Author Archives: kaist455

Crater (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their little adventure on the Moon

Posted on May 16, 2023 by kaist455

“Crater”, which was released on Disney+ in last week, is a predictable but fairly enjoyable product which simply has some little fun with its young main characters on the Moon. I must point out that it is rather inconsequential compared … Continue reading →

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Trans (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little but ambitious high school SF mystery drama

Posted on May 15, 2023 by kaist455

There were several times when I wondered whether I really understood everything in South Korean independent film “Trans”, a deliberately baffling high school SF mystery drama about an intriguing possibility of technological transcendence beyond singularity. I must confess that I … Continue reading →

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Tori and Lokita (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A grim refugee thriller from the Dardenne brothers

Posted on May 14, 2023 by kaist455

The Dardenne brothers’ latest film “Tori and Lokita”, which received the special 75th Anniversary Award when it was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival early in last year, is another solid social drama to distinguish their long and admirable filmmaking … Continue reading →

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Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Seven different stories in Hong Kong

Posted on May 14, 2023 by kaist455

Hong Kong anthology drama film “Septet: The Story of Hong Kong” attempts to cover seven decades of Hong Kong via seven different intimate segments. Like many other anthology movies, the movie is not entirely perfect due to the different level … Continue reading →

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Next Door (2022) ☆1/2(1.5/4): “Why don’t you just call the police first, you idiot?”

Posted on May 14, 2023 by kaist455

Yesterday, I went to my dentist uncle for my routine scaling and a bit of dental treatment, and I had to deal with the possibility of physical stress and pain although everything turned out to be fairly fine on the … Continue reading →

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Drown (2022) ☆☆(2/4): At an old motel

Posted on May 14, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean film “Drown” disappoints me in more than one aspect. Mainly revolving around an old motel run by its increasingly unreliable hero, the movie attempts a moody psychological thriller filled with anxiety and confusion, but it often falters due … Continue reading →

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Three (2020) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): A dryly chilling serial killing story from Kazakhstan

Posted on May 12, 2023 by kaist455

Not long after “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006) was released, there came “Tulpan” (2008), a little overlooked comic gem from Kazakhstan which shows a lot about that country which was hilariously misrepresented … Continue reading →

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Return to Seoul (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A manic pixie adoptee girl returning to South Korea

Posted on May 10, 2023 by kaist455

“Return to Seoul”, which was the official submission of Cambodia for Best International Film Oscar in last year (It was later included in the shortlist, by the way), is an interesting work to observe and admire for good reasons. As … Continue reading →

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The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A usual demonic stuff

Posted on May 9, 2023 by kaist455

Maybe because I am your average seasoned moviegoer, “The Pope’s Exorcist” mildly amuses me without scaring me that much on the whole. As I probably said before, I have seen heaps of movies about demonic possessions since I watched “The … Continue reading →

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Master Gardener (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Gardener in the Room

Posted on May 7, 2023 by kaist455

Paul Schrader’s latest film “Master Gardener”, which was recently shown at the Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea, is another typical drama of his which sadly does not work as well as intended for several glaring bad reasons. Again, … Continue reading →

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