Category Archives: Movies

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Infinity Pool (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Brendon Cronenberg strikes again

Posted on May 6, 2023 by kaist455

Brendon Cronenberg’s new film “Infinity Pool” is his another striking piece of work which is not only perversely provocative but also gruesomely violent. Like his previous film “Possessor” (2020), it often unsettles us a lot via a series of very … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Crimes of the Future (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): Cronenberg still has it…

Posted on May 6, 2023 by kaist455

David Cronenberg’s latest film “Crimes of the Future” is akin to a compilation album filled with his old hits. As usual, human bodies function as carnal theaters of horror to be sliced and then explored to the extreme degrees, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment