Tag Archives: Documentary

Dear Juhee (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Uneven but sincere anyway

Posted on April 18, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent documentary film “Dear Juhee” sincerely attempts to juggle a number of different subjects together, and I appreciate that to some degree. Although its result is a bit too uneven and unfocused at times, it has several genuinely … Continue reading →

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Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Miyazaki’s long return

Posted on April 16, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” closely follows Miyazaki’s rather long process behind his recent Oscar-winning animation film “The Boy and the Heron” (2023). While I came to admire more of all those painstaking efforts behind that acclaimed comeback … Continue reading →

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Noah Kahan: Out of Body (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): What’s next for him?

Posted on April 16, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix documentary film “Noah Kahan: Out of Body”, which was released on this Monday, is the earnest presentation of one famous musician trying to find whatever may be next for him after his sudden big breakthrough. As he sincerely and … Continue reading →

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Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): His last few years

Posted on April 4, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Dairies” presents the last few years of Ryuichi Sakamoto, a prominent Japanese composer/musician who died on March 28th, 2023. Considering the two other recent documentaries “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” (2017) and “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” (2023), the documentary … Continue reading →

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The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): The early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Posted on March 31, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix documentary “The Rise of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel”, which was released a few weeks ago, focuses on the early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Because I only know a bit about the Red … Continue reading →

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Oh, Valentine (2025) ☆1/2(1.5/4): Messy and distracting from the beginning to the end

Posted on March 29, 2026 by kaist455

Some bad documentaries simply bore me, but South Korean independent documentary “Oh, Valentine” is alternatively excruciating and frustrating for many regrettable reasons. While its main subject itself is fairly interesting, the utterly clumsy presentation of its main subject is disastrously … 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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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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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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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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