Monthly Archives: August 2026

Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two different prisoners between desperation and fantasy

Bill Condon’s 2025 musical film “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, which went straight to streaming in South Korea, is about two very different but equally desperate prisoners whose reality swings back and forth between desperation and fantasy. As they begin … Continue reading

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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Between two different prisoners

Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco’s 1985 film “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is a hauntingly complex prison drama between two very different figures. Although there are not many common things between them, they cannot help but connect more with each other … Continue reading

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Last Summer (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): As a country summer passes…

It may take some time for you to sense and then process what and how South Korean independent film “Last Summer” is about. Leisurely establishing its vividly realistic rural atmosphere across the screen, the movie gradually blurs the line between … Continue reading

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The Odyssey (2026) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Nolan’s stark and gritty spectacle

Christopher Nolan’s new film “The Odyssey” is a stark and gritty spectacle quite determined to overpower and then exhaust you. Based on the ancient Greek work of the same name by Homer, the movie may disappoint you for not having … Continue reading

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The Truth vs. Alex Jones (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The judgment on a vile purveyor of lies

As far as I heard from many others during last several years, Alex Jones is a truly vile piece of sh*t, and 2024 HBO documentary film “The Truth vs. Alex Jones” confirms me on that more. It is often infuriating … Continue reading

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The Gorals (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A modest but charming coming-of-age tale

South Korean independent film “The Gorals” is a modest but likable coming-of-age tale about four different high school girls banding together for their little mission to accomplish. As they bounce from one point to another along the story, the movie … Continue reading

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What Should We Have Done? (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): The memories of his schizophrenic sister

Japanese documentary filmmaker Tomoaki Fujino’s 2023 documentary film “What Should We Have Done?” is often difficult to watch for good reasons. Mainly consisting of old video clips showing a number of personal moments from Fujino’s deeply troubled older sister and … Continue reading

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