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Reviews
Introspectum Motel (2021)
This looks and feels like a B Movie, but eloquently acted by the cast.
This isn't really a good movie in any sense of the word. Its a waste of time, but I thought the actors and actresses did a good job. I do not recommend anyone see this, other than to confirm that these low reviews are actually pretty honest. I have no idea how anyone could give this a 10/10. I mean, that is saying this movie is on par with directors like Francis Ford Coppola or Christopher Nolan. This is kind of the opposite. I dont want to be rude so this movie gets a 2/10 because of the actors.
Other than that. This movie felt like a giant regret and waste.
Beoning (2018)
Film Noir feeling achieve - deep, brooding and mysterious in Korea
This movie is a slow-burn but fascinating because the characters are so well-lived in and the writing is top notch. I would say that the film pays much attention to the saying "Show, don't tell" in developing our protagnist's psyche and mindset, but at the cost of narrative structure and pacing. Definitely some competing goals between atmosphere, grand storytelling, societal commentary, all while trying to package up a narrative that is haunting but loses its pace in doing so because it is trying to satisfy all these competing demands.
If the narrative moved up speed and devoted more towards storytelling, this movie would be absolutely perfect and I would have given it a 10/10. That said, this movie is well worth your watch.
What i really like is how this movie also shows "Korea" as it really is, wide open mountainous spaces, many parts in slow economic transformation thats been ongoing since the 1970's and you feel absolutely transported to this world that the directory so beautifully constructed for us.
Give this one your time and patience.
Gon-ji-am (2018)
Well, well worth your time. Smart, well acted, well directed, edited, written and frightening
This is a well executed, entertaining and frightening horror movie that is smart , doesn't rely on jump scares, and is actually well written and thought out. The way they utilize cameras and think about the characteriziations are very good for what this film is.
There are moments of sheer existential dread that this film literally hangs on you that I've only seen a few films attempt this. Some films similar in genre are Blair Witch, Grave Encounters, Session 9. But I think this film tops them all.
I would honestly put this up there with a A-. Why not an A+? Because that is reserved for a flim like The Shining, Ringu, Alien, The Descent etc.
What did it lack? Scope of achievement was limited to being the "best found footage horror movie in recent memory" as opposed to a film you tell your friends and family and co-workers to go watch, like Parasite or Paddington.
Gisaengchung (2019)
Parasite is many different movies all at the same time.
It works on so many levels it means so many things to different people you can see it in the reviews that are across youtube, rottentomatoes, etc.. Everyone has something different that sticks out for them and yet this film blends it so well.
I know for a fact that this movie will be considered up there with The Godfather and Pulp Fiction in due time. It only just won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Foreign Film Oscars and people will slowly start studying it more and more. When you see the best analysis channels like Nerdwriter write glowing essays on Parasite you know its hit its mark very deeply.
Outward differences aside, this movie IMO is very similar to the "What Could Go Wrong?" Genre like in No Country for Old Men, A Simple Plan, but its also such a study and understanding in different socio-economic class, poor vs rich, and its fourth act is very Hitchcock.. This movie will stick with you and I am just glad that I was alive to see this movie. That's how good it is.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Entertaining and lots of depth
This movie engaged on a number of issues all woven into a pretty cohesive storyline that features the jet-setting crew of Singapore's elite. What was interesting is how in-depth so many issues were presented as well as ones specific to asian communities
* what it means to be asian vs asian-American
* priorities of the "good" asian valuing family over self
* money and gender and relationships (Gemma Chan's character explores this with her less wealthy husband)
* exclusion-inclusion (girls club)
* indirect racism (hotel scene)
Of course front and center was the focus on the relationship between the two main characters; it was always focused on how they felt which was important for any romance comedy. I have seen criticism that it went above and beyond thier relationship to highlight other things; i think that's more of a need to make a statement on a number of things publically for the asian community and less of a film "flaw".
What was interesting was how the movie was always emotionally engaging, whether we were meeting Awkwafina's nutty family or carefully understanding Michelle Yeoh's excpetional delivery. Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh were really captivating as supporting cast members.
Great film. Definitely best rom-com of 2018. 9/10
From Within (2008)
A critical look at a genuinely good and overlooked horror
Most of the reviews are either complains about acting, or some praise directed towards unessential elements like where it was played or who did the cinematography etc..
I want to take this review to examine the actual storyline elements and show how this is actually a really good movie. Spoilers ahead.
From the beginning we see a young "dark and moody" couple that are arguably really cliche, but if you watch the rest of the movie you will see that the young man who we witness his suicide by gun, that he is part of a completely destroyed family that the "locals" wrecked. It just so happens that the "Christians" in town burned his mom alive in a hut and covered it up to make it look like an accident because they thought his mom was a witch. So, the two "goth" boys basically flee but eventually come back. The older one is in fact, reciting a curse at the beginning of the movie ,and that he knowingly is going to sacrifice his girlfriend as well as part of this larger scheme of taking revenge on the whole city that burned his mom.
Basically he's really wrong in doing this because its going to cost the life of his girlfriend, but at the same time he's trying to take vegeance for his mother against the town. What's interesting storywise is that this dynamic is rooted in both good and evil. Good because he loves his mother, so much so that he will act against those who killed her, but bad because paradoxically, he loves his mother too much that he can't see himself doing massive evil by killing his girlfriend (via the curse) as part of the necessary road to vegeance, which ironically, is exactly what Christians say about taking up the role of God to be the upon oneself to give judgement which is only going to lead to more misery.
The movie's main villain is actually the boyfriend amped up by a good old witchhunt, literally. We are introduced to him in the most disgusting way, he starts talking about his penis to his girlfriend's daughter. He is clearly filth, yet he marches under the banner of God. i definitely think the movie wanted to play around with this idea of not just hypocrisy, but a social order that doesn't root out these villains and insteads enables and empowers them as leaders in their city.
Yet at the same time the movie is presenting direct evidence of the eye-for-an-eye philosohpy that drives the older boy and its horrific consequences, that actually in some part, substantiate the claim of these disgusting so called Christians. I think in some ways, we are seeing a bit of the Hatfield and McCoys, and the tit-for-tat nature of vegeance. This is the core of my analysis, that the movie presents a very scary narrative in which many innocents are destroyed in this struggle, and we don't really side with anyone but are taken along for the ride. Very underrated horror movie and hats off the writer.