individually when they started living together. Yasuko drowning in her love for Kobayashi, halts her career as an actress and spends her days at home waiting for Kobayashi to come home. Kobayashi on the other hand, struggles to make ends meet as he starts pampering Yasuko too much. Opposite to Nakahara he recognizes that Yasuko can't cook and so they either eat take outs or he cooks for the two of them. Like the bruised apple, they are slowly rotting each other as they spend more time together. On the other hand, the white umbrella can be compared to their relationship. A love that seem calm and clear. However, they could only love each others' good sides.

It is arguable if Yasuko did love the two and vis-a-vis or are these three just dependent on one another. Kobayashi compares him and Nakahara to be Yasuko's crutches—she needed two of them to walk—and removing one will break her balance but removing both would make her strive to walk by herself.

Ultimately, the movie is a visual feast; Hirose Suzu dawning all sorts of costume and really bringing us the undeniable charm of Yasuko; the passage of time clearly depicted by the changing of sceneries through the seasons; numerous center shots; and that showa era yellow lights.

The main cast delivered well as expected of two seasoned movie leads and a promising rising actor. They even got the talented Emoto Tasuku for a very short part of a man who isn't even named. The director usually has famous actors for his movies so this isn't surprising.

The flow of the story on the other hand is a bit inconsistent. It starts with Yasuko clearly being the main lead, the focus was on her. However, as Kobayashi enters the picture, the focus shifts on the complicated relationship of the three. The time skips also sometimes feel too huge. The ending also felt a bit flat and somewhat makes the movie more of a tribute to Nakahara because of how it started with Yasuko meeting him and ended with Yasuko saying goodbye to him in his funeral.

I think the material is good. Although, there aren't that much source of what really transpired between the three, the only fact is that Yasuko was with Nakahara and she eventually left him for Kobayashi but the relationship also did not last. This lack of details in the material may have made it hard to make a cohesive story. They were grasping at Nakahara's favourite poems to find clues about his relationship with Yasuko. However, they made Yasuko the lead and the story isn't told on the point of view of Nakahara so it felt weird with all the poems inserted in the story. The poems may have made more sense if the story was told on the point of view of Nakahara. I would love this to be about Yasuko as told by Nakahara through poems.

Nevertheless, this is a good watch. I liked the dynamics between the three. There are scenes I really loved and overall I enjoyed this.

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They not only combined two different fighting styles...

they also combined two different movies into one.

Here's the thing: was it entertaining? Yes. Was it good? Ehh. I like both ideas of the plot they tried to fit into one, but you just cannot make it happen in one hour and thirty minutes. "Underdeveloped" was the theme.

Let's start with the story the synopsis describes, the ultimate fan service. The second half is THE Karate Kid movie you are expecting to see. Li Fong being trained by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso in a painful, but entertaining fashion. All to get him ready so he can defeat "the bully". The core of the franchise is to never give up, always get back up and use that secret move you've been training during montages to give the final blow.

First half thought? Way more refreshing, more interesting and I wish it was used as a completely separate movie (also, it's weird how it was completely hidden from the marketing). It gives a nice twist to the known formula and now the kid becomes the master. Personally I had way more fun watching that part of the plot.

As a whole movie it's not the greatest, but it does have some great moments. Back alley fight behind the pizzeria? Probably my favorite fighting scene - it had that comedy Jackie Chan style to it. Existence of Alan, the most random character in any Karate Kid movie? Perfect. The number of times Li Fong gets his ass kicked by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso? Pure chaos and fun. The boxing match and training (yes, there is boxing in it) - awesome.

But then we also have the bad. Conor Day was just painfully poorly written. The actual tournament? Barely existed - they fast forwarded all the fights, we saw close to nothing. Ming Na Wen practically being just a guest role was sad - her character could have delivered some good external conflict. Than we have the trauma that was less than a background.

Somehow, because nothing was truly developed I did not feel the grand victorious feeling when the movie ended. You know how Karate Kid movies make you want to learn martial arts? This one just made me want to rewatch previous movies in the franchise. It just did not have that kick to it.

The casting was great. The cast was criminally underused, but still great. Jackie Chan at 71 still has it. Probably on his worst day he is still better than 99.9% of people on their best. Surprisingly Ben Wang delivered probably my favorite version of "Karate Kid" as the leading character. Good personality with real flaws and fears.

Overall, it was fun. I'm kind of sad they did not make it into two great movies, and instead settled on delivering not that well blended mix.

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I really really liked this documentary.

As a fan, of course it will the best documentary that i watched in this life.
The moments, the live action, the feelings shown are so true and there was not a single moment which I felt they are not doing great. Caroline really showed us what we've been waiting for. The camera director really captured those heartfelt moments. We have seen their tours and behind the scenes but we didn't see how Blackpink was formed and I happy that we got to see it today. The only thing that saddens me is that the video seems so short . It is short but it's worth it. I hope they continue to produce Blackpink's later journey in this form.

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A setup that wandered a little too far

«The Witch 2: The Other One» (《마녀 2》) is the second entry in «The Witch» trilogy, and this time we follow the younger twin sister of Gu Jayun (구자윤), the central figure in the first film.

This sequel expands the world a bit more. We learn what happened after the shutdown of the experiment, and the consequences of trying to erase everything—projects, subjects, and all. Just like in Part 1, it still touches on the question: what happens when you create a superhuman and take away their right to choose?

But unlike Part 1, this time the film leaned heavier into the action. There were more fight scenes, more effects, and more explosions. The problem is, it also meant less of the balance that made the first film stand out. The pacing leaned more into style than substance. For example, the opening road sequence had special effects that felt out of place, almost too rough to be in a movie like this. Oddly, the final act had much better visuals, which made the earlier scenes feel even more disconnected.

The writing also took a different direction. The younger twin was supposed to be the main focus—but for most of the film, it felt like the spotlight was elsewhere. She had significantly less screen time than the supporting characters, and the plot seemed more interested in following side arcs than actually introducing her properly. With a total runtime of 137 minutes, there was more than enough time to build her up, but they didn’t.

That said, the actress did a good job, especially for someone still fairly new. She held her own despite the limited exposure. But again, she wasn’t really given much to work with, which was a missed opportunity.

Production-wise, the quality is still there—sets, props, locations—all were consistent with what one would expect from a Korean film of this scale. No complaints there.

In the end, this film serves more as a setup for Part 3 than a full standalone entry. It introduced new pieces, but didn’t fully connect them yet. Hopefully, the final chapter brings it all together.

9 stars from me. Still solid, just not as focused.

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License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC By-SA) 4.0 International
By: Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한 (YourOnly.One)
Date: 2025-05-29

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Sharp, Simple, and Solid

«마녀» («The Witch 1: The Subversion») is a 2018 Korean film that sticks to what Korean storytelling does best—build around the human first, and then let the plot follow. It’s a familiar formula, but when done right, it works. And in this case, it definitely worked.

The opening was dark and brutal. A failed secret government experiment. Standard sci-fi setup. But instead of staying in that lane, the film quickly shifts gears and zeroes in on the life of the main character. This shift is exactly where the difference lies. A lot of Western productions would’ve stayed focused on the government or the science. Here, it becomes personal—and that’s where it hits harder.

The action isn’t loud or showy. It’s paced just right. It fits within the story and doesn’t try to outshine it. When the fights start, they feel grounded. Even with the superpowers in play, they didn’t go over the top. No unnecessary flips, no overacting. Just enough to make sense for the story and the characters.

One thing I really appreciated: the fights didn’t turn into full-on conversations. That’s a habit a lot of Asian productions fall into—talking too much in the middle of battle. This one kept it tight. Minimal dialogue during combat, but everything said still mattered. It respected the viewer’s time.

Set design, props, locations—solid all around. Nothing felt out of place or rushed. You can tell they paid attention to detail and didn’t cut corners.

And the story? It’s not just about powers or conspiracies. It’s about control. About what happens when someone is stripped of their choices and made into something for someone else’s benefit. And how that person decides to take that power back.

It’s clean, clear, and had no unnecessary extras. Just a good, well-made film that stayed true to its direction.

Easy 10 for me.

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License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC By-SA) 4.0 International
By: Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한 (YourOnly.One)
Date: 2025-05-29

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can't stop smiling.!☺️

Man, the way he called her...!! Still smiling about it. It's so cute and funny watching them and how they affect each other's lives. You'd totally love this if you're into lovesick stuff. 💙💜
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖.
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watch it. 💖

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This is Boring, Don't pick this up

Since I was feeling bored, I decided to pick this one up and my god, it made my boredom even worse.

At the beginning of the movie, you're introduced to these 3 characters. Okay, they're reminiscing, talking about how boring it is in the countryside, why they want to move to a city, and vice versa. Just some normal people chatting, then cut to an out of context ass backstory, and that's the moment the movie started losing me. It kept cutting to different years, with different people, and not even explaining who these people were. I get it, you expect me to understand that these are the other characters that we're gonna follow in this story, but at least someone could've pretended to call out their name and asked what's happening so that I'll know who they are and what they are talking about.

The story is ehh, or should i say, there's not much of a story here, it's more like a slice of life of adults reminiscing about the times. And it's not even interesting, hence probably they kept highlighting it in the movie that "It's okay to be boring" Yes, it is okay, but in this one, it's definitely not okay.

The acting is good, but I'm more amazed by the singing bits because these actors are really singing their hearts out. They can sing SING alright HAHAHAHAH. You can't really see so much of the acting here, because of the way it was filmed, but when it is presented, acting is again, good.

The reason why you can't see much of the acting and this is where we get to the 2nd thing that made this movie even boring, is the cinematography or could that be even called cinematography? In the beginning, i noticed it right away, it was when the first 3 characters were in the car and we have this very long ass one take shot from afar. Most of the scenes from this movie are just long ass one takes, so you couldn't really see much of the acting. The movie felt very raw or unfinished, because the whole time i was watching, it felt like there could've been some close ups that needed to be inserted here and there. But hey, props to these actors, for these one takes, they're all really good for not even breaking when delivering the lines, I'm sure some of these scenes might have been retaken a bunch of times.

Overall, what a boring movie, definitely not a recommend.

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Laugh one minute, cry the next

I watched Post Truth while at home sick and it was exactly the heartfelt pick-me-up I needed. This movie is a seamless blend of comedy and sincerity, with everyone giving their all to the bit.

The comedy element comes mostly from Wei Ping'an's wild goose chase as he hunts down the source of a bad rumour about a dead woman, Hu Lan, who he had briefly met when she had bought her grave plot from him. Special mention goes to Li Xue Win – who plays Ping'An's sister – for her performance in catfishing a guy essential to Ping'An's chase. This gag was extra funny as I definitely have friends who would do the exact same thing if called for.

The heartfelt part of the film comes from Ping'An's relationship with his daughter who, parallel to her father's quest, also grapples with doing the right thing, despite the steep cost. Their storyline was the perfect balance to the absurd hilarity that meant that Post Truth kept strong pacing.

A good romp if you need one.

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Finding yourself in the midst of youthful chaos and lust.

If you wade through all the other things in this story like nudity,underage sex and violence you will find a compelling story of healing,hope and finding yourself in a world where you're alone. Starts out depressing, but it has a hopeful end and you find yourself rooting for the ML. He did a great job, you could feel his pain. ML is dealing with grief and getting over his brother's suicide. He describes his brother as his "real friend" and sees his ghost as a cry for help. His family is fragmented after the brother's bullying and suicide. They moved to this tiny town to run away from bullying his brother still ended up dead. ML is trying to find healing, but our FL is a bit self-absorbed and confused and wants to be the centre of everyone's universe. She was feeding off his toxic energy to boost her own ego.

I'm so glad he healed. Him I understood, her I didn't understand at all. She acted a bit desperate and need but glad she got it together.

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