Movies

If you're looking to compare "Ballerina" to its contemporaries, the 2023 South Korean action thriller helmed by Lee Chung-hyun strikes far more resonant chords than the 2025 John Wick spinoff of the same name ever manages. Here’s a film that reminds us, with brutal grace, that in cinema’s often monochrome playground of revenge tales, it’s less about originality of idea and more about the fierce, focused execution—how the story lives or dies under the director's hand.

The gangster film has long been a proving ground for young countries and unsettled hearts—an arena where braggadocio and blood, pride and punishment, come clattering together under the guise of masculine ritual. But with Gatao: The Last Stray, director Jui-Chih Chiang offers something rarer: a film that embraces the genre’s traditions only to sidestep its usual temptations, trading operatic violence for introspection and carving out, amidst the noise, a corner for genuine feeling.

Some films fail, but do so innocuously. Others fail with more urgency—they mishandle material so important, so inflammable, that their mediocrity becomes a kind of insult. The Vigilante is that sort of film: a chintzy, slapdash action-thriller whose wobbly attempts at blockbuster ferocity trivialize the monstrous reality of child trafficking. There’s no deeper disappointment at the movies than when righteous indignation is reduced to bad lighting, tepid performances, and the hollow rattle of fake gunfire.

Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween - Decisive Battle electrifies audiences with a rousing finale to the Bloody Halloween arc, standing as a testament to the series' evolution. Following the groundwork laid in Tokyo Revengers 2 Part 1: Bloody Halloween - Destiny, this installment raises the stakes dramatically and delivers a fusion of visceral action and deep emotional resonance. Director Tsutomu Hanabusa artfully weaves a narrative rich in personal stakes and consequences as Takemichi Hanagaki, again portrayed by the compelling Takumi Kitamura, plunges into a chaotic gang war with unwavering resolve. What unfolds is a gripping exploration of friendship, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of a brighter future against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tokyo Revengers 2 Part 1: Bloody Halloween - Destiny marks the continuation of the beloved manga's cinematic journey and is now accessible on various platforms. While director Tsutomu Hanabusa takes significant strides in character development, this middle chapter struggles under the weight of exposition, often sidelining the pulse-pounding action that initially defined the series. The film explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the complexity of time travel, yet it risks losing its audience in a narrative bogged down by intricate details.

This movie is shit shit shit. Yes, you heard that right—three times for emphasis, just like the movie's incessantly annoying soundtrack that drowns out any semblance of narrative or character development. The Hard Hit, or as I hilariously prefer to call it, The Hard Shit, is a cinematic experience that promises so much with its stellar Rotten Tomatoes 5-star reviews, likely written by the director himself in a fit of self-delusion. Trust me, don't be fooled by the star rating; it's about as authentic as the movie's dialogue, which is akin to a bad high school play.

In the 2023 sequel 4 Kings II, Phuttipong Nakthong continues his exploration of the chaotic youth culture rooted in Thailand's vocational school rivalries. While the film picks up from the impactful narrative established in the first installment, it struggles to recapture the emotional depth that resonated with audiences in 2021. Despite its engaging elements, the sequel ultimately reveals a tale that, while still worthwhile, feels unbalanced when contrasted with its predecessor.

Where do I even start with this gem of a film named MR-9: Do or Die? From the very moment the credits start rolling, it feels like they might as well have been playing the theme song from the Jaws soundtrack because you’re about to witness a horror show that’s both comedic and tragic in equal measure. Directed by Asif Akbar, this supposed spy action thriller is an international collaboration between the United States and Bangladesh—because what could possibly go wrong when you mix countries that are worlds apart in filmmaking sensibilities?

The cinematic experience that is Battle Over Britain—where expectations plummet so low that they might just reach the sub-basement of filmmaking standards. Released on Prime, this ambitious attempt to capture the relentless spirit of World War II aerial combat unfolds like a labor of love that’s had one too many boiling pots of water splashed on it. As it unveils its narrative of a fresh-faced young pilot eager to defend his homeland, audiences are left wondering if the filmmakers were equally determined to defend our senses from any semblance of quality.

Watching a film about a plane crashing while you're on a flight slicing through a storm might sound like a recipe for tension, but it’s a unique juxtaposition that turned my viewing of "Plane" into an unforgettable experience. Jean-François Richet's 2023 action thriller transformed what could have been a predictable disaster narrative into a gripping tale of survival and redemption. As my aircraft swayed ominously through the tempest, Gerard Butler and Mike Colter delivered a story within the story, elevating my expectations from their storm-induced low to soaring heights of captivating cinema.