Author Archives: kaist455

Blesser (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Trying to raise her autistic son

Posted on September 16, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “Blesser” vividly shows how life can be like a sheer hell for a woman who happens to have an autistic kid. While it will surely try to pull your heartstrings via one personal hardship after another unfolded … Continue reading →

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Concerning My Daughter (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Facing her daughter’s girlfriend

Posted on September 15, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “Concerning My Daughter” tries two different things together. On one side, it is a typical queer drama about one mother trying to deal with her lesbian daughter who suddenly comes with her lover. On the other … Continue reading →

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House of the Seasons (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An ordinary family story

Posted on September 14, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “House of the Seasons” clicked so well with me right from the beginning, and I was all the more amazed by how it never lost its grip on me after that. At first, it looks like … Continue reading →

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I, the Executioner (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Same as before

Posted on September 13, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “I, the Executioner”, which is the sequel to director/co-writer Ryoo Seung-wan’s 2015 film “Veteran” (It is simply released as “Veteran 2” today in South Korean theaters, by the way), attempts to excite and entertain audiences as much … Continue reading →

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Didi (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): His suburban summer in 2008

Posted on September 12, 2024 by kaist455

“Didi” is a coming-of-age tale which feels both specific and universal. While its adolescent hero and his family background are quite specific, but his emotional struggles with not only his family but also himself are universal to say the least, … Continue reading →

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We Grown Now (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their childhood in Cabrini-Green, 1992

Posted on September 12, 2024 by kaist455

“We Grown Now” is a little but intimate coming-of-age drama about growing up in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago in 1992. Mostly sticking to the viewpoint of two young African American boys living there during that time, the movie often … Continue reading →

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My First Film (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Memories of her abandoned first film

Posted on September 11, 2024 by kaist455

As watching Zia Anger’s fascinating feature film “My First Film”, I frequently wondered how much it actually reflects Anger’s life and career in real life. Yes, she did make her little first feature film “Always All Way, Anne Marie” between … Continue reading →

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Rebel Ridge (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A guy rides into a town…

Posted on September 10, 2024 by kaist455

Netflix film “Rebel Ridge”, which was released on last Friday, is a rare thriller film which actually captivated me from the beginning to the end. While it seems a rather typical genre piece at first, the movie slowly but masterfully … Continue reading →

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Breaking (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A desperate man driven to the breaking point

Posted on September 10, 2024 by kaist455

“Breaking” is a small but tense drama about one desperate man who resorts to a drastic measure as driven to the breaking point. Inspired by a tragic real-life incident which did happen in Marietta, Atlanta in 2017, the movie patiently … Continue reading →

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MaXXXine (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Maxine goes to Hollywood…

Posted on September 9, 2024 by kaist455

Ti West’s latest film “MaXXXine”, the third installment of West’s X film series after “X” (2022) and “Pearl” (2022), is willing to go further from what was modestly but impressively achieved in its two predecessors. It surely has a lot … Continue reading →

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