Come and Hug Me (2018)

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Merry Christmas!

I got the idea to review something for today a couple of days ago, and set out to find one that was not only horror or thriller, but also worked for this time of year. While I was trying to figure it out I realized there was only one true pick, and that is my personal favorite drama, Come and Hug Me. Instead of doing a traditional review on the drama, I wanted to share some of the reasons and plots that attribute to why this drama is my top drama.

Come and Hug Me is a crime thriller intertwined with a melodrama and gives a look at how the world perceives crimes and the family members of the people who perpetrate those crimes, as well as the effects they and the family members had. But at its core, it focuses on families. What it takes to be a true family and how that looks different to different people, and that blood family isn’t the only family that matters. The drama stems from one significant event that happened in the childhood of the two main leads, Namu (Jang Ki Yong) and Nak Won (Jon Ki Joo). Namu’s father murders Nak Won’s parents in front of her, and almost kills her but is stopped by Namu.

While the drama is about that and their relationship, it weaves through the aftermath of that incident as well as the reintroduction of that trauma when Namu’s father (played hauntingly by Heo Joon Ho) writes a book about the murders of all his victims bringing the case back into light after almost ten years. The drama focuses on the discussion of whether evil is made or created. Hui Jae spends his time focusing on his son, thinking he could create the evil that he is, the public shame and belittle Namu and his family labeling them because of their association with Hui Jae. Journalists spin stories to support that narrative, confirming to the public that those prejudices must be true, while the main characters are constantly fighting that stigma.

It’s an interesting study on how psychopaths can see no wrong and lack compassion, empathy, and understanding - all traits the father has - and how it applies in various ways with others in the drama: the reporters, the public, the victims’ families. The drama connects the actions of the father with the public’s response to show the real damage that can be caused to people, and how close everyone truly is to evil even when they aren’t related to that evil. When the perception is changed, the understanding will follow, and the drama tries to show the characters as they start to understand their biases. There is this great scene when the police officer Go Yi Seok, who was assigned to the case right after the murders and is looking after Namu, sees Chae Ok Hee (Namu’s stepmother) comes to take him in. He mentions something along the lines of the job making him hate and give up on people, but seeing the compassion of Ok Hee to him gave him hope. We see it happen again with the reporter Han Ji Ho seeing the relationship between Namu and Nak Won and how they hold each other up even in great sadness and burden and that even in her position as a journalist on the case, she doesn’t know all the details.

“Evil shall not wait to be proven. Evil shall prove itself.” - Hui Jae

Watching the drama a second time I didn’t realize the way they framed Namu was intentional in ways that were not what I initially thought. The drama leads one to believe it is focused on Namu as if he is a ticking bomb and at any point can stray from being good. He will somehow mess up and follow the footsteps of the father. When in fact the drama tells us clearly that it won’t happen. He’s proven numerous times with his actions and interactions with others throughout his entire life that he is not like his father, and that there should never be any doubt. The drama forces the viewer in a position of doubt even when clear information is given, showing that not only are characters in the drama susceptible to this negative thinking, the viewer is as well. It’s a neat use of that element, as it works to further the intent of the drama, but also plays up some of the thrilling aspects of the drama. It also furthers how the act of just believing in people and helping them at their lowest can turn them to the right path. Nak Won’s constant reassurance to Namu, Ok Hee (wounded) forcing herself inbetween Hyun Mo (Kim Kyung Nam) and the father’s wrath to save him. Even when Namu is about to hurt his father, it’s nothing comparable despite what the father tries to make him believe.

The stigma against non-blood-related families is prevalent everywhere, and the drama handles it beautifully. Nak Won and Moo Won (Yoon Jong Hoon) share true feelings for each other as siblings, being raised to just accept that they are family realistically and comfortably without burden. Seo Jung Yeon’s Ok Hee is my favorite kdrama mother having compassion and strength to take in not only two boys who were not hers, but the product of her failed and horrible marriage, and does so with loving arms. And while she falters a tiny bit at the beginning, she immediately sees the error of her ways. The little sister So Jin (Choi Ri) always views the two as her brothers, never questioning it or changing that stance no matter how distant they treated her. While the drama is on the surface about the murders and the two’s love story, the drama focuses on these other relationships as much as they do with the love story between the two and doesn’t try to take away from those essential storylines with those relationships. Even at the end, we see them confront their past selves to begin their journey in full healing and love in their relationship with themselves.

I can’t get enough of this drama, and this rewatch solidified my love for it as well as its position as my top drama. It’s everything I could want in a drama and more and I felt the same after seeing it again as I did the very first time I watched it. I don’t go over even half of the elements that make this drama great in this post, not mentioning other technical elements or favorite characters, this is just a glance at my love for it. I may return to at another point to give a tigher review. If you haven’t given the drama a try, maybe now is the time.

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September Premieres

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I don’t how we are already in September, but here we are. Not everything on this list is guaranteed for International access There are also some dramas that are scheduled to premiere this month that I left off the list as they had very little information attached to them, and without fail more will be added later on. Hopefully, some of the ones that haven’t been picked up on major streaming platforms will end up showing up somewhere closer to the date they premiere. There’s only a handful of dramas that I’m personally really interested in - Hometown and Squid Game - but there are several that I might also add to my watch list for the month.

-Danger Zone S1 will air every Friday starting September 3rd. The Taiwanese drama is about a serial murder case where the police and criminals were forced to work together to solve the case. English subs can be found on iQiyi.

-The Korean suspense-mystery drama, High Class, will premiere on September 6th. The drama follows the lives of the women who live in the top 0.1% of society. While the story does not seem like a drama that I would be into I love the posters they’ve been putting out.

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-Show Me the Ghost the "self-exorcism comedy" movie will have its theatrical premiere on September 9th. Written and directed by Kim Eun Kyung (Death Bell) the comedy-horror follows best friends Hodu and Yeji who rent a haunted house.

-Also on the 9th is the cdrama Double Tap. Based on a real life incident around two people who work together to investigate a murder case from thirty years prior. It is produced by Tencent, so there is a possibility this will show up subbed on their platform/YouTube channel.

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-While Kate isn’t an Asian release, the thriller does star notable Japanese musicians MIYAVI and BAND MAID. It’ll be released on Netflix on September 10th.

-On the Line (Korea) is the story about a man who loses everything to a voice phishing scheme, and his pursuit to take it down. It’ll premiere on the 15th in local theaters.

-Thriller series, Squid Game, will drop all of its episodes on September 17th on Netflix. Players of a mysterious survival game compete for the grand prize. Think Battle Royale or Alice In Borderland style.

-Also premiering on the 17th is the kdrama The Veil. Han Ji Hyuk (Namgoong Min) is a top agent in the NIS who uncovers a bigger threat as he tries to uncover the internal traitor that brought his downfall. No official word on who’s picked this up for North American English sub, but as it is a MBC drama I suspect it’ll show up on Kocowa and Viki.

-Another premiering on the 17th, the Japanese drama Shinigami San will air weekly. Gido Kennin (Tanaka Kei) is a detective in a mysterious division at the Tokyo Metro Police department who re-investigates cases that received not guilty verdicts.

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-And finally on the 17th is the jdrama Bokura ga Koroshita, Saiai no Kimi. The thriller is about former classmates who reunite but find themselves locked in a building, leading to uncovered secrets and deaths.

-One of my top picks this month, the kdrama Hometown premieres on tvN on September 22nd. Set in a small town in 1999, it’s about an unsolved murder case where the one of the only clues is a tape containing a recording of the murderer and a bizarre sound.

-Thai drama, Bangkok Breaking, premiers on Netflix on the 23rd. It centers around Bangkok's road rescue services when a new employee uncovers a city-wide conspiracy. This looks to be airing on the Netflix, but the series is only six episodes long.

-The Japanese comedy-horror movie Yellow Dragon's Village will be making its International premiere at the Fantastic Festival 2021.

-Beyond the Inifinite 2 will also be making a US premiere at the festival as well.

Undated

-The Labyrinth is a Korean fantasy-horror about high school students trying to save their friends from evil spirits and is set to premiere sometime this month. Starring Chani (from the kpop group SF9), the fantasy horror is about high school students trying to save their friends from evil spirits at their school.

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Asian Crime, Thriller, Horror Premieres: August '21

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Remember when I tried to do those individual posts on premiere days for dramas and movies? I liked them, but I didn’t really like keeping up with them. I had been incorporating them into my Random Asian News posts, but I thought that it really needed its own dedicated spot and so from now on I’ll try to do a monthly roundup of premieres. Not everything listed is something I’m interested in, nor will it be something that is accessible to everyone, but I still wanted to highlight some of the dramas and movies to look out for.

-The tvN kdrama The Road: Tragedy of One starring Jin Jin Hee, Yoon Se Ah, and Kim Hye Eun premieres August 4th. Adapted from the novel One Tragedy by Norizuki Rintaro it tells the story of the rich residents who live at Royal the Hill. Jin Jin Hee plays an investigator out to find the truth and secrets revolving the residents. It looks like VIKI has picked it up.

-August 9th is the premiere for the KBS kdrama, Police Academy. Labeled as a ‘coming-of-age comedy melodrama’, the drama is about a student and teacher (Kang Sun Ho and Yoo Dong Man) who meet in the Police University and join forces to investigate a case. It’ll be available on Kocowa and VIKI.

-The 2019 Japanese horror film, Howling Village, will make its North American release on Friday, August the 13th in select theaters and will be available on VOD August 17. Written and directed by Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On), it is the story of Kanadae, a psychologist whose brother goes missing and has to visit his last known location, the haunted site Howling Village to try to find him.

-The Japanese film, Welcome to Toei Slaughterhouse, premieres August 13th. This one is honestly a little harder to find information for, and will most likely be harder to find for the international audience but wanted to add it to the list in case it becomes available.

“The film follows Saki (Momotsuki), Mei (Kudo), and Kaho (Teramoto), the members of the budding idol group called Wish as they are set to appear in the sequel of Toei's hit movie, Yugami. Toei Movie Studios is a place where a lot of popular movies and dramas are filmed, but this studio also has an untold secret.” - source

-Remember You, the Thai remake of the Korean drama Hello Monster will premiere August 16th. It’s currently scheduled to air on Netflix Thailand, and then make its way internationally on the 1st of November.

-The Korean film Hostage: Missing Celebrity will be in Korean theaters August 18. The action-thriller is about the kidnapping of a top film star (Hwang Jung Min) and his attempts at escape. It was scheduled to be released in 2020, but was postponed because of COVID. It is based on the 2015 Chinese film, Saving Mr. Wu.

-Guimoon: The Lightless Door will make it’s theatrical premiere on the 18th. The Korean horror is the first Korean film to be simultaneously created in three different versions: 2D, Screen X, and 4DX. In 1990 a janitor at a training facility murders guests and commits suicide. Since the event, there have been strange occurances at the training facility which led to it being closed down. A psychic (Kim Kang Woo) goes to the center to look for answers.

-Mikkoku wa Utau, is a Japanese drama produced by WOWOW. Masaki Sara (Masahiro Matsuoka) is a detective whose colleague dies during an investigation. After he transfers to a new department h receives a mysterious letter that could help him solve the case of his dead colleague. It will premiere August 22nd.

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-The Korean drama D.P. follows the private soldier Jun Ho (Jung Hae In) who becomes a member of the military defector arrest team. It premieres on August 27th on Netflix. It looks like all 6 episodes will drop at the same time.

-I’m Watching You is a Korean drama produced by TVING and follows a crime through the eyes of CCTV. No date besides a reports that it’ll air someime this month.

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-The Hong Kong drama produced by ViuTV, Sometimes When We Touch, stars Kent Tsai, a college student who is a fan of the supernatural when an attempt at trying to get his crush to join a club gets out of hand. Think more teen romcom than scary. All the promo I could find on this one says that it’ll be out on the 7th, but MyDramaList has it as a question mark with their airing calendar says it has already started.

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Fantasia Film Festival 2021

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The full lineup of the Fantasia Film Festival was released and tickets are on sale (and probably sold out), and while I would love to eat PB&J sandwiches for the next month to cover the cost of the tickets, I can’t because I spent all my money on Dreamcatcher and 2PM. Since I have to live vicariously through everyone else covering, I figured I would go through the schedule and share what movies I would have tried to watch if I got to attend. Maybe next year I can will into existence being cool enough for a press pass. While some of them are Asian and horror, it’s not true for all of the movies listed below.

Descriptions are pulled from Fantasia Film Festival’s webpage. The festival runs August 5-25.

THE 12 DAY TALE OF THE MONSTER THAT DIED IN 8 (Japan, 2020)
Sci-Fi

Director/Writer: Shunji Iwai

Like so many actors, Sato (Takumi Saitoh, playing a version of himself) is out of work due to COVID-19. He sits at home, and wonders what to do. Until tokusatsu director and kaiju expert Shinji Higuchi (of ATTACK ON TITAN and SHIN GODZILLA) suggest he buy capsule monsters online – to defeat the virus! Thus begins a bizarre series of videos in which the unemployed actor raises little play-putty monsters, which take on increasingly familiar, yet alien names. He is not alone: Youtube stardom forms around the phenomenon and soon his colleague Non (JELLYFISH PRINCESS, this year’s HOLD ME BACK) even starts fostering an alien! But as isolation blues kicks in in earnest and popular fictions blend with reality, one rightfully asks: What is going here?

ALIEN ON STAGE (UK, 2021)
Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi

Directors: Lucy Harvey & Danielle Kummer

A high-spirited group of British bus drivers set their minds to launching a homemade stage play adaptation of Ridley Scott’s ALIEN in Lucy Harvey and Danielle Kummer’s debut documentary ALIEN ON STAGE. With a Christopher Guest-esque charisma that particularly recalls his community theatre classic WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, the film follows the ups and downs of the delightfully DIY production, with its second-hand costumes and cardboard sets, and the charming crew determined to make it succeed.

ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU (Japan, 2001)
Drama

Director/Writer: Shunji Iwai

Mysterious, ethereal dream-pop star Lily Chou-Chou dominates the charts, and the hearts of middle schoolers across Japan. Among them, the shy Shuichi (Hayato Ichihara) and the bullish Shusuke (Shugo Oshinari). Lily Chou-Chou’s music becomes a shared gateway into their tumultuous lives over the course of a few, formative years of adolescence. The teens discover their identities, affirm their passion and the slippery distinction between right and wrong as their embattled psychic landscapes are laid bare on the virtual walls of an Internet chatroom – pulsing to the pangs of a powerful, all-consuming fandom.

ALL THE MOONS (Spain, 2021)
Drama, Horror, Fantasy

Director: Igor Legarreta ∣ Writers: Igor Legarreta, Jon Sagala

As war rages through 1876 Spain, an orphanage is bombed and a young girl (Haizea Carneros) is gravely injured. She is rescued by a woman (Itziar Ituño) whom she perceives to be an angel, and who heals her wounds, while telling the girl she must now avoid the daylight. She also promises the girl that she will see many more full moons, and when more soldiers attack, they are forced to flee into the wilderness. The two become separated, and the girl is forced to take shelter, facing an uncertain future – and one that will last far beyond that of ordinary human beings.

APRIL STORY (Japan, 1998)
Drama, Romance

Director/Writer: Shunji Iwai

Uzuki Nireno (Takako Matsu), a shy girl from the countryside of northern Hokkaido, is heading to the big city for university. Settling into a new, exciting life, she comes to admit to herself that she might have ulterior motives in determining her choice of university: what if she came to Tokyo chasing a crush? To be near a boy, whom she fell in love with, before he moved away to work at a bookstore? What then? Like FIREWORKS, APRIL STORY is a remarkable example of Iwai’s talent as a chronicler of youthful experiences, here moving on from elementary school to tackle the momentous transition between high school and university – the first taste for complete independence, the shaping of identity, the new friendships and discoveries, the particular texture of light in a new apartment – with great pathos and an irresistible nostalgia. Featuring one of the all-time great umbrella scenes in the history of the medium and a joyful, magnetic performance from pop star Takako Matsu, APRIL STORY is an Iwai classic. – Ariel Esteban Cayer

BRAIN FREEZE (Canada, 2021)
Comedy, Horror

Director: Julien Knafo ∣ Writer: Jean Barbe, Julien Knafo

In the small, middle-class community of Ile-aux-Paons (Peacock Island), a new fertilizer is spread on the golf courses to allow the rich to play year-round. But the experimental fertilizer contains an active component that contaminates the population, turning them into zombies interested only in multiplying. This is how André (Iani Bédard), a young teenager who is taking care of his baby sister, crosses paths with Dan (Roy Dupuis), a security guard. As they journey across their quarantined island, they try to find the source of the evil and save themselves!

CAUTION HAZARDOUS WIFE THE MOVIE (Japan, 2020)
Action, Comedy, Drama

Director: Toya Sato ∣ Writer: Yukiko Manabe

Appearances can sometimes be deceiving. The inhabitants of the coastal town of Tamami will find this out soon enough. A methane hydrate processing plant is about to be built on their shores, a project dear to the government, and the stink of corruption reaxches for miles around. In addition, attacks on opponents of the project are on the rise. There is also the discreet Nami (Haruka Ayase, CYBORG SHE) who hides a secret that she herself has forgotten. The clumsy, unremarkable housewife is in fact a formidable secret agent who suffers from amnesia since a head injury suffered during a mission. A victim of strange dreams in which she confronts Russian mercenaries, she undergoes therapy to recover her memory, but receives mixed support from her husband Yuki (Hidetoshi Nishijima, CREEPY), who keeps a close eye on her. And what about Juri (Kenshi Okada), the cosplay-loving café owner who seems to shun certain people? Tamami is not nearly as peaceful as it seems. And its citizens, especially Nami, haven't seen anything yet!

COMING HOME IN THE DARK (New Zealand, 2021)
Thriller, Horror

Director: James Ashcroft ∣ Writers: Jam Ashcroft, Eli Kent

This extraordinary neo-noir is a blisteringly tense road movie into hell that plays like a home-invasion thriller set largely in a moving car. Based on the 1995 short story by award-winning New Zealand author Owen Marshall, described by David Hill as “one of the most harrowing narratives in our literature.” Official Selection: Sundance 2021, Calgary Underground Film Festival 2021.

THE DEEP HOUSE (France, 2021)
Horror

Directors/Writers: Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury

Two daredevil Youtubers with a passion for abandoned urban edifices film themselves as they take a deep dive into the bottom of a lake where there lies a mysterious house with a sinister past. Award-winning French genre maestros Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (INSIDE, KANDISHA) display numerous filmic skills with this intelligent found footage style feature. The immersive darkness, the floating strangeness, THE DEEP HOUSE takes us down and further down, from mere unfamiliar discomfort to absolute and unfathomable terror.

DIGITAL VIDEO EDITING WITH ADOBE PREMIERE PRO: THE REAL-WORLD GUIDE TO SET UP AND WORKFLOW (South Korea, 2020)
Romance, Horror, Comedy

Director/Writer: Hong Seong Yoon

A mysterious ghost keeps appearing in the shots of a film as it’s being cut, causing its editor and director to bicker to death. An innovative “screen life” horror comedy trading the usual desktop for the editing software and skillfully blending expected long-haired scares with Hong Sang Soo-esque petty drama! – Ariel Esteban Cayer

DON’T SAY ITS NAME (Canada, 2021)
Horror

Director: Rueben Martell ∣ Writer: Rueben Martell, Gerald Wexler

When an environmental activist is called back to the world of the living after a suspicious accident takes her life, an ancient spirit is reborn outside a small northern town. With a wealth of Indigenous talent both in front of and behind the camera, DON’T SAY ITS NAME, the eerie feature debut from director/co-writer Rueben Martell, builds its chills with compellingly real characters and strong performances from Madison Walsh (SOMETHING UNDONE), Sera-Lys McArthur (OUTLANDER), Samuel Marty (GODLESS), Carla Fox, and Julian Black-Antelope (HOLD THE DARK).

FOLLOW THE LIGHT (Japan, 2020)
Drama

Director: Yoichi Narita ∣ Writer: Yoichi Narita, Yu Sakudo

Freshly arrived from Tokyo to a fading village in the Japanese countryside, Akira becomes fascinated with an isolated girl who is obsessed with a crop circle in her grandfather's fields. This multi-layered, sci-fi coming-of-age story by first-time director Yoichi Narita is a true gem with a dazzling narrative. The majestic, rich cinematography, which highlights the magnificent rural landscapes, and judicious use of music recall Shunji Iwai's masterpiece ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU. FOLLOW THE LIGHT will leave a lasting impression with its soft visual splendour and sensitive storytelling.

FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT (Japan, 2005)
Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directors/Writers: Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, Shunichiro Miki

If you look at them just right, the most mundane elements of daily life can seem utterly bizarre. Conversely, the strangest, most inexplicable things can seem perfectly ordinary. That's the lunatic logic behind 2005’s FUNKY FOREST, a sprawling omnibus of the obvious and the oddball, the casual and the completely insane. FUNKY FOREST's daringly disjointed narrative is a mishmash of blackouts, non-sequiturs, flashbacks, lucid dreams, magical moments and so much more. Life's little disappointments are woven together with all sorts of extraterrestrial freaks and incomprehensible biological curiosities, music-video mayhem and mind-bending theatrics, and psychedelic surrealism of the finest grade, delivered with a deadpan shrug.

GLASSHOUSE (South Africa, 2021)
Thriller, Sci-Fi

Director: Kelsey Egan Writers: Emma De Wet, Kelsey Egan

A memory-shredding neurochemical permeates the atmosphere like airborne dementia, but safe within an airtight glasshouse a family preserves their past through rituals of collective memory. Sensual and savage, GLASSHOUSE weaves aspects of dystopian science fiction with notes of folk horror and perverse, brooding, Gothic melodrama to craft a taught existential tale that ultimately explores the importance of storytelling and memory. It’s a stunning feature debut from South African filmmaker Kelsey Egan, starring Adrienne Pearce, Jessica Alexander, Anja Taljaard, and Hilton Pelser.

THE GREAT YOKAI WAR - GUARDIANS (Japan, 2021)
Fantasy, Advenutre

Director: Takashi Miike ∣ Writer: Yusuke Watanabe

Like many children his age, Kei learns to control his fears and constantly quarrels with his little brother Dai. One night, a strange creature comes to visit him, then a mysterious portal opens in his room. He is transported to the magical world of the Yokai, the gentle Japanese demons, each with an unusual shape and unique character traits. They tell him that a terrible war threatening their world will devastate downtown Tokyo in the form of the colossal Yokaiju. Worse, the emergency meeting of the great international council of Yokai, where Dracula, the mermaid, what looks like a Trumpist, and their cronies have abandoned them, has designated Kei and Dai as their only hopes, as they are the last descendants of a legendary fighter. Frightened, Kei refuses. When he returns, Dai has disappeared. Kei must find the courage to fulfill his destiny in order to save his brother, the Yokai, and Tokyo.

HELLO! TAPIR (Taiwan, 2021)
Drama, Animation, Fantasy

Director: Kethsvin Chee ∣ Writers: Kethsvin Chee, Chris Leong, Yoon Yee Teh

It has the body of a pig, the trunk of an elephant, the ears of a horse and the feet of a rhinoceros. At night, it passes through sleeping villages and gobbles up people’s pesky nightmares. This huge, fantastical beast, called a tapir, is real, and eight-year-old Ah Keat’s father once told the boy he had in fact seen one when he himself was young. One grey day, the family’s fishing boat is towed back into the village harbour, and Ah Keat’s father is not on it. The adults around him – his distraught grandmother, his anxious mom who has returned from Taipei – are not forthcoming with Ah Keat about what has happened. He wants his father back, and he believes the tapir can help, so he and his friends begin a quest to find the gentle, benevolent beast.

Hello Tapir

JOSEE (South Korea, 2020)
Romance, Drama

Director/Writer Kim Jeong Kwan

After an incident that leaves her electric wheelchair disabled, Josée is rescued by Young Seok, who she then brings in to discover her unique imaginary world. A beautiful, moving, charming, and visually polished film by Kim Jeong Kwan faithfully adapted from the popular novel Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Official Selection: Busan International Film Festival 2021.

KRATT (Estonia, 2020)
Comedy, Fantasy

Director/Writer: Rasmus Merivoo

Ah, children. The source of much joy, hope and innocence for many, but truth be told the little monsters are out to kill us all. Let's be honest, they're all selfish wretches who do nothing but drive you crazy and suck up your will to live. And now, in a small Estonian village, two narcissistic little brats (Nora and Harri Merivoo, the director's kids!), dropped off at their Grandmother's (Mari Lili) farm for a few weeks while their parents attend a self-help retreat, may bring about the end of human existence as we know it. Complaining about the actual work they're expected to do, these little snot-nosed pests bring the local legend of the Kratt – a Terminator-like demonic spirit that must always be fed work, or else – to life just so they can take it easy, but in doing so they may have set in motion the destruction of Grandma, her village and perhaps the world with it. And all because they couldn't get internet access.

LOVE, LIFE AND GOLDFISH (Japan, 2020)
Action, Comedy, Romance, Drama

Director: Yukinori Makabe ∣ Writer: Harumi Doki

They say it's unhealthy to bottle up your emotions. Makoto, an elite employee at one of Tokyo's biggest banks, has learned this the hard way. The poor guy is so closed off, and has built up so much frustration, that when he is about to receive an important promotion, he can't help but shower a volley of gratuitous insults on his boss. As a result, he finds himself transferred to a small rural town, in the middle of nowhere. Once there, he meets the sweet Yoshino, the owner of a strange establishment where the customers compete in goldfish fishing. He immediately falls in love with her, but strongly resists this unwanted feeling. Then there is the exuberant local pub owner, Asuka, who seems to have a crush on him. Caught up in an emotional whirlwind, Makoto will have to learn to tame and express his emotions before he explodes again, and unwittingly sends everyone packing.

MIDNIGHT (South Korea, 2021)
Thriller

Director/Writer: Kwon Oh Seung

A wave of murders hits the city and, lurking in the shadows, a killer has just identified his new prey – a deaf woman. South Korea has become the go-to source for fans of dark, intense, unpredictable thrillers that deliver cutthroat tension, and Kwon Oh Seung's debut feature MIDNIGHT follows in this tradition. A breathless tale boasting hallucinatory sound design that relishes in testing the nerves of even the most seasoned viewers.

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THE NIGHT HOUSE (USA, 2021)
Thriller, Horror

Director: David Bruckner ∣ Writers: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski

From director David Bruckner (THE RITUAL, THE SIGNAL) comes THE NIGHT HOUSE. Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep it together – but then nightmares come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house calling to her, beckoning her with a ghostly allure. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into her husband’s belongings, yearning for answers. What she finds are secrets both strange and disturbing – a mystery she’s determined to unravel. THE NIGHT HOUSE stars Rebecca Hall (GODZILLA VS. KONG), Sarah Goldberg (Barry, Elementary), Vondie Curtis Hall (DIE HARD 2, EVE’S BAYOU), Evan Jonigkeit (Togetherish, Sweetbitter), and Stacy Martin (VOX LUX, NYMPHOMANIAC).

OFFICE ROYALE (Japan, 2021)
Comedy

Director: Kazuaki Seki ∣ Writer: Bakarhythm

Naoko (Mei Nagano, RUROUNI KENSHIN) is an innocuous office worker at Mitsufuji, a company like any other. Colleagues talk about the latest developments in their favourite TV series, discuss their diets, and many have a good time during lunch hours. Naoko steers clear of the clique war between three departments led by ruthless, backside-kicking bosses. Then a new employee arrives – Ran Hojo (Alice Hirose, THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES). She has the charisma and strength of a manga heroine. Ran defeats the clan leaders one by one and becomes the undisputed leader of Mitsufuji. She also befriends Naoko, who is not interested in office fights. The legend of Ran is spreading and the female warriors from other sections are constantly challenging her, without success. But what if she is dethroned by another gang, seeking to wrest control of Mitsufuji? Who would stand up for the company's honour?

REMAIN IN TWILIGHT (Japan, 2021)
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Director/Writer: Daigo Matsui

Six high school friends reunite for a wedding ceremony. They reconnect as if no time has passed, recall old nicknames, joke around and get ready to perform a trademark – and delightfully embarrassing – dance routine from their youthful days. But an unspoken weirdness lingers: Yoshio (rising star Ryo Narita of HOMUNCULUS) should not be there. At all. Metaphysically speaking, that is. And yet… His friends are able to see him, hear him, and touch him. As the day progresses, painful memories start blending with the present and an old flame makes an appearance, building towards a reckoning for all involved. No one wants to face the obvious: the lost Yoshio has remained in twilight.

THE SADNESS (Taiwan, 2021)
Horror

Director/Writer: Rob Jabbaz

In an alternate version of Taiwan, a rapidly spreading pandemic suddenly mutates into a rabies-like affliction, and the infected find themselves unable to control their id. A nightmare vision steeped in unspeakably upsetting moments of violence, Rob Jabbaz’s THE SADNESS plays like a return to the no-holds-barred shock sensibilities of ’90s Hong Kong Category III films. Electrified with an existential fear that punches spikes of panic energy straight into your nervous system, and told with incredible style, THE SADNESS is a force to be reckoned with. Fantasia is proud to be bringing this extreme horror rollercoaster to North American shores, hot off its bow at Locarno.

SAKURA (Japan, 2020)
Drama

Director: Hitoshi Yazaki ∣ Writer: Masa Asanishi, Kanako Nishi

As a young adult, Kaoru (Takumi Kitamura, TREMBLE ALL YOU WANT) returns home after a long absence. He is welcomed by his father (Masatoshi Nagase, MYSTERY TRAIN, SUICIDE CLUB), his mother (Shinobu Terajima, DARE TO STOP US) and his sister Miki (Nana Komatsu, BAKUMAN), but most of all he seems to be happy to be reunited with Sakura, the family dog. Gentle yet strong, sweet yet mischievous, she has been a significant part of their lives in the 12 years since they adopted her as an adorable puppy. Kaoru remembers this during his stay with his parents; he also thinks about his older brother Hajime (Ryo Yoshizawa, BLEACH), who was a star baseball player in school, but whose life was turned upside down by a curveball of fate…

SEOBOK (South Korea, 2021)
Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Director: Lee Yong Joo ∣ Writers: Yeom Gyu Hun, Lee Jae Min, Jeo Min Suk, Lee Yong Ju

A former secret service agent (Gong Yoo, TRAIN TO BUSAN) struggling with a brain tumor must return to duty for a mission of the utmost importance: protecting Seobok (Park Bo Gum, COIN LOCKER GIRL), the first human clone who has unnatural powers. Few mainstream films integrate ethical reflection with breathtaking, high-octane entertainment to this incredible extent.

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THE SLUG (South Korea, 2021)
Drama, Fantasy

Director/Writer: Choi Jin Young

Chun Hee (Kang Jin Ah, MICROHABITAT) has yet to come out of her shell. Reeling from trauma harking back to her parent’s death, she still lives in her childhood home and goes about her business in a rather solitary but empathetic way – peeling inordinate amounts of garlic for restaurants and trying to connect with other people. Until she is struck by lightning – an event she not only survives, but which manifests her younger self (Park Hye Jin) into her life, in flesh and bone, awaiting explanations for this sad state of affairs.

TAIPEI SUICIDE STORY (Taiwan, 2020)
Thriller

Director/Writer: KEFF

A receptionist at a suicide hotel in Taipei forms a fleeting friendship with a guest who can't decide if she wants to live or die. A festival hit throughout the pandemic and winner of the Narrative Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Acting Prize for Tender Huang at Slamdance 2021, KEFF’s latest (following SECRET LIVES OF ASIANS AT NIGHT) is a uniquely poignant tale of resilience amidst alienation, set two minutes into our ever-uncertain futures.

UZUMAKI (Japan, 2000)
Horror

Director: Higuchinsky ∣ Writer: Takao Niita

Strange events are afoot in the small town of Kurozu – and schoolgirl Kirie seems to be caught in the maelstrom of it all. Her boyfriend’s father becomes obsessed with spirals. First, the patterns on a snail’s shell, then the movement of a washing machine or the whirlpool one makes with chopsticks when mixing fish cake into a soup. At school, a student starts dripping inordinate amounts of sweat – only attending class on damp, rainy days. Meanwhile, another classmate develops imposing curls. The sky darkens; spirals seem to be everywhere at once, exerting an irresistible fascination on all things.

VOICE OF SILENCE (South Korea, 2021)
Thriller, Crime

Director/Writer: Hong Eui Jeong

It's back to business as usual for Chang-bok (You Chea Myung, BRING ME HOME) and his assistant Tae In (Yoo Ah In, #ALIVE), who has lost his voice. They go to the village to sell their eggs, then change clothes and go to fulfill their contract with gangsters to prepare and clean the scene of an execution. Finally, they return home after disposing of the body. Their discretion and professionalism are so well respected that a gang leader gives them an unprecedented task: to fetch a person and hide them for 24 hours. When they arrive at the designated place, they are stunned. It’s a little girl. They bring her back and fulfill their part of the contract, but no one comes to claim her. So the antisocial Tae-in has to take the child back to his home, hidden deep in the land he shares with his little sister. Everything goes wrong when he and his colleague arrive at their new assignment, and find out that it’s their employer.

WHAT JOSIAH SAW (USA, 2021)
Horror, Thriller, Drama

Director: Vincent Grashaw ∣ Writer: Robert Alan Dilts

In director Vincent Grashaw’s Southern Gothic nightmare WHAT JOSIAH SAW, an estranged family grapples with the sins of the past… yanking the skeletons right out of their closet, kicking and screaming all the way! The superlative cast includes Robert Patrick, Nick Stahl, Kelli Garner, Tony Hale, Scott Haze and Jake Weber. It’s this year’s THE DARK AND THE WICKED.

WONDERFUL PARADISE (Japan, 2020)
Comedy, Fantasy

Director: Masashi Yamamoto ∣ Writers: Suzuyuki Kaneko, Masashi Yamamoto

The debt-ridden Sasayas are moving out of their big house in the suburbs of Tokyo. Misinterpreting her father’s suggestion to “make fun memories” instead of focusing on the material move, Akane, the family’s daughter, posts an open invitation on Twitter: “Let’s have a party!” Soon, a homeless man comes to pray at the altar of the kitsch Greek statue in their driveway, and thus begins the bacchanal! Guest after guest pours into the house: movers first (of course), the family’s estranged mother second, a couple looking for a place to wed, the neighbourhood drug dealers, a confrontational aunt, and soon, with the unflinching logic of an ever-escalating matsuri gone utterly and irreversibly wild, jilted lovers, supernatural surprises, and delights of the kaiju variety…

Wonderful Paradise

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First Impression: Voice 4 (Judgement Hour)

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I haven’t done a first impressions post in a while, and it’s fitting that it’s Voice 4. While this first impression will only cover the first two episodes of the season (which is all that is currently out), I will probably be spoiling the previous seasons in some capacity. This is your warning.

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Native Title: 보이스4: 심판의 시간
Release Date: June 18, 2021 (Fridays/Saturdays)
Episode #: 14
Platform: tvN (Viki)
Director: Shin Yong Hwi (Faith, Tunnel)
Writer: Ma Jin Won (Previous seasons)
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Starring: Lee Ha Na, Song Seung Heon. Rest of the cast can be found here.

Not going to lie to you all, this one was going to have a hard time winning me over. Probably to its detriment, I have just come off of a massive binge of the past three seasons, and let’s just say it didn’t go well. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first a brief run down of the drama and the synopsis.

If you haven’t watched any of the other seasons, I do think you can watch this season without them and still be able to enjoy the series. However, there are spoilers for the previous seasons not only in a recap at the start of the season, but also in some of the dialogue referencing the past. Voice follows Kwon Joo (Ha Na), an emergency operator who has exceptional hearing abilities. Because of her ability, she’s able to help the police find clues to catch serial killers and help investigate higher priority crimes. She is in charge of a dedicated crew, The Golden Time Team, who help with the cases in other aspects. While there are some changes in cast, there are several that are reoccurring - even some that have been on since the first season. The drama follows a close procedural format, much like you’d see in a show like Bones, with each season centering around one central serial killer who’s taunting the team (again, like Bones). In this season she is joined by LAPD officer Derek Jo (Seung Heon), who had been helping with a joint operation. He is added to the team when his sister is killed by a serial killer targeting Kwon Joo. The killer is like Kwon Joo in appearance and also has the same hearing abilities.

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One thing you have to know going into Voice is that it’s one of those dramas that toes the line of going off the rails completely. It very much is influenced by Western crime procedurals in which the main team is out of this world the best (her hearing abilities is almost superhero levels, but it’s never really explained why she has such an ability), they touch and disrupt evidence without gloves 100% of the time, and the serial killers are good at everything. While it wasn’t my favorite in crime dramas, the first season of the drama was pretty solid. The next two seasons were pretty hard for me to get through, as the second season had a terrible big evil, and the main male lead in both seasons 2 & 3 was pretty unbearable. But this isn’t a review of those seasons, this is my first thoughts on these episodes.

I was hoping that this season 4 would mirror God’s Quiz Season 4 in that it would pick itself back up to the same enjoyment equivalent to the first season. While I did like these first two episodes much more than the previous seasons, it had some major flaws that might snowball into a harder watch for me in the future. I think one of the major flaws in general with the Voice series is that it doesn’t trust itself to do different things. It recycles a lot of its content, and these episodes weren’t immune to this. The setup of Derek Jo’s introduction into the team is a mirror of the first season’s detective. The play on the evil potentially being a lead character, that we saw all of last season, is back recycled into Kwon Joo’s character. Now, this doesn’t mean that it’s not entirely enjoyable, but when a crime show doesn’t valuable unpredictability it falls flat. And that’s what could very well happen with this series and has proven to do in the past. But despite all of that, there is only one thing about this drama that is a big red flag for me, and that’s the LAPD officer, Chad.

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I absolutely can’t stand Chad. Chad is the worst. Not only is his character shaping up to be the overused “friend who actually helps the bad guy” trope, but…the actor is just not good. At all. I really try not to harp on these types of things, because a lot of time it’s not really talent that’s wrong but direction. But it’s kind of past the point of a personal preference and is ruining the watching enjoyment of the drama. His English scenes are terrible - equally as bad as the Korean. I mean, on a whole the English senes are not good for anyone in the cast (except that one LAPD computer guy that confirmed Kwan Joo wasn’t in the video. Shout out to him. He was awesome and in the show like for two lines. Can we have more of him?) Chad’s so bad that you immediately catch on that he may not be a good guy and a red herring because of his cartoonish tells. I guess this is par for the course with this show as it loves to do the makjang-not-makjang thing, but it’s exhausting. I was really hoping that he wasn’t going to be in this past the first scenes, but he hasn’t left…and is in a lot of behind-the-scenes and promo. And an episode number isn’t listed by his name. So we’re stuck with him.

I kind of wish I had held off on this review till I watched four episodes of the drama so that I could really get a sense of what I liked and didn’t. While there was a lot of action and a lot of death, there was also a lot of setup between introducing the new characters and also recapping the other seasons. So there just wasn’t a lot to talk about. I did enjoy a lot of what was happening and found the episodes were mostly enjoyable. I really like the big evil this season. It’s still mysterious, but I love the fact that there is an actual trio doing everything and seeing how they are accomplishing it. I haven’t felt this connection since the first season with Kim Jae Wook’s serial killer. The trio is creepy and unnerving and add a nice level of horror to the drama. The snow falling with the three hooded figures coming upon the already disturbing scene of the son attacking the parents is where this drama actually shines. The drama starting off immediately on the murder was a great setup and was a great way to get me hooked immediately. And the big evil being female? Yes. Sign me up.

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We don’t get a case until the second episode, and the way that the episodes are structured the case is always the cliffhanger for the week. While it was intriguing, it’s too early to tell if that portion of the drama will land or keep up in speed. Am I going to continue watching? Yes. I feel like I invested a lot into getting here that I have to stick through it and have a fairly small watching load. I really do want to see how the murder trio evolve and I do like the level of darkness that the drama has.

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Premiere: Mouse

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Today the crime/thriller drama from tvN, Mouse, premiers!

I don’t know much about the drama purposefully to avoid any unintentional spoilers, but psychopaths? Serial killers? I’m so, so very into it. And it stars Lee Seung Gi! (Rest of the cast can be found here.) The previews have been creepy with that little kid, and even the press conference has got me excited:

Mouse airs Wednesdays and Thursdays and it’s going to be a long one (20 episodes). Viki has it in their coming soon section, so hopefully it shows up subbed soon (it’s at 0% as off posting this and I’m dying).

Who’s also excited?

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