Disaster based and few dead bodies.
not lying after seeing the line up I was so happy and i just finished this and this was so so so thrilling since its disaster based there were a few scary scenes (imo) totally worth it this does have a lot of dead bodies. I never thought this is how it's gonna start probably thought it will be cute from the starting but damn. unexpected and as always park bo young and park seo jun never dissapoint. the cast was absolutely perfect the production everything MWAHHHH.MUST WATCH IF U LIKE THRILLER.
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Beautiful and Twisted Take on Alice in Wonderland
The casting for this film was definitely perfect, and they each performed their roles too well. The music, visuals and acting was stunning. It's a very beautifully shot film, and there was a lot of keen eyes for details. This is one of those types of films you /really/ have to pay attention to to understand the progressing story. It's not too fast or too slow paced, by at least 20 minutes into the film you're already in another world, but there are a lot of hints to look out for, especially of how the movie was put together. The movie starts off a bit tense, but the phycological horror aspect catches up quick before you even realize. It was my first time watching Hong Jong Hyun in a movie, and he was soo adorable as Hwan! Overall, this movie stays as one of my /weirdly/ comfort movies... and I've already watched it 3 times. Definitely high rewatch value for a stunning film.Was this review helpful to you?
Cliché Vampire Film With An Excellent Cast
I'm typically a sucker for anything vampire related, especially movies and dramas....so I was instantly drawn to this movie and the familiar cast. The visuals and effects were amazing, as well as the music and acting . But some scenes seemed too fast paced to the point I was lost in the plot and just, unrealistic?? I mean, I know its a supernatural movie so of course it's going to be fiction, but some scenes were just too awkward or weird to watch, and I didn't really like the traditional old-timey take on vampirism. I was left a bit unsatisfied when finishing the film, I guess it's because I started it with high expectations, ignoring the previous reviews I've read. I originally gave this an 8 rating, but after some thought I truly give this a 7.5.Overall, it's not a bad movie. I did genuinely enjoy most parts of the movie and the thriller aspects, but I wish some scenes were a bit different, and I honestly probably won't rewatch this anytime soon. Maybe one day to see if my opinions change :p
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4 years later, I still haven't forgotten this movie so I thought why not a re-watch?
I do follow the rule of "you cant see a thriller, horror or mystery movie again because suspense doesn't work twice" but I still decided to watch it. This time, fueled by the knowledge of Japanese cinema, I watched it with full excitement.
The movie starts nice and slow so you get a grip but in actual reality, the movie is going really fast and we just don't know it. Then again, the movie is long. But it is very detailed. Ofc, I am lusting over the cast but that doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention to the details. Mainly cause the movie goes slow, we catch a lot of details but are we?
The movie likes to joke around a lot on who is the killer. The person we thought it is might not be the one or is it? One by one, every little detail in the movie is broken down. So as advice dont do the weird detective shit that we normally do seeing a mystery movie. Just enjoy the movie.
The cast was extravagant, just like the movie. We have the famed KT and the every so "pretty girl" NM and their epic duo. They were polar opposites and hence made the movie fun to see. NM plays a character who is a perfectionist but at the same time, is very sensitive to each one and treats everyone with grace. She is paired up with KT's character who is a selfish wreck ball but really quick to catch on to things. We see the movie through his ways and means so yes, we also think what he thinks.
The music is underrated. Its the BG music that gave all the effect of whatever subtle rich cinematography was shown here.
Overrall this movie isnt a mystery movie. It just gives a vibe of it. In reality it is just a nice movie to watch.
Its not superb or anything. It was nice.
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Well-chilled suspense
A really well-chilled horror film with quite a straightforward setting but the suspense buildup is extremely well refined and the pacing is highly engaging. The gore and scares are so refreshing as they have plenty of new tactics that were never seen before on screen, most of them rely on naturally occurring objects such as stones and trees. The shooting style is also pretty complex and the panning of the scenes are so good in inducing fear for shocking visuals. The most astonishing highlight is the bloody red tone that was gushing sharply with a shattering blast, those scenes were so well blended it almost tasted like some fine aged wine. This movie will definitely let you leave the theater feeling eerie at the end of the path.Was this review helpful to you?
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"Never have I witnessed the beauty of the world"
Zhang Yi Mou is renowned for his use of brilliant colors and vibrant scenery. In Shadow he showed he could strip it all away and lay bare the story in a gray and white world. The story that seems simplistic at first peels away layer after layer revealing desire, betrayal, and greed.Two kingdoms have signed a peace treaty but only the Yans have control of the great walled city of Jing. The Pei clan yearns to reclaim Jing City against the wishes of their king who wants to keep the peace at all costs even if it means wedding his sister to the Yan heir. The Pei Commander has challenged General Yang to a duel, one he doesn't believe he can win with the winner claiming the city for his clan. The Pei king strips the Commander of his rank for putting the peace at risk, reducing him to a commoner. Early on it is revealed that the Commander is only a shadow named Jing. The real Commander stays tucked away in an underground cave slowly dying from a wound rendered by the Yang general. Soon the characters set up the play they wanted, never knowing if they were the puppet master or puppet.
Shadow's dark underlying mood reminded me of an emotional mash-up of Kurosawa's Kagemusha and Throne of Blood. Jing had grown up in the darkness and even in the light was someone else's shadow. Aside from the Commander's wife, was there something else he desired? The Commander (like a good Kurosawa character) had gone nearly mad trapped below ground scheming and planning. Deng Chao played both characters so well I could scarcely tell they were the same person. Madam was torn between her loyalty to her husband and her feelings for Jing. Other than his longing for Pei to reclaim Jing City, Capt. Tian's loyalty was murky at best. Was Pei's king short-sighted or playing the long game? Characters with the greatest conceit would pay the greatest price. Zhang Yi Mou took his time revealing the hidden truths beneath the characters' facades.
Zhang may have stripped his palette of bright colors but the film was no less stylistic. Though the film at first glance appeared monochromatic, he judiciously used color---patches of green on the hills, the luminous glow of skin, the golden heat from candles, warm brown tones in the Yin and Yang and of course the crimson flow of blood pooling in the rain. His use of color and architecture were, as always, a wonder.
Umbrellas are no stranger to kung fu movies. Zhang, however, took them to new heights. One scene with the army sliding down the cobblestone street doubly armed may have defied gravity but not wuxia magic. The fights were brutal and deadly. Ku Huen Chiu has an impressive track record as a martial arts director and his work here was exemplary. One fight managed to combine dangerous combat into an erotic dance. Feminine moves were created to combat masculine ones to great effect. A surprise knife or sword to the neck always works, too. The great battle accompanied by a zither duet was reminiscent of Hero and just as effective.
The climax dragged on as the endgames became apparent and who would ultimately come out on top was left up to the viewer to decide. Shadow was at its heart a martial arts film complete with betrayals, schemes, lust, and revenge served on a blood-soaked platter. Few directors could create a more aesthetically pleasing film or take an old genre and make it feel new. Zhang Yi Mou is one of my favorite directors for being able to do all that and more. Shadow's breathtaking use of color and creative cinematography was the perfect setting for the ancient story of man's pyrrhic need for power.
9/26/23
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Life: Love on the Line (Director's Cut)
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SOBBING
i did not expect this to have me ugly crying so quickly. purely a good story. they showed unconditional love. love that the mom was knocked out of her negative mindset and was able to accept and support her kids. AND WHEN HIS DAD WAS LIKE “live proudly” oh i was crying. watch it. now.Was this review helpful to you?
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Excellent performances
For a short film, the story really caught my attention. Their performances at the beginning of their careers were very good. This film is proof that a few minutes are enough to show a good story.Even at 13 minutes it is enough time to cause different emotions.
There are 3 moments that change the target of suspicion about who is intending to do something suspicious, and when you recognize who the real suspect is things escalate to a higher level of fear and alert, triggering a series of actions just because of the wrong time in which the locksmith helped the woman open the door.
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One of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen
In Kim Tae-ri's first movie she gave an incredible performance within a very sad story and with a life lesson at the end that everyone should learn.We often get stuck in the past, which ends up paralyzing us in the present and making it impossible to create a new future in our lives.
When Moon Young believed she found her mother she had the strength to speak her first words after years. After this scene she understood that she was no longer the same girl traumatized after her mother left when she was 4 years old.
When her willpower is greater than her traumas, it can change the reality of her life.
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We deserve to walk in the sun
This one got to me alright, it got me right in my queer little heart.It's such a beautiful, tender, deeply realistic story about two people who love each other but who are boxed in by invisible social barriers. It sends a loud and clear message about equal rights and the challenges queer people and specifically queer couples are confronted with in everyday life. It addresses these topics unflinchingly but nevertheless with great sensitivity.
There are no tragic deaths to underscore the suffering queer people have to go through, instead the characters get to stand up and face their troubles directly. They get to protest and fight and lend each other strength by simply loving one another.
It's a simple tale of resilience and love, expertly told.
If there really is a sequel coming, I can't wait to see more.
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Funny and cute
I’m not sure why such bad reviews? I’ve never read the manga but I thought it was good. Ryoma especially was funny and I enjoyed watching him as a character. It did feel quite low budget in terms of filming etc but it is what it is. I really enjoyed it.Would I watch it again? Probably not but it gave me a laugh and it was cute too.
I didn’t think Izumi looked all that feminine either but I think the premise was a unique one I’ve not seen one with that storyline before.
Like I say it’s not the best thing I’ve watched but I don’t think it deserves 1s 😂
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A wonderful picture of the future
I fell for this movie hard and fast and I don't think I'll ever forget the way it's made me feel.It is still all too rare to see queer women being portrayed in film and television and it is even rarer to see depictions of older queer people. Here, we got to see both. And not only that, but the story is undeniably a happy one.
Accompanied by a smooth swing soundtrack, we get to see a love story unfold that feels both like a trip down memory lane and a dream of the future. Everything from the lighting, the camera work, the music, to even the deliberately chosen 1:1 resolution, serves to conjure up a feeling of deep nostalgia which is directly juxtaposed by the film's message of looking forwards, towards the future and towards happiness.
I could honestly spend hours picking apart every detail about this movie but then this review would be several thousand words long and probably absolutely incoherent.
So instead I am just going to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who played a part in creating this movie. Thank you for giving me the chance to dream about what my life could be life decades from now. About how I could be allowed to grow older and happier every year. It means the world to me.
To everyone reading this review I will say this: go watch this film, go watch it right now, trust me you won't regret it.
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Messy, Queer, And Fun
This little movie has a fairly simple premise and pulls it off with panache. It's a short glimpse into the wonderful, messy, overlapping lives of a group of queer women as they spend an evening drinking together and it feels incredibly real.The writing and acting are both fantastic and without the level of quality they provide to the show I don't think this would have worked nearly as well as it does. If the only plot you have is your characters, they have to feel believable and this movie manages that expertly.
I'd recommend this short to anyone who likes mature slice-of-life type stories or who simply wants to bask in the joy of getting to watch queer women simply existing.
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They did it again!
I've been on an absolute binge of these shorts lately and every time I think "Surely this time it'll but just okay, surely this time I won't enjoy it as much" and every time I'm proven wrong.The production value of this little film is excellent, as always, and I really liked the music.
I also think that some full-length dramas could take notes on romantic and sexual chemistry from this, very much censored, movie. I mean at this point the subtext is not so much subtext and more just actual text, it's really fun to see just how much these productions toe the line of what the censors will allow.
In short I'd recommend watching this. It's four minutes of pure fun and sometimes that's all you need.
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Short, sweet, and to the point
Man, but I wish it had been longer. Usually I'm not one to bemoan the shortness of, well, short films, but with this one I really would have liked to see just a bit more.It's a visually stunning little movie with the tarot and fortune telling theme woven into the story line flawlessly.
I really liked how it serves as a vessel to deliver the movie's core message: coming out is hard. Love is hard. But often it's worth fighting for.
That being said, I really wanted to see what the reactions were to the coming out. It seems like such an essential part of the story and it felt a bit dissatisfying for it to just be completely dropped like this at the end.
I'd still say it's worth watching this film. It's beautiful, it's sweet, and it doesn't shy away from letting it's protagonists kiss like so many other shows and movies do.
All in all, this was five minutes well spent.
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