Tag Archives: Dystopia

The Running Man (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): In a deadly reality show

Posted on December 14, 2025 by kaist455

Edgar Wright’s latest film “The Running Man” could be more entertaining in my humble opinion. While its overall result is as slick and competent as you can expect from Wright, the movie does not distinguish itself enough compared to many … Continue reading →

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Gattaca (1997) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): In a genetically brave new world

Posted on November 23, 2025 by kaist455

Andrew Niccol’s 1997 film “Gattaca”, which happens to be re-released in selected theaters in South Korea a few days ago, still throws interesting questions for us. Even after more than 25 years after it came out, the movie remains to … Continue reading →

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Alphaville (1965) ☆☆☆(3/4): A literally distant SF noir from Godard

Posted on June 25, 2025 by kaist455

It is ironic that Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 film “Alpaville”, whose 4K remastered version is being shown in South Korea at this point, is quite dry, distant, and abstract to the end without much feeling to sense. While the story itself … Continue reading →

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Civil War (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): America Under Fire

Posted on May 27, 2024 by kaist455

Alex Garland’s latest film “Civil War” is a chillingly powerful dystopian war drama. Starting with a grim story promise which may not be that implausible considering the ongoing polarization inside the American society, the movie takes its time for immersing … Continue reading →

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Plan 75 (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): No Country for Old People

Posted on February 9, 2024 by kaist455

Japanese film “Plan 75”, which was selected as the Japanese entry for Best International Film Oscar in 2022, is calm and dispassionate about its gloomy dystopian subject. While its main subject is certainly thought-provoking to say the least, the movie … Continue reading →

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The Kitchen (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Boy Who Follows Him

Posted on January 23, 2024 by kaist455

Netflix film “The Kitchen”, which was released in last week, takes some time for building its shabby dystopian world, and I admire that to some degree. Although it often feels like a warm-up for whatever will come next from its … Continue reading →

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): How he came to rise

Posted on November 21, 2023 by kaist455

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is totally unnecessary but fairly watchable at least. As a redundant prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy in the early 2010s, it will not give you much substance in terms of … Continue reading →

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A Clockwork Orange (1971) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): It is ticking well to disturb us

Posted on September 17, 2022 by kaist455

Whenever I have to rank the 13 feature films of Stanley Kubrick, “A Clockwork Orange” is always a major headache for me. Along with “Dr. Strangelove” (1964) and “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), it shows Kubrick at the peak of … Continue reading →

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Time to Hunt (2020) ☆☆(2/4): They mess with a wrong target, of course

Posted on May 1, 2020 by kaist455

South Korean film “Time to Hunt”, which was originally scheduled to be released in South Korea movie theaters around the end of this February but then, after some last-minute legal dispute, was instead released on Netflix in last week due … Continue reading →

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Children of Men (2006) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A dystopian world with no future

Posted on October 19, 2016 by kaist455

Science fiction films about dystopian world are dime a dozen in these days, but not many of them can surpass the sheer verisimilitude of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men”, which has become more relevant since it came out 10 years … Continue reading →

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