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3/4
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The Rose: Come Back to Me
(2025)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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The best documentaries will give you a peek into the subject’s life and present something new. But it will also take what’s already known and add a unique element. "The Rose: Come Back to Me" does exactly this.
Posted Aug 11, 2025
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3/4
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KPop Demon Hunters
(2025)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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KPOP DEMON HUNTERS could’ve been a cutesy story about a boy-crazy girl group flirting with a hot boy band. Instead, this culturally-sensitive film offers a profound message about friendship that's set to some of the best music from a fictional pop group.
Posted Jun 20, 2025
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3/4
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Forgotten
(2017)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Kang Ha-neul stars in FORGOTTEN, a film that tackles murder, memory loss, & mayhem in a clever way with lots of twists & turns that keep viewers intrigued. It centers on two brothers, neither of whom are as they seem, & a tragedy that ties them together.
Posted Mar 29, 2025
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2/4
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Bogotá: City of the Lost
(2024)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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There is a lot going on in “Bogotá: City of the Lost” — shootings, explosions, backstabbing and double-crossings. But when it’s all over, you realize that it was mostly much ado about nothing.
Posted Mar 28, 2025
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3/4
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Officer Black Belt
(2024)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"Officer Black Belt" is an action-packed thriller starring Kim Woo-bin. Is it predictable? Yes? But is it a fun watch? Absolutely! Written by Jason Kim ("Midnight Runners," "Bloodhounds"), this film depicts what a man can do when given the chance.
Posted Mar 28, 2025
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3/4
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#Alive
(2020)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Led by Yoo Ah-in, #ALIVE begins with his character gaming and enjoying solitude. After a virus mysteriously turns citizens into zombies, everyone's ordered to lockdown at home. But what happens when food runs out and utilities are turned off?
Posted Nov 09, 2024
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2/4
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Arahan
(2004)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Sang-hwan is a ‘fraidy cat cop. But through his friendship with Eui-jin, who has extraordinary fighting skills, he learns that he has untapped super powers of his own. This revelation comes in handy when he has to save the world save the world.
Posted Nov 09, 2024
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3/4
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Champion
(2018)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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If you watched Sylvester Stallone’s 1987 arm wrestling film “Over the Top” and hated it, don’t let that deter you from giving “Champion” a shot. Starring Ma Dong-seok (“Train to Busan,” “The Roundup”), the charismatic, buff actor has a knack for comedy.
Posted Nov 09, 2024
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3/4
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Dream
(2023)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Park Seo-joon stars as a problematic soccer star forced to coach a soccer team comprised of homeless players. IU portrays a documentarian who’s hired to concoct a feel-good documentary to bolster the athlete’s image.
Posted Nov 09, 2024
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3/4
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Cyber Hell: Exposing an Internet Horror
(2022)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"Cyber Hell" chronicles the Nth Room, which targeted Korean women and underage girls. After tricking them into sending nude 'modeling' photos, the victims were subjected to blackmail, threats, and violent degradation.
Posted Sep 01, 2024
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2.5/3
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One Sunny Day
(2014)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Ji Ho has just had his heartbroken, but it's not easy to feel sorry for him. His girlfriend was engaged to another man, but that didn't stop him from having a long-term affair with her. When she calls it off, he becomes even more solemn than usual.
Posted Apr 08, 2024
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3/4
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Always (O-jik geu-dae-man)
(2011)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Both So Ji Sub and Han Hyo Joo are appealing in their roles. They convey the right emotions, without being maudlin or resorting to histrionics. Some might say that the ending was cheesy, but I found it to be delightful and full of hope.
Posted Apr 08, 2024
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2/4
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Way Back Home
(2013)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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The filmmakers clearly believe that while Jang Mi-Jeong (the woman on whom "Way Back Home" is based) may have been guilty, her crime was less egregious than the way South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs botched her case.
Posted Mar 15, 2024
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2/4
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The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
(2019)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" is not a great film, but it's watchable because its star is Ma Dong-seok. The burly actor stars as a mob boss whose street credibility takes a beating when he is nearly killed by a floppy-haired serial killer.
Posted Oct 14, 2023
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2/4
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My Heart Puppy
(2022)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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After learning that his long-time girlfriend is deathly allergic to dogs, Min-soo sets out on a journey to to find a new home for his beloved golden retriever. In the end, he realizes that the solution to his problem was nearby the whole time.
Posted Sep 27, 2023
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3/4
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Rebound
(2023)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“Rebound” is based on the true story of Busan’s Jungang High School basketball team. Long past its glory years, the team isn’t a priority for the school’s administration. But led by newbie coach (Ahn Jae-hong), this feel-good film is a winner.
Posted Sep 27, 2023
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3/4
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Midnight Runners
(2017)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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An entertaining cop-buddy film, “Midnight Runners” does a great job of blending comedy with action, while delving into the world of human trafficking and organ harvesting. The film is driven by the camaraderie between leads Park Seo-joon and Kan Ha-neul.
Posted Aug 21, 2023
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2/4
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Way Back Home
(2013)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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The filmmakers clearly believe that while Jang Mi-Jeong (the woman that "Way Back Home" is based on) may have been guilty of smuggling drugs, her crime was less egregious than the way South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs mishandled her case.
Posted Aug 01, 2023
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2/4
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The Thieves
(2012)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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A blockbuster hit in Korea, it reunites Jun Ji- Hyun and Lee Jung-Jae, who had previously shared the big screen in “Il Mare” — the 2000 film that was later remade as “The Lake House” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
Posted Jul 31, 2023
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2/4
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Cheese in the Trap
(2018)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Based on the 2016 K-drama, "Cheese in the Trap" — which was based on the webtoon of the same name — this film adaptation is a good primer, but it's lacking in telling the characters' full stories.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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3/4
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Be With You
(2018)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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I knew going in that “Be With You” is a love story, where the plot is driven by the wife’s death and a fantastical premise of coming back to life. But the ending was unexpected…in a good way…and tied the film up in a way that gave me all the feels.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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3/4
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Always
(2011)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Both So Ji Sub and Han Hyo Joo are appealing in their roles. They convey the right emotions, without being maudlin or resorting to histrionics. Some might say that the ending was cheesy, but I found it to be delightful and full of hope.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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4/4
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Parasite
(2019)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"Parasite" has already made history for South Korea as the country's first film to win a Best Picture Academy Award. There are some moments I can't wrap my head around though, and one of them was the inclusion of Illinois State into the dialogue.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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3/4
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Unlocked
(2023)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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With "Unlocked" and "Emergency Declaration" — another 2022 film where Im Si-wan played the maniacal villain — Im has proven himself as a talented actor who can convincingly play any role.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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3/4
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Tune in for Love
(2019)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Set in the 1990s, “Tune in for Love” is a beautiful slice-of-life film focused on a young couple who meet as teenagers, lose touch, and reunite on and off throughout their twenties.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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2.5/4
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Space Sweepers
(2021)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“Space Sweepers” has a lot of things going for it — great acting, cinematography, special effects. But once you’re done oohing and ahhing at the visual onslaught, it’ll sink in that what the film lacks is a cohesive storyline.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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3/4
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Secretly, Greatly
(2013)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“Secretly, Greatly” starts off as a comedy & veers off into a drama with a graphic, violent ending. Had the film stuck to one genre, the result would’ve been more effective. Still, it’s a worthwhile film that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Posted Jul 28, 2023
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2/4
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Doggy Poo
(2003)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"Doggy Poo" is based on Kwon Jung-saeng’s 1968 children’s book of the same name. During that time period, South Korea was in the process of recovering from the Korean War. The plot may be an allegory for how Koreans had to sacrifice for the greater good.
Posted Jul 27, 2023
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3/4
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The Way Home
(2002)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“The Way Home” is a bittersweet film about a young Seoul boy who is forced to spend the summer with his grandmother, who lives in the countryside where the bus comes on a irregular schedule and an angry cow chases away little children.
Posted Jul 27, 2023
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3/4
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Yaksha: Ruthless Operations
(2022)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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A fast-moving action film full of special ops, backstabbing and political intrigue, "Yaksha: Ruthless Operations" doesn't pretend to be a prestige film. But it's a fun ride with a (straight-laced) fish-out-of-water concept.
Posted Jul 27, 2023
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3/4
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My Love, Don't Cross That River
(2014)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“My Love, Don’t Cross That River” is a love story that shows there is beauty to be found in everyday life, even with death looming.
Posted Jul 27, 2023
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3.5/4
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j-hope in the Box
(2023)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"j-hope IN THE BOX" is told in a non linear way, starting in Seoul 52 days before j-hope's performance at Lollapalooza, where he made history as the festival's first Korean headliner — a feat that even the BTS rapper found surprising.
Posted Jul 27, 2023
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3.5/4
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Train to Busan
(2016)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"Train to Busan" does a great job at depicting how people deal with death during unthinkable times. When your loved one is infected and your only option is to perish with them or kill them so that you (and others) can survive, what would you do?
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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3/4
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Silenced
(2011)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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Based on Gong Ji-young's 2009 novel, "Silenced" is a brutal look at the systematic torture of children at a facility for the hearing impaired.
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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3/4
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Ode to My Father
(2014)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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During the Korean War, Deok-Su loses his baby sister and their father never returns home. These losses will haunt him for the rest of his life, as he tries to fulfill his promise to his father that he would take care of their family.
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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4/4
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Once Upon a Time in High School
(2004)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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In 1978, South Korea was ruled under the brutal dictatorship of Park Chung-hee. This film depicts a bleak period where students had few rights and teachers could beat them. There's a trickle down factor to that kind of abuse, with the students suffering.
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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4/4
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Miss Granny
(2014)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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“Miss Granny” director Hwang Dong-hyuk ("Squid Game") takes an old premise (an elderly woman finds herself transformed into a 20 year old) and adds twists and social commentary. The result? A charming comedy full of scenes that will tug at your heart.
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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3.5/4
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SUGA: Road to D-Day
(2023)
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Jae-Ha Kim
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"It's my dream to travel around the world and play with local musicians playing their traditional instruments," the BTS rapper says in his documentary. "But I have fears that I have no more dreams to follow."
Posted Jul 26, 2023
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