alain-kapel5
Joined Feb 2013
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Ratings5.6K
alain-kapel5's rating
Reviews82
alain-kapel5's rating
A darkly comic Korean thriller about an older couple moving into the countryside hoping for a peaceful life, only for their idyll to be interrupted by a nosy neighbor who shows up at 4PM every day...
An interesting take on the "weird neighbor" trope, this modest but solidly made film takes its time to properly get going. There's an emphasis on subtle humor once the neighbor shows up for the first few times; the couple find him curious but harmless, while low-key hoping for him not to show up the next day. But he does, inexplicably doing so by coming and going at the exact same times. This unpleasant situation starts taking its toll on the couple, leading to increasingly violent outbursts.
Throughout this film, I was reminded of a Danish horror called Speak No Evil, which also explored how being mannered and passive in the face of an unwanted element leads to an unpleasant outcome. While the neighbor character in this film isn't a simple villain, his refusal to engage in any conversation, while rudely refusing to leave, turns him into a serious nuisance. The situation changes a bit as the film reaches its conclusion, but the plot also loses steam and becomes something less remarkable than initially promised. Not so much as to ruin the peculiar mood, but there remains a nagging sense of expectations not being fulfilled.
Despite the runtime being a bit overlong, this is still an intriguing slow-burn that blends thriller and comedy in an effective way, and deserves to be seen by a wider audience.
An interesting take on the "weird neighbor" trope, this modest but solidly made film takes its time to properly get going. There's an emphasis on subtle humor once the neighbor shows up for the first few times; the couple find him curious but harmless, while low-key hoping for him not to show up the next day. But he does, inexplicably doing so by coming and going at the exact same times. This unpleasant situation starts taking its toll on the couple, leading to increasingly violent outbursts.
Throughout this film, I was reminded of a Danish horror called Speak No Evil, which also explored how being mannered and passive in the face of an unwanted element leads to an unpleasant outcome. While the neighbor character in this film isn't a simple villain, his refusal to engage in any conversation, while rudely refusing to leave, turns him into a serious nuisance. The situation changes a bit as the film reaches its conclusion, but the plot also loses steam and becomes something less remarkable than initially promised. Not so much as to ruin the peculiar mood, but there remains a nagging sense of expectations not being fulfilled.
Despite the runtime being a bit overlong, this is still an intriguing slow-burn that blends thriller and comedy in an effective way, and deserves to be seen by a wider audience.
Yeon Sang-ho's new Netflix film is a psychological crime thriller about a pastor whose life unravels after an accident and a haunted detective surveilling a serial kidnapper.
The main plotline juggles these two characters and intertwines their stories for what is essentially a throwback to an earlier era of Korean crime dramas. You know the kind of film: a rainy, dark and atmospheric experience that wants you to feel the misery at every turn. Yeon anchors the police procedural and ticking-clock thriller elements to a character study which grapples with themes like guilt, faith and mental illness. So it's definitely more ambitious than an average genre film. The result should be even better than it turned out, but it also could have been a lot worse, were it not directed by a skilled hand like Yeon's.
Of the two storylines that we follow, the pastor's is definitely more compelling. He's a timid character who does diligent work inviting new members into his small church community, but after a sinister man appears on his doorstep he begins to slide into a different person altogether. The detective's story is a clichéd one, not exactly badly written but bland and overly familiar. She sees her sister's ghostly apparition on a regular basis, and feels guilt after her suicide. So she takes special interest in the serial kidnapper who held her hostage, and is on the loose again after being released from prison. As I previously said, these people will all eventually meet in one way or another, and it is then when the film is most interesting.
There are flaws though. Yeon introduces plenty of melodrama and a gloomy heavy-handedness into the film early on, and it gets a bit tiring to follow all these people being constantly miserable. The narrative also suffers for it, taking its time to get going while we wallow in all the depression the film throws at us. It would have been a better decision to let things play out with more restraint, and there were times when I wondered what Na Hong-jin or Bong Joon-ho would've done with this story. But, as it is, Yeon also did a fairly good job, all things considered.
Technically this is a very well made film with plenty of atmosphere, quality production design and even a particular one-shot confrontation that marks the film's dramatic high point. As a whole, Revelations is a worthy addition to the genre which probably won't sweep you off your feet, but is a decent, sometimes thought provoking time killer.
The main plotline juggles these two characters and intertwines their stories for what is essentially a throwback to an earlier era of Korean crime dramas. You know the kind of film: a rainy, dark and atmospheric experience that wants you to feel the misery at every turn. Yeon anchors the police procedural and ticking-clock thriller elements to a character study which grapples with themes like guilt, faith and mental illness. So it's definitely more ambitious than an average genre film. The result should be even better than it turned out, but it also could have been a lot worse, were it not directed by a skilled hand like Yeon's.
Of the two storylines that we follow, the pastor's is definitely more compelling. He's a timid character who does diligent work inviting new members into his small church community, but after a sinister man appears on his doorstep he begins to slide into a different person altogether. The detective's story is a clichéd one, not exactly badly written but bland and overly familiar. She sees her sister's ghostly apparition on a regular basis, and feels guilt after her suicide. So she takes special interest in the serial kidnapper who held her hostage, and is on the loose again after being released from prison. As I previously said, these people will all eventually meet in one way or another, and it is then when the film is most interesting.
There are flaws though. Yeon introduces plenty of melodrama and a gloomy heavy-handedness into the film early on, and it gets a bit tiring to follow all these people being constantly miserable. The narrative also suffers for it, taking its time to get going while we wallow in all the depression the film throws at us. It would have been a better decision to let things play out with more restraint, and there were times when I wondered what Na Hong-jin or Bong Joon-ho would've done with this story. But, as it is, Yeon also did a fairly good job, all things considered.
Technically this is a very well made film with plenty of atmosphere, quality production design and even a particular one-shot confrontation that marks the film's dramatic high point. As a whole, Revelations is a worthy addition to the genre which probably won't sweep you off your feet, but is a decent, sometimes thought provoking time killer.
This is a pretty good example of a serial killer thriller obviously inspired by Korean cinema, but it distinguishes itself by unusual direction and a specific sense of place.
The film is about a real life cannibalistic serial killer who operated in Kazakhstan between 1979 and 1990. The protagonist is Sher Sadikhov, a newbie policeman who gets into hot water immediately after joining the force, having to search for a savage murderer with his more seasoned colleagues. He soon proves he has good instincts for the job, but this case will hit closer to home than he expects...
The narrative is told in a way familiar to anyone who enjoys police procedurals, but there are instances of quirky humor that give it a slightly different feel. Sometimes it resembles Korean thrillers like Memories of Murder, other times it veers closer to social dramas prevalent in Eastern Europe. It works, though, and the compelling story will probably stick with you after watching.
Showcasing director Ruslan Pak's capabilites as a director with a certain sense of style, Three deserves to be seen by a wider audience than it will probably reach. It is well acted, beautifully shot and more intriguing than you'd expect. It is definitely more interesting than the usual streaming fare.
The film is about a real life cannibalistic serial killer who operated in Kazakhstan between 1979 and 1990. The protagonist is Sher Sadikhov, a newbie policeman who gets into hot water immediately after joining the force, having to search for a savage murderer with his more seasoned colleagues. He soon proves he has good instincts for the job, but this case will hit closer to home than he expects...
The narrative is told in a way familiar to anyone who enjoys police procedurals, but there are instances of quirky humor that give it a slightly different feel. Sometimes it resembles Korean thrillers like Memories of Murder, other times it veers closer to social dramas prevalent in Eastern Europe. It works, though, and the compelling story will probably stick with you after watching.
Showcasing director Ruslan Pak's capabilites as a director with a certain sense of style, Three deserves to be seen by a wider audience than it will probably reach. It is well acted, beautifully shot and more intriguing than you'd expect. It is definitely more interesting than the usual streaming fare.
