Tag Archives: Military

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): All Grim and Intense Here

Posted on November 4, 2022 by kaist455

Netflix film “All Quiet on the Western Front”, which was recently selected as Germany’s submission for Best International Film Oscar, is relentlessly grim, muddy, and intense throughout its 147-minute running time. I surely understand that this is not supposed to … Continue reading →

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Black Crab (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A risk mission on the ice

Posted on March 21, 2022 by kaist455

Swedish Netflix film “Black Crab”, which was released a few days ago, does not bring anything particularly new to its gritty genre territory, and that was rather disappointing to me when I watched it in one early morning. Although it … Continue reading →

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The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A haunting invocation between documentary and fiction

Posted on February 2, 2022 by kaist455

It is not so easy to categorize South Korean documentary film “The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin”, which was finally released in South Korean theaters in last week despite having its local premiere in 2019. At first, it simply seems … Continue reading →

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New Order (2020) ☆☆(2/4): A messy exercise of chaos and brutality

Posted on November 21, 2021 by kaist455

Sometimes, I come across hollow artsy flicks hopelessly stuck in their supposedly interesting but ultimately flimsy ideas, and Mexican film “New Order” is one of such depressing cases. Sure, I understand that it intends to be an edgy political allegory … Continue reading →

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Moffie (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A rough military gay drama set in South Africa, 1981

Posted on April 11, 2021 by kaist455

South African film “Moffie”, whose very title is derogatory Afrikkans for homosexual, does not present much attitude to its intriguing main subjects, and that was often frustrating for me during my viewing. As a movie about a certain type of … Continue reading →

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The Kill Team (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A conflicted young solider facing war crime

Posted on October 25, 2019 by kaist455

“The Kill Team” is a passable war drama film which does not show or tell me anything particularly new about what has been committed during War on Terror. Partially based on a shocking real-life case of war crime in 2010, … Continue reading →

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Foxtrot (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An absurd war drama dancing around pathos and humor

Posted on September 16, 2018 by kaist455

Right after the end of the first act of Israeli film “Foxtrot”, I completely caught off guard by a sudden shift in its mood and narrative. I will not go into details here for avoiding spoilers, but I can tell … Continue reading →

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Thank You for Your Service (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Coming home from a war

Posted on September 16, 2018 by kaist455

“Thank You for Your Service” is another war drama film associated with the second Iraq War, but it has an engaging story to interest us. Mainly focusing on the aftermath of what its main characters went through, the movie is … Continue reading →

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Megan Leavey (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): A soldier and her military dog

Posted on September 10, 2018 by kaist455

“Megan Leavey” is better than its rather plain title suggests. Based on a touching real-life story between one US Marine soldier and her military dog, the movie gives us a vivid, close look into a relatively unknown military subject, and … Continue reading →

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Zero Motivation (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): Israeli female solders stuck in office job

Posted on January 26, 2016 by kaist455

Through the droll observation on a bunch of female soldiers who have to cope with their drab, suffocating daily life at the base, Israeli comedy film “Zero Motivation” delights us with unexpected moments of amusement and laugh. I did not … Continue reading →

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