If you know anything about me you know that I love Asian cinema, particularly Korea and Japan are among my favorites. A lot of my favorite films are from Korea and Japan. They seem to have a unique way of telling stories. They also tell different kinds of stories and they have another sensibility when it comes to film. There is also a big cultural difference, leading to a different feel when it comes to the art they make. From movies to games and Anime, let’s just say I am a big fanboy when it comes to the east.
It seems like Anime is bigger in the west than it has ever been and something indicates that its popularity will keep rising over the next couple of years. And with Korean works like Parasite winning the Oscar for Best Film, and series like Squid Game being super popular at the moment, it would seem that the west is more open to other cultures and there seems to be a particular interest in east-Asia.
With the increasing interest in East Asian media, it is no surprise that Netflix has started producing films and series from that area of the world. BUT! are they good?
In this post, I will cover 3 different movies that are all original Netflix movies. The film I will be discussing is:
High Society (Korea)
A family (Japan)
The Call (Korea)
High Society (Korea)
High society is a Korean movie about two people, a professor named Jang Tae-Joon and a deputy curator of a chaebol-funded art gallery named Oh Soo-Yeon.
The movie is filled with despicable characters doing questionable things for selfish reasons. The cast is simply unlikeable, uninteresting, and unfeeling.
The film has this elitist vibe that is very off-putting, it is filled with selfish characters that only look out for themselves. Professor Jang Tae-Joon saves a man on fire, he uses this selfless act as a way to boost his political career.
There is also this old fat guy who has sex with young women as he puts some kind of liquid on them. I assume this movie can be classified as an “erotic” thriller since there is plenty of sex in the movie. However, the sex is not that erotic and the film is not that thrilling.
Sex plays a big part as the two main leads manage to cheat on each other at the same time.
The fat old guy is also dressing up as what looks like a Japanese wrestler and beats up people. This subplot comes out of nowhere and is never mentioned again.
The music is also quite bad and doesn’t really fit any scene.
The movie is also overly sentimental at the end where the main guy gives this sappy as all hell speech that impresses no one, least of all the audience.
There is a female police officer in the film who is really cool and the only character I liked. This is hardly enough reason to watch the film.
Skip this one.
A Family (Japanese)
A family is a movie centered around the mafia in Japan. This is a yakuza film. I will admit, I have this weird fascination with the yakuza. I find the aesthetic interesting and with the growing popularity of all the games, it would seem like others share my curiosity.
The movie stars Gô Ayano as Kenji Yamamoto. The film starts with some beautiful shots of a dead body in the sea. The man who has been killed was the father of Kenji, who of course is part of the yakuza.
When Kenji is introduced he shows up completely in white, whereas everyone else is dressed in black with black hair. It is uncommon for people in Japan to stick out, and normally this would be connected to being a delinquent, which Kenji is. After the funeral he steals money and drugs from a drug dealer. He later throws the drugs in the river indicating that he might not care about the drugs but instead wanted to stop the dealer from selling to children.
The movie is divided into three parts. The first where he is a kid.The second where he is a young mobster. The third when he is older. As mentioned before he appears in the film as white and in contrast to everyone else. In part 2 after he has joined the yakuza he is dressed in black, with black hair indicating he has conformed to society and the yakuza. In part 3 he starts “training” a young guy who is also dressed in multi-colors indicating a kind of cycle.
I would recommend the film if you like gangster movies and hardcore crime stuff. Japan offers a different flavor to the traditional Gangster flick.
I will say there is a weak and awkward romance in the film and the last part drags on a bit for me.
Overall I will say check it out if you don’t have anything else on your list.
The Call (Korea)
Now, this is a BANGER! This is a movie where the less you know them better, I will be avoiding major spoilers, but I am going to touch on what the story is about. I recommend watching it, it’s great!
The story is about two women living in the same house where a phone is connecting them. One of them lives in the present, the other in the past.
The movie has a lot of twists and turns, not only regarding the plot but with character acts too. The film will constantly surprise you and keep you on your toes.
The film is violent, but it is not grotesque, there is blood when it is needed, but not in a large amount as to put people off.
To this film, I am not going to say more than GO WATCH IT NOW! IT’S GREAT!
In summary
I think Netflix is too inconsistent with its quality when it comes to these Asian films. We have one good, one bad and one kind of mediocre. There are definitely possibilities, but when it comes to Netflix films I still miss that one great film that will really blow my mind.
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