Category Archives: Movies

Palm Springs (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Stuck together in a time loop

Posted on July 21, 2020 by kaist455

“Palm Springs” is a smart and funny comedy film which deftly handles a story promise which has been quite familiar to us since “Groundhog Day” (1993). Mainly driven by the good comic chemistry between its two appealing lead performers, the … Continue reading →

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Buoyancy (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A calm but chilling drama of modern slavery

Posted on July 20, 2020 by kaist455

“Buoyancy”, which was selected as Australia’s submission to Best International Feature Film Oscar in last year, is often chilling to watch in its fictional representation of real-life modern slavery. As told to us at the end of the story, what … Continue reading →

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Ms. Purple (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): As her father lays dying

Posted on July 19, 2020 by kaist455

Justin Chon’s latest film “Ms. Purple” is a sad tale of a young Korean American woman struggling to keep going despite many hardships in her daily life. Due to the seedy and exploitative nature of her occupation, the movie is … Continue reading →

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Gook (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): One long day of April in Paramount, California, 1992

Posted on July 19, 2020 by kaist455

Justin Chon’s second feature film “Gook”, which received the Best of Next Audience Award when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in 2017, is an interesting but ultimately uneven mixed bag. At first, it attempts a mildly … Continue reading →

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Greyhound (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An average World War II drama starring Tom Hanks

Posted on July 19, 2020 by kaist455

“Greyhound”, which was initially supposed to be released in US theaters in last month but then released instead on Apple TV+ in last week due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reminds me again of what a good movie star actor … Continue reading →

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Relic (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Something is festering in her mother’s old house…

Posted on July 19, 2020 by kaist455

Like any good horror movies, Australian horror film “Relic” establishes story, mood, and character first. As slowly letting us get to know more about the strained relationships among its three main characters, the movie gradually dials up the level of … Continue reading →

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Vivarium (2019) ☆☆(2/4): Trapped and isolated in hellish suburbia

Posted on July 18, 2020 by kaist455

I usually try not to expect too much from a movie, but “Vivarium” disappointed me a lot in more than one way. While some of you may admire how it willingly pushes its story promise as much as it can … Continue reading →

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Peninsula (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Welcome to Korean zombieland

Posted on July 18, 2020 by kaist455

South Korean film “Peninsula”, a sequel to director/co-writer Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” (2016), is a typical mix of action movie and zombie horror flick. Although, as I told you many times before, I have been rather tired of zombies … Continue reading →

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The Beach House (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A little foggy horror film on the beach

Posted on July 18, 2020 by kaist455

Right from the very beginning, “The Beach House” announces to us that something bad is going to happen, and it surely delivers a fair share of terror and dread as expected. While it is rather superficial in terms of story … Continue reading →

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Archive (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A guy and his three robots

Posted on July 18, 2020 by kaist455

“Archive” reminds us of many other recent similar SF flicks but never distinguishes itself enough in my humble opinion. While its story promise was intriguing enough to draw my attention when I watched its trailer a few weeks ago, the … Continue reading →

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