Review of WICKED: FOR GOOD: Critical Changes Coming

November 19, 2025

The exiled Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) was already notorious as the Wicked Witch of the West, thanks to the fake news spread by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Glinda (Ariana Grande) has been named the "Good" spokesperson of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), while Fiyero has become the Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) was now the governor of Munchkinland, and Boq (Ethan Slater) became her servant. 

This film sequel is Act 2 of the musical. Honestly, my memory of Act 2 is fuzzy for me even if I had already watched the stage musical live twice before. There were actually scenes in this film sequel that were still major surprises for me -- from the bed scene, to the catfight scene, to the trapdoor scene. I do recall that "Wizard of Oz" guys show up in Act 2, and I liked how their spot was more substantial in the film, even without revealing Dorothy's face.  

Unlike Act 1 where most, if not all, of the songs became memorable hits, there is arguably only one popular song in the whole of Act 2, and that is title song "For Good." Perhaps because of this, Stephen Schwartz wrote two more songs -- "No Place Like Home" for an earnest Elphaba while the animals were fleeing, and "The Girl in a Bubble" for a pensive Glinda after Morrible guilt-tripped her. Both dramatic ballads were well-performed, but were not exactly catchy.  

The cinematography of the "The Girl in a Bubble" scene was actually more remarkable than the song, as the camera followed Glinda through her closet of many mirrors in what seemed to be one continuous long shot. Another excellent directorial by John Chu was making the story going full circle, such that it cleanly returned to the opening scene of the first film, with Glinda joining the Ozians to celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West.

It was clearly easier to love the first "Wicked" (MY REVIEW) because it had an infectious, cheerful atmosphere practically throughout the show, right up to its iconic show-stopping final song "Defying Gravity." Story-wise, this second film is more mature, more serious than fun -- tackling darker issues about friendships, relationships and animal rights.  The pace did feel slower because there were more scenes of talking set in dimmer light than Part 1.

Out of its 10 noms, the first "Wicked" won Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, and again these two technical aspects shine in the sequel. I would've wanted to see what happened to the Cowardly Lion (and Tin Man) post-Dorothy. The facial makeup for the Scarecrow could've been better though. In terms of visual effects I appreciated the expanded role of the Ozian animals, especially the Flying Monkeys. 

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will likely be nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively at the Oscars again, based on their subtler, introspective performances in this decidedly darker sequel. Here, Erivo's Elphaba goes full-blown Wicked to forward her advocacy, while Grande's Glinda absorbs the pain of her powerless pretension -- both actresses deeply understanding of their characters and their complicated friendship. 8/10

Review of THE RUNNING MAN (2025): Desperate for Dollars

November 18, 2025

"The Running Man" is a televised reality game show on the FreeVee network run by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) and hosted by Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo). "Runners" stand to win $1 billion if they are able to survive for 30 days while masked executioner Evan McCone (Lee Pace) and his band of "Hunters" try to hunt them down and kill them. Despite the obvious danger of losing their lives, extreme poverty had forced citizens to join for money. 

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) was jobless. He had been blacklisted on his job for insubordination. His baby daughter Cathy is sick with a high fever, so for money, his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) had to go back to her job as a waitress in a nightclub. Desperate, Ben decided to audition to join one of the game shows on FreeVee to earn cash. Because of his physical fitness, skills and hot temper, he was selected to join "The Running Man."  

The story of "The Running Man" was adapted from a 1982 novel by Stephen King (written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman).  It is interesting to note that the events in the book were set in the year 2025, when the economy of the US had collapsed into a dystopian society. The back story of Ben, character names and game mechanics in the book were closely-followed in this new film co-written and directed by Edgar Wright.  

In 1987, a looser, campier film adaptation was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a convicted cop. There, it was 2017. Running Man was a TV game show where criminals joined to win back their freedom. There was a live studio audience, and the game arena was limited in a limited area in Los Angeles (not the whole USA). "Family Feud" host Richard Dawson was cast as host Damon (not Dan) Killian. 

The abilities of Glen Powell's Ben Richards was practically super-human. He was also incredibly lucky all the time. It was fun and frenetic, but we never really felt that he was in any danger of losing at all. By the second half, the film already felt like it was going on a bit too long, and by the final moments, it just got too over-the-top dark. While we do see director Edgar Wright's dynamic visual style, this did not match the excellence of his "Baby Driver" (2017). 6/10

Review of NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T: Clever Confounding Cons

November 13, 2025

10 years after their last heist, the Horsemen -- Danny Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) organized another show to punish a cryptocurrency scammer. However, afterwards, it was revealed that this show was actually perpetrated by three young magicians -- front man Bosco (Dominic Sessa), lock expert June (Ariana Greenblatt), and tech guy Charlie (Justice Smith). 

From a charity show in South Africa, to a diamond exhibit in Belgium, to an elaborate chateau in France, the four original Horsemen get to know and join forces with their three new wannabes, pursue a valuable giant uncut diamond called "The Heart," which their handlers in the Eye want them to steal. This stone was owned by the icy Veronika Vanderbrug (Rosamund Pike), CEO of a classy jewelry company involved in less than glamorous activities.  

This is the third installment of a film franchise about talented magicians involved in lucrative heists that began with "Now You See Me" (Louis Letterier, 2013) and its sequel (Jon Chu, 2016). This new film, directed by "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer, still has the same globe-trotting and sophisticated vibe as the two previous films. This time around, the Horsemen have three new members to mentor and join in their fun. 

There were more of those spectacular "magic" tricks in this new one that we expect. They are thrilling to watch as they unfolded, even if you know the execution was likely more thanks to special visual effects than actual sleight of hand. The best scene for was that fun, magical "introduction" sequence in the mansion. Of course, the complex climax involved a racecar, a water tank, and a twist revelation. Wish that lousy security did not make things too easy.

It was great to see all the original actors back together again and having fun together. Not only Eisenberg, Fisher, Franco and Harrelson, mind you, but three more welcome "surprises" -- one at the very end, right before the credits roll. The three new young members are smart and smart-alecky as the rest of them. Another adventure seems to be coming up soon, but I hope there is more "Now You See Me" logical magic -- less "Mission: Impossible" please. 6/10 

Review of MEET, GREET & BYE: Harbored Hurt

November 12, 2025

Baby Facundo (Maricel Soriano) had three adult sons. The eldest was Christopher or Tupe (Piolo Pascual), who had a restaurant in Los Angeles. The second was Brad (Joshua Garcia), a nursing graduate now running their lechon business. The third was Leo (Juan Karlos), a musician now living in with his girlfriend Jen (Kaori Oinuma) and 3 year-old son Charlie. Tupe had a college-graduate daughter Geri Anne (Belle Mariano), who grew up with Baby. 

One day, the family found out that despite previous surgery and chemo, Baby's breast cancer has come back with spread to the brain and liver. The doctor proposed to do chemo again, but Baby refused. Instead she bargained that she would only undergo chemo if she could somehow score VIP tickets to attend the Meet-and-Greet event of her favorite Korean actor Park Seo-joon. Her children disagreed on how to proceed with this dilemma.

Aside from the returning cancer of Baby, another main conflict of the film was the arrival of Tupe from the US which was met with different reactions from his siblings. Leo idolized him no end, so he welcomed him heartily. However, Brad and Geri seemed to have deep resentment against him, as they gave him the cold shoulder. When Tupe agreed to get tickets for Baby, Brad went against his brother and sought alternative herbal therapies for her.

Portrayed as only Maricel Soriano can, her Baby was bravely putting up a happy front to hide her anxiety. Soriano gave Baby that maternal warmth that made all of us watching feel like she was our mother. Joshua Garcia and Belle Mariano had internalized the hurt that Brad and Geri had been harboring within themselves over the years. Juan Karlos gave Leo that sweet cheerful personality which served well to diffuse brewing tensions in their house.

And then there was Piolo Pascual as Tupe. Even on paper, him being cast as Maricel Soriano's eldest son felt like a stretch, especially since Pascual was only 12 years younger than Soriano, and over 20 years older than Joshua Garcia in real life. On the big screen, he really looked and felt out of place, but Pascual was giving it his best effort. It was his final monologue during the family confrontation scene that tied the whole story together. 

Comedic moments are provided by Matet de Leon and Jeffrey Tam (as househelp Jona and Kerwin), Madeline Nicolas and Marnie Lapus (as Baby's BFFs). That scene in Baby's poster filled room explained how Tupe, Brad, Leo and Geri got their names was quite funny. A luminous Kaila Estrada had a short appearance playing Brad's ex-girlfriend Angie visiting from New Zealand. Robbie Jaworski was introduced playing Geri's shy workmate. 

This latest film by box-office hit director Cathy Garcia-Sampana was a typical Pinoy melodrama about troubled family dynamics and terminal disease, which she co-wrote with Jumbo Albano and Patrick Valencia. To balance out the drama, she also tackled the crazy efforts of diehard fans buying tickets for K-drama idol events, from the intense online queueing, to wily scammers, and overnight camping outside the venue. 6/10

 

Review of DIE, MY LOVE: Psychiatry in the Post-Partum Period

November 11, 2025

New Yorkers Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) decided to move into Jackson’s childhood home in rural Montana, which he inherited from his late uncle Frank. At first, their days were filled with rambunctious sex to rock music. Grace soon got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. Not long after that, she began to feel distant from her husband. These feelings of insecurity soon escalated into disturbing visions and bizarre behavior. 

This was a very uncomfortable film to watch from the very first scenes. At first, we see Grace and Jackson making wild love on the floor.  Next, we see Grace prowling on their lawn like a cat, carrying a big kitchen knife on one hand. Right after that, we see Grace letting her breast milk drip on and mix with ink drops on a a piece of paper. All this within the first ten minutes. This was certainly not going to be your typical post-partum depression melodrama. 

"Die, My Love" was adapted by director Lynne Ramsey (with co-writers Enda Walsh and Alice Birch) from a 2012 novel of the same title by Argentine writer, Ariana Harwicz. Originally written in Spanish, it had been translated into English by Sarah Moses and Carolina Orloff. Ramsey is not new to heavy psychological drama. Her best known film was "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2011), starring Tilda Swinton as a troubled mother of a mass-murderer.  

Robert Pattinson's Jackson was basically just reacting to his wife's strange mortifying actions in public. There were repeated scenes of Jackson chasing after Grace to bring her back home. Even if their wives or girlfriends never did anything as extreme as those Grace did, men in the audience will see themselves in Jackson. This film opens men's eyes to deep, disturbing thoughts women bothering them inside. But in the end, there are really no easy solutions. 

This film was truly Jennifer Lawrence's unpleasant yet intense acting showcase. As psychotic Grace, Lawrence really gave it her all in what is probably her boldest role to date. She may have been pushed to the edge in Darren Aronofsky's "Mother!" (2017), but here, she has already fallen off that edge. So while we bear witness to Grace's delusions, Lawrence was baring herself body and soul in front of our very eyes, whether we like it or not. 6/10 

Review of PREDATOR: BADLANDS: Revenge of the Runt

 November 10, 2025

To prove to his father Njohrr (Reuben De Jong) that he was a worthy member of their Clan, young Yautja Predator Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) planned to hunt down the feared Kalisk on planet Genna. However, Njohrr believed that Dek was a hopeless runt, and ordered his favored son Kwei (Mike Homik) to execute Dek. Kwei disobeyed the kill order, activated his space craft to send Dek to Genna, and got himself executed instead. 

Up to this point, all the dialog had been in the Yautja language, so subtitles were necessary t0 understand what was being. The only time we hear English was when Dek encountered Thia (Elle Fanning), a friendly bisected android made by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, on Genna. If that company name sounds familiar, they are the same notorious technological company that was the true corporate villain of the "Alien" franchise.

The specific alien species which Arnold Schwarzenegger fought with those distinct snout and sharp teeth in the first film (1987), and those in the sequels, was never identified. However, since Steve and Stephani Perry coined the name "Yautja" in their 1994 novel "Aliens Vs Predator," it had also been used in the comics and video games. "Predator: Badlands" is the first film to use Yautja to identify Dek and his clan and Yautja Prime as their home planet.  

This film designed Genna as a wilderness with deadly vines that captured and crushed its prey to death and grass that can cut flesh sharply like crystals.  There was a cute monkey-like creature which Thia called Bud, with those deep pools as eyes (think Puss N' Boots). Of course, there was the invincible behemoth Dek was looking for  -- the Kalisk. These special visual effects, together with that of Thia's upper and lower halves, did not disappoint. 

I never followed every "Predator" film over the years, so at first I was not sure I wanted to see this one. It was fortunate that I did go watch it because I enjoyed it. You do not really need to know much of the "Predator" lore to understand the story being told by screenwriter Patrick Aison and director Dan Trachtenberg. It was a typical coming-of-age story of a young man wanting to prove his worth on his own, then discovering the value of a team. Reversing the previous tropes, a Predator was now the hero we rooted for. 7/10

Netflix: Review of FRANKENSTEIN (2025): Obscene Obsession

November 8, 2025

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac as adult, Christian Convery as teen) grew up traumatized by the failure of his physician father (Charles Dance) to save his mother from death. Because of this, Victor became inordinately involved in research to reanimate the dead, but his daring demonstration in front of other surgeons only led to scandal and rejection. This humiliation only drove Victor to pursue his unholy obsession with breathing life into death even more. 

The original 1818 novel by Mary Shelley has been inspiring film adaptations since the art of moving pictures began. The first one was a short in 1910 by J. Searle Dawley. The most famous versions were the 1931 version by James Whale, starring Boris Karloff as the monster, and the 1994 version by Kenneth Branagh, starring Robert de Niro as the monster. Frankenstein's monster has been a recurrent character in various Goth or horror projects. 

In this new version by Guillermo del Toro, he introduced a new character -- an arms dealer named Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) offered to fund Victor's further research, even providing an abandoned tower as a laboratory. Del Toro wrote Harlander to be the uncle of Lady Elizabeth (Mia Goth), who turned out to be the fiancee of Victor's long-estranged younger brother William (Felix Kammerer), who was then making a name in financial circles.

Oscar Isaac played Victor Frankenstein as an egotistical mad scientist. He did unto his Creature how his father did unto him before -- impatiently, abusively and irrationally. For such a scientific genius, Victor severely lacked empathy with his innocent Creature, making all their scenes together a very tough uncomfortable watch. This was most apparent in scenes where the Creature did not seem to have any facility for spoken language -- yet. 

As in the previous iterations, the centerpiece performance of the film was from the actor playing the Creature. In this case, it was Jacob Elordi. This Australian burst into the scene in "The Kissing Booth" (2018) on Netflix, and soon he was everywhere. He may have been buried under thick prosthetic make-up here, but he was able to fully portray the innocence and desperation of this tormented character. An Oscar nod may not be farfetched.

Fortunately for Mia Goth, the character of Elizabeth underwent a major reboot. In the book, she was originally Victor's childhood friend turned fiancee who was murdered by the Creature on her wedding night. As per Del Toro, Elizabeth is an independent, opinionated woman of science, with an interest in entomology. She was also hinted to have a romantic interest in the Creature, which gave an additional layer of moral complication. 

Those familiar with Del Toro's work knows his penchant for all things macabre and monstrous. While the whole film dripped with these dark and disturbing elements, the highlight will have to be that sequence of scenes of Victor carving out various body parts from different dead soldiers, then connecting them together to build his 3-D jigsaw puzzle of a Creature. It would take a strong stomach to sit through this fascinating process of anatomical construction. 

Aside from Elordi, Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Musical Score, Production Design, Costume Design,  Sound and Visual Effects are also very likely. 9/10

Review of LAKAMBINI: GREGORIA DE JESUS: Oriang's Options

November 6, 2025

May 9, 1897 was the 22nd birthday of Gregoria "Oriang" de Jesus. She went to the house of President Emilio Aguinaldo to beg him to stop the planned execution of her husband Andres Bonifacio (Rocco Nacino) and his brother Procopio. However, Aguinaldo did not meet her himself. Instead, another official rebuffed her request, even telling her that she's lucky that was not arrested herself. After these rude words, Oriang was roughly driven out of the house. 

This was the first scene of this stylized biopic about the life of the strong woman behind the Supremo of the Katipunan, a nationalistic organization launched in 1892 aiming to win independence of the Philippines from her Spanish conquerors via an armed revolution. She had married Andres in 1893, defying her parents' objections. She was initiated into the women's chapter of the Katipunan in 1894, choosing Lakambini as her code name. 

Of course, the story about Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan had been told and retold in many films before. The infamous Tejeros convention was reenacted in detail, with the hateful actions of Daniel Tirona (Allan Paule) highlighted. The controversial issue about Oriang's rape vs. molestation by Agapito Bonzon (James Lomohan) was also tackled. On a more personal note, we learned that she was a good cook, able to identify ingredients of a dish by smell.

The lesser-known story of Oriang after Andres's death was also given screen time. We learn about the harrowing 30 days Oriang spent looking for her husband's body in the mountains. We also learn about her marriage to Julio Nakpil (Paulo Avelino), a musician who became a trusted officer of Bonifacio, using the code name Giliw. In Nakpil's senior years, he was played by Spanky Manikan, who had already passed away in 2018. 

Several scenes were interpretations of various writings of Oriang in her own memoirs written in 1928. They dramatized the letter of Oriang to the Gobernadorcillo requesting for rescue because her parents confined her in a house in Binundok to hide her from Andres. Even the romantic letter of Andres to Oriang which went viral 10 years ago was featured, but it was quickly declared as fictional by writer Eljay Castro Deldoc. 

There was likewise a scene accompanied by the song "Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa," with lyrics from a poem written by Andres Bonifacio. There was a party scene where Hen. Luciano San Miguel (Pepe Herrera) was singing the patriotic song "Katipunan," written by Julio Nakpil. 

Aside from telling Oriang's story, this film was also a documentary of sorts about the circuitous path it took to be created. The initial stage of its creation was in 2015 under director Jeffrey Jeturian, but shooting stopped after only nine days because the sponsors pulled out.  Finally, the film was completed this year, coincidentally and fortuitously exactly the 150th birth anniversary of Oriang, under the direction of Arjanmar Rebeta. 

It began with a birthday, and ended with a birthday -- full circle. But because its shooting had been interrupted into small parts over 10 years, there was sometimes inconsistent continuity in the locations, props and costumes. Also, that was the reason why three actresses played Oriang in this final film -- Lovi Poe, Elora Espano, and Gina Pareno. They used this as a metaphor about how any Filipino woman can be Oriang. 6/10

Review of BUGONIA: Abducting an Alien

November 5, 2025

Teddy (Jesse Plemons) believed that Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of giant pharmaceutical company Auxolith, was an alien of the Andromedan species which was out to destroy the Earth. He was able to convince his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to help him abduct Michelle and hold her hostage in the basement of his house. Teddy believed that the Andromedans will be entering Earth in four days during a lunar eclipse. 

"Bugonia" was a hard-hitting dark satirical comedy film by director Yorgos Lanthimos, in the vein of "The Favourite" (2018) and "Poor Things" (2023). I was surprised to learn that this new film was actually a remake of a South Korean film entitled "Save the Green Planet" (2003). The original screenplay written by director Jang Joon-hwan was adapted into the American setting by Will Tracy, who wrote "The Menu" (2022) and TV series "Succession," satires both.

This was a very uncomfortable watch from beginning to end, as it involved taking advantage of a mentally-challenged individual and acts of violence against a woman, all in the name of apparently delusional conspiracy theories of one very emotionally-disturbed individual. Teddy and Michelle were both unlikable characters as written, and as twistedly portrayed by Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone (who really had her hair shaved off). As both of them played off each other wickedly at full blast, award noms are surely forthcoming. 

The only sympathetic character here was the impressionable, neurodivergent young man Don. Aidan Delbis, who describes himself as autistic, was only a 17-year old high school student when he was cast for his first major feature film role, based on the audition tape he submitted. The way he was being talked down to and manipulated was very painful to watch. This connection we felt with Don made what happens to him in this film so sad as it was shocking.

The mysterious title was not explained, nor even mentioned, in the film. The Ancient Greek word "bugonia" refers to the belief that bees can develop out of a cow carcass. Bees and their colony collapse disorders was a recurring theme in the film. Teddy, being a beekeeper, believed that Michelle was behind the dwindling population of bees. Bees was a metaphor for the fragile state of Earth's environment as a result of human irresponsibility. 

The ending is really the biggest gamble of the story, especially for those who have not seen the original film yet. Lanthimos was able to spring the twist on his audience effectively, even as the film became even more bizarre in terms of production and costume design. Then comes a final five-minute montage of human mortality set to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" sung by Marlene Dietrich. When will we ever learn, indeed? 8/10 

Netflix: Review of BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER: Gauging a Gambler

October 31, 2025

Lord Freddy Doyle (Colin Farrell) was a British aristocrat who had been gambling in a high-class casino in Macau. He had been on an unfortunate losing streak, so he had already incurred a huge debt. He went to try his luck at the Rainbow Room, the only casino where he can play on credit. He lost to ruthless card shark Grandma (Deanie Ip) at baccarat. Casino employee Dao Ming (Fala Chen) offered him a loan so he can still continue playing. 

It was uncomfortable to watch Lord Doyle unable to control his gambling addiction even if he was already sinking into pathetic depths. We have seen countless gambling addicts go down the same way in other films before, from "The Gambler" (1974) to "Uncut Gems" (2019). Addiction is never a pretty picture, even if you looked like Colin Farrell and wore Doyle's scarlet jacket and yellow gloves made in Saville Row. 

The movie takes a mysterious turn when Doyle encounters Dao Ming again after one of the gamblers she lent credit to committed suicide. It was the Festival of the Hungry Ghost, so he went with Dao to a temple so she can pray away her guilt, feeling that she has run out of chances. They talked on a bench near the sea that whole night. The next morning, Doyle woke up alone on the bench, noting that some numbers had been written on his hand. 

His next encounter with private investigator Betty Grayson (Tilda Swinton) who was stalking Doyle to recover the money he had stolen from an old client of hers. With her quirky glasses and frumpy dresses, Swinton was a delightful sweetheart even as she looked like a fish out of water in the casino. As Betty was always dead serious about her work, Doyle tried to lighten her up by inviting her to dance. In that regard, don't you miss the mid-credit scenes.

Just when you thought that Doyle's story was going to have a typical ending, along comes a sudden twist in the final act that you never saw coming, challenging viewers to make the surprise revelation make sense.  Director Edward Berger was consistent with his beautiful, artistic camera work, with Oscar-winning cinematographer James Friend.  Colin Farrell likely knew many of his lines were cliche, but he still managed to spin acting gold from them.  7/10

Review of NO OTHER CHOICE: Cutting the Competition

October 31, 2025

Yoo Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun) had been working in a paper-making factory for the past 25 years. He was able to buy back his childhood home where he now lived happily and comfortably with his wife Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin) and two children. One day, their factory closed down and everybody lost their jobs. Man-soo struggled to manage the sudden drastic drop in his financial capabilities, so they had to give up their hobbies, their dogs and their house. 

This latest film by one of the masters of Korean cinema -- Park Chan-wook, the same director who crafted classics like "Joint Security Area" (2000), "Oldboy" (2003), "The Handmaiden" (2016) and "Decision to Leave" (2022), among others. it had its world premiere last August in the Venice International Filmfest. It had already been announced to be the submission of South Korea for consideration in the race for the Oscar for Best International Film.

Park did masterful work here as director, telling this story (based on a 1997 American novel "The Ax" by Donald E. Westlake) about a jobless family man whose difficulty of finding a new job then pushed him to do unthinkable things. There were some pretty innovative camera angles to shoot scenes ranging from utter chaos (three people grappling for a pistol), to musical virtuosity (a mother finally getting to hear her special child playing cello). 

Lee Byung-hun is the probably the most ubiquitous Korean actor these days -- with recent credits for "Squid Game" (2021) and "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (2025). Man-soo went about eliminating his competition literally, and Lee portrayed this with restrained ruthlessness.  It was good to see "CLOY" actress Son Ye-jin as the wife, but sadly she was underused. Lee Sung-min and Yeom Hye-ran memorably played Man-soo's primary rival and his manic wife. 

The buzz is very strong that this film might just replicate the historic feat of Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (2019) at the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best International Film and Best Director. The similarities are there, both being very dark comedies about the societal classes. However, don't let all that hype make you expect too much. It's good, but to be honest, I am not exactly raving for this one all that much as mucg I did for "Parasite" before. 7/10