Author Archives: kaist455

The Uniform (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tale of two students

Posted on July 27, 2025 by kaist455

Taiwanese film “The Uniform” is a typical coming-of-age tale about two different female high school students who happen to share the same desk in their classroom right from their first year. As their accidental friendship goes through several ups and … Continue reading →

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A lightweight fun in retro style

Posted on July 26, 2025 by kaist455

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, the latest product from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is a lightweight fun in retro style. Although this is not exactly new or fresh in my humble opinion, it is relatively more entertaining than many of … Continue reading →

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Moving (1993) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): After the divorce

Posted on July 26, 2025 by kaist455

Shinji Sōmai’s 1993 film “Moving”, whose recent 4K restoration version is currently being shown in South Korean theaters, is about a 12-year-old girl trying to process a considerable domestic change in her daily life. At first, we are often amused … Continue reading →

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Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025) ☆☆(2/4): No more than your average slasher flick

Posted on July 25, 2025 by kaist455

Netflix film “Fear Street: Prom Queen”, which was released a few months ago, is no more than your average slasher flick, and that is a big disappointment compared to how much the Fear Street trilogy achieved a few years ago. … Continue reading →

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Saturday Night (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A very typically crowded backstage tale

Posted on July 22, 2025 by kaist455

I do not know that much about its main subject, but I can tell you at least that Jason Reitman’s latest film “Saturday Night”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, is a very typically crowded backstage tale. … Continue reading →

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Apocalypse in the Tropics (2024) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): The ongoing crisis of Brazilian democracy

Posted on July 21, 2025 by kaist455

Watching Netflix documentary film “Apocalypse in the Tropics” is one of the most alarming experiences I have ever had during this year. To be frank with you, I and many other people in South Korea recently went through a political … Continue reading →

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My Neighbor Totoro (1988) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A simple but indelible country fantasy tale

Posted on July 21, 2025 by kaist455

As revisiting Hayao Miyazaki’s classic animation film “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988), I observed again how plainly simple it is in terms of story and characters. The story can be just described as a series of episodic childhood moments unfolded in … Continue reading →

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Misericordia (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Stuck in absurd predicament

Posted on July 20, 2025 by kaist455

Alain Guiraudie’s latest film “Misericordia” is a wry comedy thriller which has some naughty fun behind its back as steadily maintaining its deadpan attitude to its hero’s absurd predicament. No matter how much he tries in one way or another, … Continue reading →

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The Balconettes (2024) ☆☆(2/4): An uneven and messy female genre mix

Posted on July 19, 2025 by kaist455

Noémie Merlant’s second feature film “The Balconettes” is uneven at best and messy at worst. The movie tries really hard to balance itself among comedy, drama, thriller, and horror, but the overall result is often too jarring and incoherent to … Continue reading →

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Swallowtail Butterfly (1996) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Yentown stories

Posted on July 19, 2025 by kaist455

Shunji Iwai’s 1996 film “Swallowtail Butterfly”, which happens to be re-released in South Korean theaters in this week, alternatively frustrated and fascinated me. While I admired its style and ambition, I could not care that much due to its broad … Continue reading →

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