Asian Drama

A fatigued man wakes up at a bar with a bartender who will forever change his life as he gets to know more about her. Three criminals have somewhat accomplished their task of kidnapping their target, but their overall mission seems to go nowhere in the end. In the late 1970s, a mysterious woman runs a bar where a deadly situation will affect the lives of everyone. Two killers are looking for their faceless victim, who shows up at a diner every day at 6 o'clock sharp. Four incredibly talented Korean filmmakers, four intriguing cinematic visions, four astounding stories revolving around murderers for hire. (Source: fantasiafestival.com) ~~ Adapted from the short story "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway. ~~ Release dates: Jul 24, 2024 (Festival) || Oct 23, 2024 (Cinema)

Duration: 1 hr. 59 min.

Content Rating: 18+ Restricted (violence & profanity)

The story follows a young man who has been single for a year after his boyfriend suddenly disappeared without a formal breakup. One night, while scrolling through a dating app, he encounters someone who looks strikingly similar to his ex. After a spontaneous hookup, he discovers that this new acquaintance is actually his ex’s twin brother. As he navigates this unexpected twist, he finds himself drawn into a complicated web of emotions. Will he end up choosing between the two brothers, or will he find himself entangled with both?

Duration: 11 min.

Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

The film depicts a coming-of-age story centered on the two sugar babies, Kotone, who is unemployed, and Sakura, a college student, in the coronavirus pandemic, as they try their best to live at the mercy of frivolous men.

Adapted from the novel "Tsuyu no Ato Saki" (つゆのあとさき) by Nagai Kafu (永井荷風).

Duration: 1 hr. 45 min.

Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Na Mi and Sun Woo, who have been suffering from bullying and school violence throughout their school days, attempt suicide while their classmates go on a school trip. After the silly yet ridiculous suicide failure, the two try to take revenge on Chae Rin, who bullied them most and now lives happily in Seoul. However, their plans go awry. Ridiculously, Chae Rin, the worst bully ever, has found religion and has turned into a genuinely good person. What should they do now?

(Source: BIFF)

Release dates: Oct 09, 2022 (Festival) | Aug 16, 2023 (Cinema)

Duration: 1 hr. 49 min.

Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Umi Ishihara soaks the frame with melancholia as her characters drive into the night with no destination in sight for her effortlessly cool debut feature that explores the limbo state of becoming an adult.

The effortlessly cool debut feature by artist and film director Ishihara Umi, also known as UMMMI, captures the feeling of perpetual limbo that is the experience of shifting between youth and adulthood. Hikari is a mother-to-be who is becoming frustrated by her boyfriend Taro's inability to take on responsibility. Taro's eccentric 'aunt' Kyoko invites her to a party at her house, which has become a hub for young drifters who together comfort their surrogate mother who is struggling to recover from her husband's untimely death. Hikari finds herself the only adult in the room and attracts the interest of Kyoko's young boyfriend. Shinomiya Yukari, in her role as Hikari, performs teen angst with such comfortable numbness she even makes uncertainty come across with clarity. Ishihara soaks the frame with melancholia as her characters drive into the night with no destination in sight.

Eden Lake is a little known British Horror-Thriller back from 2008. Its big claim is that it stars Michael Fassbender. Rest of the way, it was a textbook thriller, with Slasher and Snuff elements. There were a few good things about the movie and you'll find almost all in Anushka Sharma's latest NH10. The inspired story, is adapted to an Indian setting. Certain changes are actually pretty good. But once you know the movie is inspired, it just robs you of all the drama and fun. It would be safe to say, if you haven't heard about the original then you're in for a decent surprise. These kind of Indie horror thrillers have never been attempted in Hindi cinema. You wouldn't have seen something like this before.

It's pretty evident, the film won't score any marks on its borrowed concept. Where it does deserve a critique is its execution and treatment. The story deals with a young couple driving out to their vacation. Unfortunately they run in to a group of Jats out on an honour killing. Arjun (Neil Bhoopalam) is swayed by adrenaline and a saviour complex. He decides to meddle with the gang of unruly and angry North Indian men. And that's where the fatal chase begins. The basic story has been tweaked here to include elements of honour killings and women empowerment. That's what makes this movie worth while.

It's good to watch a woman who's more level headed than her better half. Who can smoke a cigarette just for the sake of having one. Who can drive a car better than any tom, dick or harry in Delhi. And one who doesn't take things lying down. That's Anushka Sharma's character, the spirited Meera. Everything about her makes this film better than a run-of-the-mill DVD replica. Having said that, Eden Lake's big punch to the gut comes from the sense of peril experienced by its female lead. In NH10, that sense of despair doesn't hit you. You've got a regular Delhi girl on the run from ruthless men. If apprehended, she'd mostly be raped and killed. But the film never quite manages to establish that tension. Anushka's character sails through the challenges with too much ease. In movie formula terms, the bad guy never gets his moment. That's never a good sign in a thriller.

Director Navdeep Singh's treatment of the film is slick. The visuals are appropriately dark and murky. The sense of gloom prevails throughout. It sets the right mood. But when it comes to the final act, he drops the ball. That Anushka's character is not the clichéd victim is great. But when it comes to believing in her struggle, its a bit pat. Her sense of loss and her on-the-edge situation are too incidental. Anushka handles the myriad emotions with aplomb. She's great in the action scenes too. The actress is the main reason you connect with the character. Her performance reverberates the right kind of energy into the film. But then you have the creative making her do ludicrous things like killing a man with just a ball pen. It just defeats the whole purpose of things.

Performances by Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar and Deepti Naval are credible. None of them falter, not even a bit in convincing you about their characters. As for the film itself, it does not offer the same conviction. It has the trappings to sway the average Hindi movie buff, some might even see a great leveller in it. But to the Hollywood regular this one's just another release.