Category Archives: Movies

Boston Strangler (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A dry, middling true crime drama

Posted on April 29, 2023 by kaist455

“Boston Stranger”, which is currently available on Disney+, is a dry, middling true crime drama which does not distinguish itself much in its growing genre territory. While surely reminiscent of not only “Spotlight” (2015) but also “Zodiac” (2007), the movie … Continue reading →

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The Harvest (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A Hmong family with issues

Posted on April 28, 2023 by kaist455

Caylee So’s “The Harvest” is another recent American independent film intended as a modest but realistic slice of Asian American immigrant life. Although it is a bit too generic in terms of story and character, the movie mostly works as … Continue reading →

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Hidden Blade (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Too convoluted to care

Posted on April 27, 2023 by kaist455

I often felt frustrated and exhausted as watching Chinese spy noir thriller film “Hidden Blade”, which was released in South Korea yesterday. Although I enjoyed its period mood and details to some degree, I did not get much fun or … Continue reading →

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Piggy (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): The butcher girl

Posted on April 27, 2023 by kaist455

“Piggy” is a little movie which will make you deeply uncomfortable from its very beginning. Dryly but chillingly illustrating its unforgettable adolescent heroine’s anger, fear, confusion, and frustration along the story, the movie will often unnerve you a lot for … Continue reading →

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Renfield (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Now he gets sick of serving his master

Posted on April 23, 2023 by kaist455

“Renfield” is an amusing horror comedy film inspired by one of the most famous horror stories of all time: Bram Stocker’s “Dracula”. Instead of that infamous blood-sucking count, the movie focuses more on his daunted servant’s toxic relationship with the … Continue reading →

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) ☆☆(2/4): Bland and uninspired to say the least

Posted on April 23, 2023 by kaist455

I report to you now that animation film “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is not as horrible as I feared, but, alas, that is the only good thing I can possibly say about it. To be frank with you, I … Continue reading →

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Riceboy Sleeps (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A Korean immigrant mother and her son

Posted on April 23, 2023 by kaist455

“Riceboy Sleeps”, which won the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in last year, is a simple but sensitive drama about a Korean immigrant mother and her son. Calmly and thoughtfully following their little personal … Continue reading →

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Bruiser (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A young black man between two fathers

Posted on April 23, 2023 by kaist455

“Bruiser”, which is currently available on Disney+ in South Korea, is a familiar but engaging coming-of-age drama to be appreciated for good reasons. Although it stumbles a bit during its last act, the movie still holds our attention thanks to … Continue reading →

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A House Made of Splinters (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): They still have hope, though

Posted on April 22, 2023 by kaist455

Documentary film “A House of Made of Splinters”, which was Oscar-nominated early in this year, simply but closely observes the children and staff members of a special orphanage in Lysychansk of eastern Ukraine. As following how they live day by … Continue reading →

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Money Shot: The Pornhub Story (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A mild, neutral documentary on Pornhub

Posted on April 22, 2023 by kaist455

Like many of you, I know a bit about Pornhub and several other online service companies associated with pornography. Although I did not use Pornhub much, I must confess that I have often used a certain well-known gay pornography production … Continue reading →

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