Twists and Turns That Make Little Sense
In order for this movie to work you have to suspend all established theories of time, space, and reality. Because the plot's timeline is constantly changing, it is very hard to follow and to get a sense that our FL is making any progress in this salad of events. It feels like the viewer is constantly having the rug pulled out from under her. The only constant thing is the evil of the antagonist remaining one step ahead of our FL. You start to wonder if anything at all is actually happening or just in the mind of the FL. Perhaps that is what the director was trying to convey. In doing so, however, it leaves you with a sense of hopelessness and disappointment.The acting is wonderful with great performances by the cast. One thing is certain: it's very thought provoking but not sure I agree with how the production was executed. There were some obvious plot holes that didn't add up.
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I mean it's your basic urban legend ghost, which I'm not even mad at, I love those. But... man the alien look just threw it all off for me. It was like someone took the movie and put the instagram alien filter onto the "ghost".
Speaking of the ghost, what even was her story? I feel like all that was talked about were just guessing games that kinda borderlined on Kuchisake-onna's territory... minus the "do you think I'm pretty?" -- nah, this ghost just stares you down until your eyeballs explode for some reason. Kinda a mix of Kuchisake-onna and Bye Bye Man and Boogeyman (wasn't that the name of that series?), imo.
Stare had a lot of potential .... but fell short.... Way short... like the unathletic kid in gym (don't come for me, I was that kid. lol) but really though, even though this movie is fairly new, it kinda has old vibes which is interesting. But kinda hope a remake gets done and they do drastic changes on the ghost. Then, it would be at least a 8 star movie...
Only other issue is I wish they went into more detail about the origin of the story and the whole reason for it. And I mean the whole thing, not just kids playing guessing games on what it could or couldn't have been.
I just have way to many questions and annoyances with it that I can't really give it more than 5 stars.. and that's being nice about it. >__< Would I say trash and dodge the movie, nah. But don't expect a lot from it. It would be a good movie to play within a horror movie night marathon or something.
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This review may contain spoilers
C U R EC—URE
C—YOU'RE
SEE, YOU'RE
SEE, YOU ARE...
"Who are you? Tell me about yourself."
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure is first, a procedural crime thriller, but foremost, a philosophical and psychological rumination of the societal condition. It is more arthouse and atmospheric than the usual sort of procedural thriller in mainstream cinema. It does not serve a complete and absolute answer. Rather, it gives you questions and clues which lets you think and connect the puzzle, yourself.
In the film, we comprehend that the killer perceives the detective as someone who is not cured.
"The detective or the husband? Which is the real you? Neither one is the real you. There is no real you."
The detective is filled with frustration due to his societal responsibilities. This is his prison since his choices are bounded by societal expectations and not because it completely reflects his own authentic decisions. This prison is what created and worsened the disease in his humanity. He cannot be his real self. He is not cured.
"You’ll be born again, just like me."
Perhaps, the killer wants to free the people from society by letting them truly know and express their profound fears and desires. This is how he will cure them and just like that, they will all be reborn.
It might be true that knowledge is power and to completely know ourselves can be the utmost cure to the disease of humanity and society. Though, does letting our desires and fears own us creates the perfectly authentic self? Or are we just letting ourselves be a slave to them?
In the end, the detective has become the "cured", himself. He didn't repress his fears and desires anymore, but he has become mesmerized by them. Indeed, they have become himself, completely dictating his decisions which also led him to dictate others.
Ironically, the detective has become the society that imprisoned and frustrated him for so long; thinking about what solely makes sense to him and imposing it to others believing that it's the true and ultimate way to be freed and cured.
Just like the long-time, lingering question whether hypnosis is a true science or a pseudoscience: is it really a means to cure or control? Is the detective cured or controlled? Is he curing them or controlling them?
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Ryu Jun Yeol's the star
Hit and Run Squad (2019)This movie is about a police team in-charge of hit and run accidents. One of the cases involves an arrogant race car driver avoiding arrest and lying about the hit and run incident a few months ago which later turns out to be much more - bribery, death, betrayal. But our squad is staking their lives to catch him before he flees the country.
I think the real star of this movie is Ryu Jun Ryeol's character Minjae who at first looked like a weird cop with good instincts but once we find out more about his past, we realize he isnt as dumb as he seems. I love his relationship with his dad and the ambulance scene was 😭😭😭.
I'm not used to seeing Jo Jung Suk as the bad guy but he kind of has that scary look on his face when he tries to threaten Siyeon or Minjae. There were two scenes which I think were inspired by fast and the furious when Jaecheol was running after Minjae and Siyeon.
I was expecting more of Gong Hyojin's character Siyeon but she didnt do much. I liked her with Taeho, i'm happy he didn't die. That twist with her boss was unexpected but was so sudden it didnt really had much impact.
The ending also felt incomplete. So what happened to the boss? Is there a sequel? Kim Go Eun's character is only a cameo? The police commissioner's accident is he dead?
Rating: 8/10
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A different take on Rich woman story where the Female lead is actually soft hearted.
This was my third or fourth hongkong movie, I think so, and honestly the movies i watched before this one either had a crappy story or crappy acting or crappy acting or crappy dialogues, which made it a borefest. So, i had some initial doubts on whether watching it or not. But I'm glad that i proceeded watching it as this movie was refreshingly pleasant to watch. So if you are like me who are hesitating to watch, go ahead and don't miss it.Story
This is another take of the trope of rich woman poor man love story, which was rarely done in chinese, korean and other asian cinema. Being a male, i usually preferred watching any movie having this trope, but sadly most of the movies had over the top idiotic stories, with arrogant and rude female lead and a male lead contrary to it. But this movie took a straight u turn and made the female lead kind hearted. The female lead is the heir or rich business conglomerate, and is a spoilt child, who doesn't know the value of money. Unbearing of her immense expenses, her family and butler hatch a plan to make her understand the difficulty of earning money. What happened during and after the plan forms the later part of the story. The story, though very old was very good, and the male and female leads were structured properly without over the top irritating characteristics assigned. Though unbelievable at some points, it had the vibes of jdrama, with natural stories, and hooked me on until i completed it.
Acting
This was another thing this movie farred well compared to all other hong kong movies. The acting was natural, and the female though looked crazy at some times, pulled off her character really well, that made me forget all the unreality points in the plot. The male lead too did his role quite well, and their chemistry was pulled well.
Music
Well, i never care about the music in the movie, but the cantonese or han language spoken by the actors in the movie was sometimes irritating which reduced my score in the music category.
Rewatch value
This movie is perfect for rewatching. I watched this movie twice and i'm fully aware of the story but still the quirky won't bore me out.
Overall
This movie is interesting take on rich poor man story. I watched this on kissasian which had a crappy quality, but who cares, as long as the movie was good i wouldn't mind watching it even in 144p. Though the voice was bad, don't regret skipping this movie.
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A TIMELESS treat for the whole family!
This is one of the best movies I have watched for a long time...Although I believe that this movie is geared toward 10-20 year olds, it is still a great little; movie; my major problem is that there is no reference on the Internet for any of the cast except a few; and not all movie sites list the ladies, or men, who starred here. With an imagination, this is a great kids movie as well!
However, the person adding this movie only gave you ONE main female lead; there are FIVE females and FIVE males who act this movie
I hate to brag, but I told the group that watched this movie together what the four ladies actually were BEFORE we got to the part where they explained themselves to Su Su (Liu Qian Yu), and I also successfully predicted who she would choose as her boyfriend at the end, both less than halfway through the movie!
The cinematography was excellent, and the support actors did an excellent job, especially the one who was beaten up!
The main actress
What many people don't understand that that EVERY woman is the same as You Menghan, the lead female character here:
Every female is a 'daughter', and if their parents live, they become a daughter when they visit them;
Many women, especially today, is a 'coworker' and can accompany her coworkers, let her hair down and make sure everyone gets home safely;
(Almost) every female is a 'sibling', who becomes a sibling again when interacting with sister(s)/brother(s)
Every female is a 'warrior' - just watch a female have their children threatened, they become Liu Rusi, the warrior in this film;
Every female becomes Chen Zilian, the 'wine bibber in this movie, when fortunate to be in her situation;
Every female, if she chooses, can be a Li Mengying, our 'startling geisha' in this movie, and can entertain people, her family or even her loved one;
and lastly, every woman during her lifetime (especially if she has child(ren), becomes a Susu - giving and wanting to see others with a smile on their faces!
This should be a 'must-see' for anyone who majors in psychology/sociology...
RE-WATCH VALUE: Of course!
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Engaging narrative that ties everything together.
Slow paced storytelling that trusts the viewers are smart enough to connect the dots themselves. Noroi opens with seemingly random plot lines that do not quite fit together, but as the story progresses, you start to notice the connections and by the end of the movie, everything falls into a perfect picture. Not a scene nor a frame seemed redundant.I appreciated how Noroi: The Curse believed in my memory skills and brain power, and did not spam me with countless flashbacks that are supposed to help me connect the scenes and lore elements. It’s up to a viewer to either see the patterns and hints in the background that are dropped throughout the movie. With that, it presents itself as a perfect rewatch material - as a viewer, it’s entertaining to try to find things you might have missed on the first watch.
If you expect a lot of jump scares and a fast paced scary story - you won’t find it here. It relies on building the creepy and disturbing atmosphere framed into a realistic documentary style. It takes a while before anything truly happens, and yet the plot itself is interesting enough, so you won’t get bored waiting.
Overall, one of the best documentary-like horror movies I have seen in quite a while. The filming, editing, acting - all comes together to make it seem like a real story that truly happened. It requires you to pay attention to understand the it completely, but it’s worth it.
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ADULT VIEWING
Holy wow and gosh what has my eyes just seen.This movie was off the charts to anyone who is open minded and looks beyond the BDSM that was done in this movie. Firstly I am actually surprised that this was made, although there some parts that I felt were a bit over the top, but hats off to all who did this.
The story line was pretty much there but you only got too see and understand the reasons why they both needed and went through what they did, towards the end of the show.
This was definitely a hardcore, with superb acting.
Overall not a really a rewatch material and definitely not for faint hearted and closed mine!
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Dreams can be accomplished...
So the only reason watched was for Johnny.. saying that this movie wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been.I particularly liked the message behind and throughout the film. It portrayed a really a positive attitude and life, and not how to just give up when you thrown a curve ball in anything you want to do.
The characters well developed, recognised personality, and had both the comedy and betrayal of what a drama should have.
Overall its a good watch. With a good message in it.
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An average short comedy
Overall: a divorced couple goes to a bar in hopes of hooking up (not with each other), but will their plan work out? A 12 minute short film watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: homophobia*
What I Liked
- there were a few funny moments, like taking off the ring, the dating app
Room For Improvement
- *Sandy asks for god to send her a real man (she means not gay which is implying that gay men are not real men = homophobic)
- it was odd that Chris was interfering at the bar
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This review may contain spoilers
An excellent movie for ALL AGES!
This is one of the sweetest movies I have ever seen!The acceptance of Jeni being pregnant and their combined decision to have and keep the baby is so heartwarming...
The cinematography is great, music is superb, and the cast do an excellent job in their respective acting roles!
Combining the moral decision of keeping the baby with the sweet middle-school antics of two kids falllng in love with other, plus just enough comedy to keep your interest alive (boys running into the goal post while looking back at his girl; girl jealous when she thinks he snuck a kiss with another girl; et al).
Over halfway through, both sets of parents finding out about the 'secret', Jeni and Juno's plans almost fall apart, but with the help of last-minute 'friends' their hopes of having the baby are fulfilled!
Well worth the watch, and an occasional re-watch is also recommended...especially if you like a sweet couple's story and good, clean comedy as well!
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Helps you emotionaly
Hi everyone how are you. I have recently lost a parent figure who helped raised me, it has been very hard. I am the type of person who would study and do homework for hours on end, but every since what happened, I haven't been able to do any work at all. Not even homework which has gotten me in trouble. I felt numb and empty. I stumbled upon this film and decided to watch since I am fan of the actors in it. As I began watching it I found my self relating to the characters and their struggles. Some complain about the acting but I happen to disagree. Irene small range of emotion in a way helps my connect with her, helped me feel like I was not alone. Her character has been through a lot and it would be strange if she had a lot of emotion. Her way of portraying the character was well done and deserves more praise. The male lead has lost someone in the film and gives up and isnt him any more. I was really able to connect with his character. Watching him recover from his loss with the help of Irene but mostly because of himself, was really healing to myself. The plot has many 'morals of the stories' and life lessons. Some of then are clear and some are hidden. The hidden ones you only find when you need, like the ones about over coming grief I found. Someone struggling with finding a job or where they want to be will find different things that will help them. Overall this movies was amazing. The plot was great and i would totally re-watch. This movie has a talent for helping everyone my matter what situation because of the extremely relatable story line. I know for me personally it has helped me heal and melt away some of my numbness. If you want a good movie with a good story plot just because you want to watch a movie, watch it. If you are going through something and want a movie that will help with that, watch it. Hope this was helpful.<3Was this review helpful to you?
Minimal yet effective
It's a bit of "Home Alone" with zombies. Almost the entire film happened in one location (Joon-woo's apartment), and we get a sense of how lonely it was for him. My eyes were glued to the screen watching this. The introduction of the character Yoo-bin brought a breath of fresh air into the film, and the interaction between the two was great to watch. I don't think there's anything new in this film though, as this is very similar to a French zombie film “The Night Eats the World", but it's still very gripping in its execution that you can't help but grip the edge of your seat while watching this. Effective use of moments of silence, dark environments, narrow hallways as well as the building's setup. It was a great watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
If you enjoy true crime, you wont get bored
The story was pretty simple and something you can find while listening to a true-crime podcast but it's a movie.It's definitely not a waste of time but that's about it.
What I Liked
The commentary on how society treats deaf people rings true throughout the narrative, it also accents the police incompetency that will frustrate you
The killer is your typical unstable, grandiose, psychopath who was quite smart and thus could explain why he wasn't caught for most of the narrative
What I Found Meh
The cops like in most true crime/ horror films are a waste of taxpayers' money, none of them believed the victims because they were deaf and women and were really shitty at their jobs
All the women are victims with little to no agency for most of the story, aside from running away or crying, and that's kinda cliche, Despite there being numerous ways to fight off the killer.
While the men were the only ones to even hurt the killer (like the serial killer does more damage to himself than any of his victims)
Ratings Explained
The story is pretty solid, the acting top-notch, the music highlighted the moments but nothing really stood out.
It's a pretty straightforward narrative so rewatch value is not as high as the suspense is greatly reduced.
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