Category Archives: Movies

The Sound of Music (1965) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Still catchy anyway…

Posted on February 20, 2026 by kaist455

Robert Wise’s 1965 film “The Sound of Music” is a likable Hollywood classic musical movie filled with a number of catchy musical moments which will never leave you alone. Although it does not reach to the level of great musical … Continue reading →

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The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A devastating docudrama to reckon with

Posted on February 19, 2026 by kaist455

Kaouther Ben Hania’s latest movie “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival and then received a Best International Film Oscar nomination in last month, is a devastating docudrama to reckon … Continue reading →

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The Smashing Machine (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A mildly unconventional sports drama from Benny Safdie

Posted on February 18, 2026 by kaist455

Benny Safdie’s new film “The Smashing Machine” is mildly unconventional as often being deliberately subdued and anti-climactic in terms of narrative. This can be considerably frustrating to you at times, but it is somehow held together by the admirably committed … Continue reading →

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Diane Warren: Relentless (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Still Relentless as ever

Posted on February 18, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Diane Warren: Relentless” looks over the life and career of Diane Warren, one of the most famous songwriters in our time. As a talented female artist who has gone her way for more than 40 years, she surely … Continue reading →

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Top Secret! (1984) ☆☆☆(3/4): A silly but hilariously free-wheeling parody

Posted on February 18, 2026 by kaist455

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker’s 1984 film “Top Secret!”, which recently happens to be available on Netflix in South Korea along with a bunch of notable American films from the 1980s, remains as a fairly funny comedy movie. … Continue reading →

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Queen of Chess (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): The story of a trail-blazing female chess player

Posted on February 17, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix documentary film “Queen of Chess”, which was released on last Friday, follows the remarkable story of Judit Polgár, a Hungarian female chess grandmaster who was an exceptional trailblazer during her prime. Despite numerous obstacles including sexism, she really tried … Continue reading →

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Once We Were Us (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Looking back at when they were in love

Posted on February 16, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean film “Once We Were Us”, which is a remake of Rene Liu’s 2018 Chinese film “Us and Then”, is an engaging variation equipped with some distinctive personality. While being mostly faithful to the plot and characters of the … Continue reading →

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Flowers of Shanghai (1998) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Distant but exquisite anyway

Posted on February 15, 2026 by kaist455

Hou Hsiao-hsien’s 1998 film “Flowers of Shanghai”, which was released in South Korean theaters in last week, often requires some patience from you for good reasons. As your average arthouse movie, it is slow, distant, and opaque in terms of … Continue reading →

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Good Morning (1959) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): They want a TV…

Posted on February 14, 2026 by kaist455

Yasujirō Ozu’s 1959 film “Good Morning”, which happens to come to South Korean theaters in this week, is often cheerfully sweet and naughty to my little amusement. While it is as gentle and humane as you can expect from Ozu, … Continue reading →

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Wuthering Heights (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A cheeky but ultimately hollow adaptation

Posted on February 12, 2026 by kaist455

Emerald Fennell’s new film “Wuthering Heights”, the latest adaptation of the 1847 classic novel by Emily Brontë, attempts to be wild and cheeky, and I appreciate that to some degree although the result turns out to be hollow and superficial … Continue reading →

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