Category Archives: Movies

The Fire Inside (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her years of struggle

Posted on March 21, 2026 by kaist455

“The Fire Inside” is a solid sports drama film which turns out to be a little more thoughtful than I thought. Unlike many other sports films, it does not simply illustrate the journey toward an expected moment of triumph, and … Continue reading →

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Unstoppable (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Predictable but indomitable

Posted on March 20, 2026 by kaist455

I exactly knew what I was going to get from “Unstoppable”, which is currently available on Amazon Prime Video. This is your average underdog sports drama film, and you will not be surprised that much by its predictable narrative arc … Continue reading →

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Crooklyn (1994) ☆☆☆(3/4): A childhood in Brooklyn in the 1970s

Posted on March 20, 2026 by kaist455

Spike Lee’s 1994 film “Crooklyn” is a little but charming family drama which is often interesting for its semi-autobiographic elements. Written by Lee and his two siblings Joie Susannah Lee and Cinqué Lee, the movie certainly feels quite personal in … Continue reading →

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El Sur (1983) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Remembering her father

Posted on March 15, 2026 by kaist455

Víctor Erice’s 1983 film “El Sur”, whose 4k remastered version was recently released in South Korean theaters, is a simple but undeniably powerful coming-of-age drama to admire and savor. While it is relatively more forthright in terms of storytelling compared … Continue reading →

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Ghost Elephants (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Searching for mystic elephants

Posted on March 15, 2026 by kaist455

Needless to say, Werner Herzog is one of the most interesting filmmakers of our time. Besides making a number of unforgettable feature films ranging from “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” (1972) to “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” (2009), … Continue reading →

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Chime (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A typically disturbing short film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Posted on March 14, 2026 by kaist455

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2024 short film “Chime”, which was released in South Korean theaters in last week, is as baffling and disturbing as you can expect from him. Just like many of his works such as “Cure” (1997) and “Creepy” (2016), … Continue reading →

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My Prediction on the 98th Academy Awards

Posted on March 12, 2026 by kaist455

So here we arrive again. Another Oscar season is almost over, and I and many of you are still guessing again and again on which movie will eventually win at the upcoming ceremony to be held in LA on March … Continue reading →

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Caught by the Tides (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Along the tides of time

Posted on March 11, 2026 by kaist455

Jia Zhangke’s latest film “Caught by the Tides” is a modest but precious time capsule to be appreciated for many good reasons. Mainly consisting of what he shot for around 20 years, the movie works as a dry but fascinating … Continue reading →

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War Machine (2026) ☆☆(2/4): Selected and then hunted

Posted on March 11, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix film “War Machine”, which was released in last week, is a bland and disappointing military action thriller which does not have much surprise for me. While its first act is no more than your average military training sequence not … Continue reading →

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Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): How they became famous

Posted on March 10, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Becoming Led Zeppelin”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, works best whenever it simply takes time on focusing on the music of Led Zeppelin, which was one of the most popular English rock bands during … Continue reading →

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