Tag Archives: Thriller

The Terror Live (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : A thriller trapped on live

Posted on July 28, 2013 by kaist455

 South Korean thriller film “The Terror Live” throws us straight into its deadly situation right from its opening scene, and it stays on this situation within its limited space from the beginning to the end. This is a familiar premise … Continue reading →

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Pluto (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : They are all expendable

Posted on July 14, 2013 by kaist455

While I went through the South Korean education system, exam scores had been always important to me and others. My teachers and parents always emphasized that I should get scores as high as possible in every exam, and I was … Continue reading →

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Cold Eyes (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Be careful – and be watchful

Posted on July 3, 2013 by kaist455

“Cold Eyes” is a pure exercise in thriller and professionalism. It is a taut, efficient work not wasting any minute throughout its 2-hour running time, and we are entertained by its main characters defined and driven by their professionalism. Everything … Continue reading →

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Side Effects (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Something doesn’t feel right

Posted on June 8, 2013 by kaist455

 Something doesn’t feel right, and you wonder what it is as you are drawn to the ambiguous tone during the first half of “Side Effects”. Its story is one of those standard thriller plots frequently going beyond the realm of … Continue reading →

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The Woman in the Fifth (2011) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A writer blocked in ambiguous melancholy

Posted on April 30, 2013 by kaist455

 If you appreciate that subtly unsettling mood of “The Woman in the Fifth”, you may forgive the baffling conclusion of its mystery plot. I do not think I understand or discern everything in this puzzling film, but I did not … Continue reading →

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Broken City (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : It’s a corrupted city – no surprise

Posted on April 5, 2013 by kaist455

One of the usual symptoms of being a seasoned movie addict is that you sometimes make a certain list in your mind before you appreciate genre films. The list consists of many genre conventions and clichés you may have heard … Continue reading →

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Shadow Dancer (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4): A desperate mother forced into tricky circumstance

Posted on March 31, 2013 by kaist455

While its story has a specific background, “Shadow Dancer” focuses on the universal human toil observed inside the murky world where trust can be dangerous and expose can be fatal. It is a slow, quiet thriller which may require you … Continue reading →

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Barbara (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4): She’s being watched – and she knows

Posted on March 16, 2013 by kaist455

During the opening sequence of “Barbara”, we come to know that she is being watched – and she knows too well. She lives in East Germany in 1980, and it is an oppressive world in which the life can be … Continue reading →

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Killer Joe (2011) ☆☆☆(3/4) : They had it coming, you know

Posted on March 6, 2013 by kaist455

 “Killer Joe” is an unpleasant crime movie about unpleasant people, but you may admire its no-hold-barred approach to its twisted story. I must warn you that watching it is not a pleasant experience, but it is not a dreadful experience … Continue reading →

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Stoker (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Uncle Charlie visits home

Posted on March 1, 2013 by kaist455

Although its interesting but flawed story does not make sense at times, Park Chan-wook’s first English-language film “Stoker” is wonderfully tense and creepy enough to hold our attention at least during its running time. Starting from a conventional thriller premise, … Continue reading →

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