Tag Archives: High School

On the Come Up (2022) ☆☆(2/4): A conventional and messy mix of rap and coming-of-age drama

Posted on August 23, 2024 by kaist455

I saw through nearly everything in “One the Come Up”, a rather conventional mix of rap and coming-of-age drama. This is so predictable and contrived in terms of story and characters that I could easily guess each plot turn it … Continue reading →

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Mean Girls (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): It’s a musical this time…

Posted on July 1, 2024 by kaist455

2024 film “Mean Girls” has a rather complex history just like the recent movie version of “The Color Purple” (1985). It is the movie adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, which is inspired by the 2004 … Continue reading →

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Sayonara, Girls. (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Before their graduation

Posted on February 12, 2024 by kaist455

Japanese film “Sayonara, Girls”, which is released as “Girls Don’t Graduate” in South Korea as it was in Japan a few months ago, is so gentle and vanilla that I quickly lost my patience during my viewing. Probably because I … Continue reading →

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Bottoms (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Figthting Girls

Posted on December 6, 2023 by kaist455

Emma Seligman’s second feature film “Bottoms” is decidedly outrageous for laughs, and I enjoyed that. As a high school comedy movie, it is often blatantly artificial in terms of mood and details, but it literally does not pull any punch … Continue reading →

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The Holdovers (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Stuck together during one Christmas season

Posted on December 2, 2023 by kaist455

Alexnader Payne’s latest film “The Holdovers”, which will simply be released in South Korea as “Barton Academy”, is a dry but humorous character drama which will grow on you a lot for its excellent mood, performance, and storytelling. While it … Continue reading →

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The Dream Songs (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Two girls on one day

Posted on October 29, 2023 by kaist455

The emotional power of South Korean film “The Dream Songs” mainly depends on how much you know about a certain disastrous incident which shook the whole South Korean society on April 16th, 2014. I think the story itself will still … Continue reading →

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Totally Killer (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Scream mixed with Back to the Future

Posted on October 8, 2023 by kaist455

“Totally Killer”, which was released on Amazon Prime a few days ago, is another familiar genre mix which thankfully has enough entertaining moments to hold our attention to the end. As slyly recognized in the film, this is basically a … Continue reading →

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Hail to Hell (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): This is surely not what they expected…

Posted on August 18, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “Hail to Hell” surprised me more than once for good reasons. As following two young outcasts’ silly attempt of personal revenge, the movie generates a number of sharply humorous moments for us, and then it goes … Continue reading →

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Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The tale of a Kraken girl

Posted on July 29, 2023 by kaist455

Animation feature film “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kragen” might have felt a bit more refreshing if it came out a few years earlier at least. During my viewing, I was reminded of several other recent animation films including “Luca” (2020) and … Continue reading →

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World’s Best (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little but likable Disney rap musical

Posted on June 30, 2023 by kaist455

“World’s Best”, which is released on Disney+ in last week, is a little but likable Disney rap musical about a smart middle school kid who boldly takes a chance with rap music. Although its story and characters are actually pretty … Continue reading →

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