Tag Archives: Pandemic

Eddington (2025) ☆☆(2/4): A nihilistic ideological mess

Posted on December 16, 2025 by kaist455

Ari Aster’s latest film “Eddington” is a superficial genre exercise which did not amuse or engage me at all. Yes, I understand that the movie is supposed to function as a distorted mirror to the confusion and frustration in the … Continue reading →

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Bad Axe (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An Asian Immigrant family in the time of COVID-19

Posted on September 3, 2023 by kaist455

Documentary film “Bad Axe” presents an intimate personal portrayal of one Asian immigrant family struggling to live and run their little business during the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is heartening to see how this family strenuously stick together for enduring … Continue reading →

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Homeroom (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The class of 2020

Posted on June 1, 2022 by kaist455

You may wonder about how the story of Hulu documentary film “Homeroom” could have been different if it had not been for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During its first half, the documentary effortlessly immerses us into the lives and activities … Continue reading →

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Zeros and Ones (2021) ☆☆(2/4): A murky and rambling work by Abel Ferrara

Posted on March 23, 2022 by kaist455

I admire how Abel Ferrara have steadily continued his interesting filmmaking career during last 20 years. While he may have passed his prime period after a string of fascinating works he made in US during the 1990s, this distinctive American … Continue reading →

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Together (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Stuck together during the ongoing pandemic

Posted on February 22, 2022 by kaist455

Stephen Daldry’s BBC TV movie “Together” simply observes an ordinary couple who happens to be stuck together during the lockdown period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although it often feels theatrical as its two main characters frequently break … Continue reading →

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The First Wave (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their first several months with COVID-19

Posted on December 27, 2021 by kaist455

Matthew Heineman’s new documentary film “The First Wave”, which was recently included in the shortlist for Best Documentary Oscar, looks at a number of New York City hospital workers and patients who struggled a lot during the first several months … Continue reading →

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Convergence: Courage in a Crisis (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): People working on the front line against COVID-19

Posted on October 12, 2021 by kaist455

Latest Netflix documentary film “Convergence: Courage in a Crisis”, which is released today, is a modest but engaging assembly of personal narratives observed around the world during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As busily shuffling around its multiple narratives, the documentary … Continue reading →

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In the Same Breath (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another important documentary of the COVID-19 pandemic era

Posted on September 13, 2021 by kaist455

HBO documentary film “In the Same Breath” is another important record of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era. Mostly sticking to personal stories to show and tell, the documentary calmly and harrowingly observes how things went wrong in China and then … Continue reading →

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The Last Cruise (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A cruise ship under quarantine

Posted on July 11, 2021 by kaist455

HBO documentary film “The Last Cruise” indirectly reminds me of how much things have been changed a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic was started in Wuhan, China around the beginning of 2020. Around that time point, I and many others … Continue reading →

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Totally Under Control (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Totally out of control

Posted on January 10, 2021 by kaist455

Documentary film “Totally Under Control” is alternatively sobering and infuriating for several good reasons. While it is disturbing to see the exponential spread of COVID-19 virus in US during last year, it is also exasperating to watch how this serious … Continue reading →

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