Author Archives: kaist455

First Reformed (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The Reverend in a Room

Posted on September 3, 2018 by kaist455

Paul Schrader’s new film “First Reformed” is a calm but intense experience you will not forget easily. Intensely driven by its lonely hero’s moral and spiritual conflict, it gives us a number of sobering moments to impress you with their … Continue reading →

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Meet Mister Rogers

Posted on September 2, 2018 by kaist455

To be frank with you, I am not that familiar with Fred Rogers, but I have heard about what a singular American TV celebrity he is. His famous popular children’s television program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” may look too simple and … Continue reading →

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Love, Simon (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Conventional but Notable

Posted on September 2, 2018 by kaist455

“Love, Simon” reminds me again of how things have been changed a lot for queer films these days. After the considerable success of “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), LGBTQ characters have become more common in American films during recent years, and now … Continue reading →

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The Endless (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Two brothers coming back to their past

Posted on September 2, 2018 by kaist455

Sometimes I encounter little movies in the need of more attention, and “The Endless” is one of such cases. While it works as an engaging drama about two brothers struggling with their past, this small film is also quite intriguing … Continue reading →

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Upgrade (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Upgraded to Kill

Posted on September 1, 2018 by kaist455

“Upgrade” is a mixed bag full of borrowed materials, and I sort of like that. While clearly reminiscent of “Death Wish” (1974) and other similar revenge thriller films, the movie is a pulpy science fiction decorated with familiar but amusing … Continue reading →

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Adrift (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Adrift Alone for 41 Days

Posted on September 1, 2018 by kaist455

As your average survival drama movie, “Adrift” did its job as well as expected, but it somehow did not engage me enough during my viewing. While it is surely a well-made work which is also supported well by its lead … Continue reading →

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Searching (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A smart, efficient digital era thriller

Posted on August 30, 2018 by kaist455

“Searching” is a lot better than you may expect. Sure, its small genre territory has been already explored by several recent notable films such as “Unfriended” (2014) and “Open Windows” (2014), but it is actually a very entertaining genre exercise … Continue reading →

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The Prince and the Dybbuk (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): A self-made filmmaker with hidden past

Posted on August 28, 2018 by kaist455

To be frank with you, I had never heard about Michał Waszyński before watching documentary film “The Prince and the Dybbuk”, which recently shown at EBS International Documentary Festival. According to Wikipedia, this prominent Polish filmmaker once worked as an … Continue reading →

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Jane (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A vivid, riveting presentation of Jane Goodall’s life and work

Posted on August 27, 2018 by kaist455

Documentary film “Jane”, which was recently shown at the EBS International Documentary Film Festival during last week, gave me an experience both enlightening and enthralling. While I certainly came to learn a lot more about the life and work of … Continue reading →

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One Cut of the Dead (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Don’t stop shooting!

Posted on August 26, 2018 by kaist455

Japanese film “One Cut of the Dead” combines two least favorite genres of mine and then suddenly throws the mix into a farcical situation which turns out to be a lot more entertaining than it seemed at first. Although I … Continue reading →

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