Saturday, June 21, 2025
“I just want to belong somewhere.” Elio is a welcoming surprise. Initially, I had low expectations for this movie after watching the trailer. But after I saw the initial reception, which was quite positive, I became curious to see it for myself. So, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. While this movie is clearly aimed more at children than adults, it still tells a touching story.
Friday, June 20, 2025
28 Years Later is part of the 28 Days Later series. This time, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland came back to work on this movie. If you’re looking for a full-on zombie movie, this might disappoint you, as it leans more toward a post-apocalyptic world after civilization falls and how people live in this new normal with a quarantined life while the rest of the world still carries on. This movie has fewer jump scares and action, and more blood and gore, but it focuses even more on a slow buildup and creating a frightening, intense atmosphere.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
The opening sequence in 28 Weeks Later was absolutely incredible—intense and chaotic in the best way. But unfortunately, things quickly went downhill, like a plane crashing straight through the center of the earth. If the first movie explored the cruelty of people, this one seems to focus on their sheer stupidity! Good grief! The characters' mind-numbing decisions made my blood boil. I even had to pause the film just to vent before continuing.
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
I admit that I watched this movie solely in preparation for "28 Years Later," as I'm eager to see Jodie Comer's performance. LOL Although the movie is over 20 years old, it holds up so well for a (technically not) zombie film. I suppose it marks the beginning of the 'zombies running around are terrifying, but people are worse' genre. I was pleasantly surprised by the film's script, which exceeded my expectations.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
"Holy Night, Demon Hunters"—What a letdown! This movie couldn't seem to decide if it wanted to be action or horror. Rather than merging these genres in a way that made sense, it felt like two separate things awkwardly came together. The attempts at horror, featuring ghostly and demonic encounters, fell short of delivering genuine scares. The jump scares and supposedly spine-chilling moments lacked the tension necessary to be effective. Meanwhile, the action sequences suffered from unimaginative choreography and lackluster fight scenes.
Friday, June 13, 2025
First off, exploiting (neurodivergent) kids for free labor to carry out clever—but clearly illegal—activities left a bad taste in my mouth. Additionally, The Accountant 2 glosses over the complexities of being neurodivergent, even more so than the first one. While I understand that the movie wasn't meant to be profound, these underlying issues are troubling. The crime subplot in this movie is also quite lackluster, feeling forced and unnecessary. This is especially evident as the main characters doesn't seem to have a significant role in the investigation.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Watching the live-action adaptation of "How to Train Your Dragon," one of my all-time favorite animated movies, is a deeply nostalgic moment. Although the adaptation remains faithful to the original—something fans of the animated version will likely appreciate—it follows the source material perhaps too closely. It's a bit disappointing that the adaptation missed opportunities to leverage the live-action format to deepen character dynamics with real actors. While the adaptation is great overall, it could have been even better if it had expanded on human interactions and relationships instead of merely recreating scenes from the original.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Initially, I was quite skeptical. The concept of taking side characters from various movies and TV series and elevating them to main roles seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, against all odds, it turned out to be surprisingly good. What could have been a flaw--the ordinariness of these characters—became the film's greatest strength. Perhaps it's precisely because these characters face the same struggles as we do that makes them more relatable, memorable, and somehow heroic.
Sunday, June 8, 2025
I had an absolute blast watching Final Destination: Bloodlines. It was my first experience with the Final Destination franchise, and I only knew a little about the premise. I found it quite entertaining, so much so that I am considering going back to watch all the Final Destination movies. The opening sequence immediately hooked me, leaving me on the edge of my seat with a sense of suspense and anticipation The tension builds brilliantly, and the execution is impeccable—creating a sense of impending dread.
Saturday, June 7, 2025
The movie Ballerina took me by surprise, far exceeding my expectations. I can confidently say that I enjoyed it more than John Wick 4. While John Wick 4 felt like watching a video game—an endless series of action sequences devoid of real stakes—Ballerina offered a compelling narrative infused with emotional depth and genuine struggle. I truly appreciated witnessing the protagonist's journey full of battles and growth. Her transformation from an innocent child to a hardened, cold killer, and eventually into someone capable—though not fully embracing—of experiencing emotions beyond mere hatred and vengeance, was captivating.
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning marks the end of an era for the beloved series. As they bid farewell, it seems the movie tries too hard to evoke nostalgia and showcase stunts, which hinders the storytelling. It's disappointing that the film glosses over The Entity mastermind's plan, causing the audience to miss out on what could have been a thrilling game of cat and mouse, where both sides attempt to outsmart each other.
Friday, May 23, 2025
Watching this with fresh eyes—without any preconceived notions or biases, as I had never seen the animated version before—I found myself enjoying it tremendously. The movie is irresistibly charming, easily one of the most adorable and heartfelt films I've encountered in recent years. This charm is primarily due to its narrative unfolding from a child's perspective. However, I can’t help but imagine that viewing the story from the sister's perspective would transform it into a horror tale: your little sister brings an alien into your home, and keeps wrecking your life.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Despite being a sequel, it stands strong on its own, even for those who have not seen the first installment. (I haven’t watched the first one either; I just watched the summary of the first movie.) The trilogy primarily focuses on a colossal battle between gods, humans, and demons that spans across three movies. This film brings enough story progression and some closure to character arcs to satisfy us as we await the series finale.
Monday, April 28, 2025
On my second watch, I realized just how much this movie relies on visual storytelling. The filmmakers didn’t resort to hand-holding the audience with dialogues, which means some subtle details could easily be missed with just the blink of an eye. However, these visuals were even more impressive the second time around, especially the Rock DJ sequences.
Friday, April 18, 2025
From watching the trailer of Sinners, I anticipated an exploration of the horror of America’s racial history, shedding light on the rich and complex past of Black people. What took me by surprise was how the film not only centered on that theme but also gracefully paid homage to blues music—an aspect I particularly loved. It captured the spirit of the blues exceptionally well, making it one of the remarkable sound and music experiences I've ever had in a cinema.
Friday, April 11, 2025
As a fan of Rami Malek, I was quite excited to watch this film. I had hoped it would lean more towards the geeky side, with an emphasis on coding and hacking. However, it still proves to be an enjoyable action thriller. One aspect that felt somewhat jarring, besides the plot holes along the way, was the character development. The protagonist transitions from a seemingly cowardly and fearful individual to a stone-cold killer who has conquered all his fears, which seems rushed.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
If you're a fan of Jason Statham as an action star, you would likely enjoy this movie. However, from a screenplay perspective, the plot and story are quite weak. The first act is great, but then it goes off the rails, becoming merely average. Though it offers a few satisfying fight scenes, they’re not particularly memorable. This is a movie you can enjoy in the background, have fun with, and not overthink.
Monday, March 31, 2025
I believe the story could have explored the characters and the storylines more, but, sometimes, all we want is just some sweet and cute story filled with hope and joy like this. This movie certainly has great cast members that bounce off each other very well, making it wholesome and enjoyable.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Movies are often made to entertain, but occasionally they also serve as powerful political statements and forms of activism. The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Muhammad Rasuloff, is one such film. It not only shed light on systemic violence, oppression, and resistance within Iran's regime but also weaves these elements into a compelling narrative. This is the movie that I hope will define the year— a work where filmmaking is both emotional and profound, making a statement while capturing hearts.
Friday, March 28, 2025
"In his memoirs, he described his designs as machines with no superfluous parts, that at their best, at his best, possessed an immoveable core; a "Hard Core of Beauty." A way of directing their inhabitant's perception to the world as it is. The inherent laws of concrete things such as mountains and rock define them. They indicate nothing. They tell nothing. They simply are." Brutalist is an impressive film with a captivating storyline.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Do not confuse fame with love. Fame will not hold you at night; it only pulls you into the spotlight, parading you around until you forget the feeling of a restful night. The warmth of the spotlight can never replace the warmth of someone's embrace. Better Man is one of the best biographical musical films I have ever watched. I love Rocketman, but Better Man is equally impressive, if not more so in some aspects.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
The Red Envelope is an adaptation of a Taiwanese film, Marry My Dead Body, into a Thai movie. While I am not sure of the specific differences between the two versions, I find this adaptation humorous and filled with heartfelt moments. The storyline, though deserving of more depth and nuance, successfully delivers delightful comedy. Its charm primarily lies in the chemistry between the actors. The natural rapport between the leads, who have collaborated for over a decade, is undeniable.
Friday, March 21, 2025
Once again, welcome to my personal analysis of my favorite movies which I like to call My Own Oscar Award. After watching most of the nominations and beyond, I couldn’t help but compare these films to each other. My personal picks focused not on the names, prestige, or past work of the filmmakers, but rather on the impact these films had on me in each category. Each category features nominations that truly sparked something within me.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Watched on Thursday February 14, 2019.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Watched on Thursday March 17, 2011.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
For a story about inner beauty, this movie seems to have only shallow visuals to show off. I’m sorry if I offended anyone. I have never watched the original version of Snow White, but isn't the story just plain bad? And aren't all the characters just dumb? The premise seems fundamentally flawed, raising questions about how this story gained enough popularity to warrant a remake in the first place. The musical numbers are enjoyable, and I like the performances.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Ne Zha 2 will undoubtedly be one of the best animated films of the year, and it will be fascinating to see how it fares in terms of visual awards, as I don't believe anything released this year could surpass this masterpiece. This movie stands as one of the most ambitious projects, achieving something exceptionally spectacular with its meticulous visuals. It's undoubtedly a film that demands to be experienced on the big screen.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Novocaine is a movie with a fascinating concept for comedy. It's an action comedy where the protagonist goes through terrible, gruesome scenes, but he doesn't feel any pain. So while all these horrible things happen to his body, he remains unfazed, yet we, the audience, internally scream for him. It's an intriguing concept—how much would you feel pain for someone who can't feel it themselves? Being an action comedy with a touch of romance, it plays to these genres and uses body horror for comedic effect.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
I love the Bong Joon ho's decision to have fun following his major success with this story. He clearly wanted to see Robert Pattinson showcase his unhinged acting abilities, and who could blame him? I mean, is there any role this actor cannot play? Who would have predicted that a performer from Twilight would evolve into one of the best and most versatile actors of our generation? I anticipated another outstanding performance from Pattinson, and I was not disappointed.
The 2025 #Oscars had me nodding in agreement with most of the winners, but then they chose “El Mal” for Best Song and “Anora” for Best Picture. Did they momentarily forget the names of more deserving nominees?