While night vision is something people typically wouldn’t mind having, for Kyeong-Soo (Ryoo Joon-Yeol), the term couldn’t have taken a worse turn. In the period drama The Night Owl, he is an acupuncturist with the said ability; except in his case, it renders him blind during the day, and attaining only somewhat of a normal…
Tag: movie review
CYRANO (FILM REVIEW)
It’s reasonable to say that Peter Dinklage single-handedly changed the perception of dwarf actors in his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. In a highly refreshing and memorable performance, his characterisation exuded a devilish mix of expressive charm and sardonic wit that quickly adhered him to the audience. This level of magnetism naturally…
GUIMOON: THE LIGHTLESS DOOR (FILM REVIEW)
For all the modernity that surrounds Singapore, there’s always something about Asian rituals and ghosts that unnerve even the most disbelieving of us. In the case of Guimoon: The Lightless Door, director Shim Duck-geun leads us down a rabbit hole of hereditary spiritual work, trapped souls and superstitious lore, filled with a core of vengeance….
SPIRAL (FILM REVIEW)
The collection of Saw films has shuttled along its timeline, but one fact remains – Jigsaw, the vigilante serial killer, is well and truly at rest. So what would it possibly take for a new episode to arise? It seems, a chance meeting between franchise fan Chris Rock and Lionsgate vice chairman, Michael Burns. CEO…
THE BOX (FILM REVIEW)
With some members beginning their enlistment, SM Entertainment has officially announced that EXO’s future will be moving towards more solo projects. It is a timely balm then for fans of the 9-member boy band, that The Box stars one of the two prominent rappers in the group – Chanyeol. While the band was known for…
BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY (FILM REVIEW)
At one point, I almost choked on my coffee. So zippy are the liners coming from Breaking News in Yuba Country, that I’d suggest one be careful with your concession fare, lest it ends up in the wrong orifices. It could be a side comment, a fleeting look or just full-on slapstick, but the pitches…
BRAVEN – MOVIE REVIEW
The thing about superhero blockbuster (as much as I enjoy them) is that sometimes the audience doesn’t worry about our leads. We know they will come out unscathed. And when the hero looks like Jason Momoa – in a forest of trees, this man is a sequoia – it’s even easier to believe that they…
SOUL SNATCHER – MOVIE REVIEW
In the myth-rich troves of China folklore, there are likely a million entities written about to bless, curse, scare or just remind us what it means to be human. At this intersection of the godly, demonic and human natures, storytellers have been seeking to investigate ethics and morals, while offering up philosophical revelations. They are…
THE CURSED LESSON – MOVIE REVIEW
With all the societal pressure to look good in South Korea, especially when set against such demanding standards, it’s always heartening to see the media tackling the topic. And what better way to exemplify obsession than with the horror genre? Similar to this year’s earlier Beauty Water, the chase for attractiveness leads only to gory…
THE SILENT FOREST – A REVIEW
All too often, there are some topics in life we tiptoe around. We either gloss over them, avoid them, or deny them altogether, and even more so when it presents uncomfortable or unfamiliar truths. So imagine when two of those themes come together. The Silent Forest is a bold and disturbing look into the effects…
COFFEE OR TEA? 一点就到家 – A REVIEW
Like the double-yolked egg or the extra piece of McNugget, life can be full of pleasant surprises. Coffee or Tea turned out to be one of them. What seemed like a predictable fish-out-of-water story of three unlikely business partners, turned up with some really good dramatic moments within moving themes on home, family, and friendship….
DETENTION (FILM REVIEW)
Wrapping a terrifying story around a true period of human horror, Detention is a layered tale that’s heavy on scares, but also dripping ripe with messaging. Touching on the political scene in Taiwan in the 1960s, it unfolds in the White Terror period, which was an era of martial law in the country that lasted…
VIRAL (FILM REVIEW)
Viral is really an updated version of The Ring, but minus the finesse and scares. In the midst of playing an augmented game called Ghost Hunt, Tang (Ploy Sornarin) captures a spirit photo and excitedly shares it with her friends. One by one, they start seeing the female ghost in their environment. Supposedly. The thing…
THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA (FILM REVIEW)
There are a few stalwarts in the Hong Kong movie industry, and two of them are in this film. Tsui Hark’s hand in creating commercial cinema during the “Golden Age” is legendary. Both entertaining and original, his classics such as A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story and Green Snake have all been milestones of…
MORGAN AWYONG 