SYNOPSIS: After being torpedoed by allied submarines, a Japanese soldier and a British POW are stranded on a deserted island and soon discover that they’re being hunted by a ferocious mythological creature, the Orang Ikan.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Just when you thought Adam Sandler was on a winning streak following Uncut Gems and Hustle, he returns not with another transformative performance but with Happy Gilmore 2—a sequel no one expected nearly three decades after the original cult classic.
Sandler reprises his role as the hot-headed golfer Happy Gilmore, who has enjoyed a long and successful career since winning his first Tour Championship in 1996. Now married to Virginia (Julie Bowen) and a father of five, Gilmore spirals into alcoholism and loses his sense of purpose after her untimely death. When his gifted daughter is accepted into a prestigious ballet school in Paris, the washed-up golfer is forced to make a comeback to fund her dreams.
Co-written by longtime collaborator Tim Herlihy and Sandler himself, the film plays out as a two-hour string of lazy gags and recycled punchlines. Where Hubie Halloween had a multi-purpose thermos, Happy Gilmore 2 has Gilmore turning everyday objects including his golf clubs into liquor bottles. Instead of delivering a compelling sports comedy, the film relies on shallow laughs and nostalgic callbacks.
One of the more notable throwbacks is the return of Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), who now plays Gilmore’s ally rather than his nemesis. Ben Stiller’s Hal L.—the abusive nursing home orderly from the first film reappears as the head of an Alcoholics Anonymous group. While longtime fans may appreciate these cameos, they’re likely to baffle or bore anyone unfamiliar with the original.
The central plot revolves around a “Maxi Golf” tournament that reinvents the slow-paced sport as an extreme spectacle. Benny Safdie and Haley Joel Osment show up as the film’s cartoonish villains while the emotional heart of the film—Gilmore’s relationship with his daughter offers a few moments of genuine warmth. Unfortunately, his sons are reduced to crude comic relief, providing nothing but a string of toilet jokes and distractions.
Whether or not nostalgia sells, Happy Gilmore 2 feels unnecessary and instantly forgettable. Sandler looks worn out and uninspired, content to goof around with his Happy Madison crew—Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson and others. Even a lineup of cameos including Bad Bunny (as Gilmore’s caddie), Eminem and Travis Kelce can’t salvage the film.
In the end, Happy Gilmore 2 doesn’t hit the mark for longtime fans or newcomers. It’s more a celebration of Sandler’s inner circle than a movie with a purpose. The laughs are fleeting and the story? Even more so.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Science Fiction
Director: William Kaufman
Cast: Max Martini, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Michael Irby, Linda Hamilton
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 31 July 2025
Synopsis: A team of Special Forces commandos are in the middle of an operation when they’re abducted by a mysterious spacecraft. When they wake up aboard the ship, they quickly discover they are being hunted by a merciless alien race.
Movie Review:
Lest you may be wondering, ‘Osiris’ is the name of the Egyptian god of death and the underworld, whom mankind had inadvertently summoned when it had sent the Voyager 1 probe into space with the coordinates of our planet. Only well into the second act does the movie explain just how a mysterious alien spacecraft end up in our part of the galaxy, abducting humans as livestock and trophies – and thankfully, that bit of meaningful exposition is reserved for Linda Hamilton, a Soviet army tank commander who is mounting an insurgency against the enemy species.
‘Osiris’ is through and through a B-action movie, but taken in that respect – as well as its small budget – it is a minor achievement that will please undemanding fans of the genre. Working off his own script, William Kaufman – who is somewhat of a B-movie specialist – makes clear from the very barebones setup that his emphasis is on delivering a wall to wall shoot-em-up. Indeed, right from the very beginning, Kaufman draws us in with an intense shootout in modern-day Uzbekistan, where a group of US special forces, led by Kelly (Max Martini), confront scores of masked gunmen across narrow, sand-dusted alleyways and streets.
And then just like that, Kelly and his Marines find themselves taken onboard an UFO in the middle of their Uzbek skirmish. To help them – and the audience – make sense of what is going on, Kaufman drops in fellow abductee Ravi (Brianna Hildebrand), who explains the threat they are confronting. The rest is pretty much a rinse-repeat test of their survival skills over a number of action and fight scenes. As we soon find out, these aliens care only for the total annihilation and domination of our species, so the only operative here is to kill as many as you can and try not to get killed in the process.
To his credit, Kaufman keeps up a brisk pace from start to finish, so that ‘Osiris’ rarely outstays its welcome. Neither for that matter though does it manage any surprises, whether in terms of plotting or in terms of who dies in what sequence. What it does excel at though is at being a stunts- and practical effects-homage to ‘Alien’ and “Predator’, with the aliens’ makeup effects designed capably by the prolific Todd Masters (who was also responsible for the death makeup in ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’). It isn’t pretty or elegant, but for this grungy sci-fi exercise, it more than does the job.
On their part, the ensemble cast do what they can with the little material they have. Reuniting with Kaufman after 2023’s ‘The Channel’, Martini makes for an appropriately gripping team leader, and manages some nice, quiet moments with Hildebrand in a rare display of humanity. You’d probably also recognise ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ star LaMonica Garrett, who does solid work here as Kelly’s second-in-command, not least for taking more than one for the team.
‘Osiris’ doesn’t make any new ground for the genre, nor pretend to be any more than a B- movie whose sole purpose is to deliver an ‘80s-styled science fiction actioner with appropriately spaced hand-to-hand combat and large-scale shootouts. You’d do well also to remember the limited budget the filmmakers had here, so if you’re prepared to take it for what it’s worth, ‘Osiris’ will turn out to be the meat-and-potatoes junk food that it had set out to be.
Movie Rating:
(Plenty of tense shoot-em-ups between humans and aliens, 'Osiris' wants to be nothing more)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: In THE PICKUP, a routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers, RUSSELL (Eddie Murphy) and TRAVIS (Pete Davidson), are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by a savvy mastermind, ZOE (Keke Palmer), with plans that go way beyond the cash cargo. As chaos unfolds around them, the unlikely duo must navigate high-risk danger, clashing personalities, and one very bad day that keeps getting worse.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There was a time when action comedies were genuinely good—the action was thrilling, the jokes were sharp, and the chemistry between characters felt natural. Fast forward to 2025, where streaming dominates the entertainment landscape, and action comedies have largely devolved into lazy, mindless affairs—pale imitations of the classics from the ’80s and ’90s.
Enter The Pickup, the latest action-comedy misfire starring a once-hilarious Eddie Murphy and SNL alumnus Pete Davidson. Directed by Tim Story (best known for the original two Fantastic Four films for Fox), the film follows veteran armored van driver Russell (Murphy) and his new partner, Travis (Davidson), on what should have been Russell’s 25th wedding anniversary.
Things quickly go sideways when their vehicle is hijacked by Travis’s one-night stand partner, Zoe (Keke Palmer), and her two henchmen. With no phone reception and a remote stretch of road ahead, Zoe coerces the duo into helping her rob a casino safe. There’s supposedly a personal vendetta between her and the casino owners but the backstory is so incoherent, it’s not worth digging into.
Murphy plays it straight as the world-weary Russell, a man who dreams of retiring and running a quiet bed-and-breakfast with his Latina wife Natalie (Eva Longoria). Davidson’s Travis, meanwhile, is an irresponsible slacker and math prodigy who bizarrely aspires to join the police force. Their odd-couple dynamic is supposed to drive the film’s humor—two guys stuck in a van, forced to get along but the banter fizzles out barely ten minutes in. Whatever comedic spark the duo might’ve had gets lost in recycled one-liners and mismatched energy.
To Tim Story’s credit, he squeezes in a fair amount of old-school car chases and action scenes into the brisk 90-minute runtime. But even those moments feel hollow, as the roads are mysteriously empty and the stunts defy all logic. This is the kind of cartoonish comedy where villains survive multiple car crashes without so much as a scratch.
As for the casino heist? Don’t bother. The entire sequence descends into over-the-top absurdity and feels more like a low-budget fantasy than a grounded action set piece. It’s especially disappointing considering Murphy’s recent turn in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, where he showed signs of a comedic comeback. Here, he just seems to be going through the motions. Davidson gets a few chuckles with his R-rated zingers, and Palmer tries hard—perhaps too hard—to sell herself as a femme fatale with a grudge.
The Pickup does feature a few practical action scenes that keep it from being a complete write-off, but those fleeting moments of excitement are buried under a weak story, tired jokes, and performances that feel more contractual than committed. Ultimately, it’s a forgettable ride that barely gets out of first gear.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Christopher Lloyd, John Ortiz, Colin Hanks, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Sharon Stone
Runtime: 1 hr 29 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 August 2025
Synopsis: Sometimes the most dangerous place for a dad is a family vacation. Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in the new chapter to Nobody, the hit 2021 bare-knuckle action-thriller that opened at number one at the U.S. box office. Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch remains $30 million in debt to the criminal organization and is working it off with an unending string of hits on international thugs. Much as he likes the slam-bang action of his “job,” Hutch and his wife Becca (International Emmy nominee Connie Nielsen) find themselves overworked and drifting apart. So, they decide to take their kids (Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath) on a short getaway to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark,the one and only place where Hutch and his brother Harry (Grammy and Emmy nominee RZA) went on a vacation as kids. With Hutch’s dad (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd) in tow, the family arrives in the small tourist town of Plummerville (“Plummerville is Summerville!”), eager for some fun in the sun. But when a minor encounter with some town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz; Fast and Furious franchise, Bumblebee) and his shady sheriff (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Emmy winning and Oscar® nominated screen icon, Sharon Stone).
Movie Review:
As working adults, many of us can relate to the longing for a simple break — a chance to let go of responsibilities and enjoy a well-deserved vacation. Now, imagine how much harder that is when your “day job” involves being an assassin, forced into killing people just to pay off a debt after destroying Russian criminal groups.
That’s the reality for Hutch Mansell, the unlikely everyman-turned-reluctant killer you may remember from Ilya Naishuller’s 2021 action-packed thriller Nobody. In this sequel, Hutch is back — weary, worn down, and yearning for nothing more than quality time with his family. All he wants is a modest getaway at an old-school water and amusement park. But as fate would have it, even paradise can’t stay peaceful for long.
When we catch up with Hutch in this sequel, he’s still knee-deep in his bloody line of work, taking down opponents while drifting further away from his family. Burnt out, Hutch finally gets a reprieve when his boss grants him the rare luxury of a break. He persuades his family to visit Plummerville — a quaint getaway filled with childhood memories. The retro décor and old-fashioned activities may charm Hutch, but to today’s kids are likely to stay glued to their phones. Anyway, the family starts to bond as their holiday begins.
Of course, peace doesn’t last long for Hutch. A scuffle with bullies at the local arcade quickly spirals out of control, snowballing into a brutal chain of brawls. What follows is classic Hutch chaos — punches, kicks, and there’s also a severed finger that gets devoured by a fish in the river. And it’s all up to Hutch to clean up the mess.
Bob Odenkirk slips back into the role of Hutch with ease — and honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else embodying the character so perfectly. With his unassuming everyman appearance, he could pass for an unassuming passerby on the street — until the moment he needs to unleash brutal efficiency.
Whether it’s taking down a target, defending his family, or, in this case, protecting his holiday, Hutch transforms from ordinary to lethal in an instant. Odenkirk captures the rage simmering beneath the surface, paired with the unmistakable exhaustion of a man who could use nothing more than a long break — and maybe an even longer soak in the tub.
Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto takes the reins for this sequel, and he’s more than up to the task. Known as one half of The Mo Brothers and for directing cult action favorites like Headshot (2016) and The Night Comes for Us (2018), Tjahjanto proves to be the perfect fit.
With a lean, no-nonsense runtime of 89 minutes, he wastes no time — propelling viewers from one bone-crunching set piece to the next before unleashing an over-the-top finale packed with explosives, landmines, machine guns, and a gloriously unhinged “Last Boss” turn by an almost unrecognisable Sharon Stone.
The action is as inventive as it is brutal: an amusement park viking ship crushing an unfortunate thug, a water slide doubling as a conveyor belt to a spiked demise. It’s graphic, bloody, and unapologetically excessive — but for Hutch, it’s just the price of admission for a shot at a peaceful vacation.
Movie Rating:
(Cranking up the chaos with Indonesian action maestro Timo Tjahjanto at the helm, Bob Odenkirk once again shines as the weary everyman who just wants a family holiday, in a sequel that’s gory, over-the-top, and wickedly fun)
Review by John Li
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Director: Zach Cregger
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong
Runtime: 2 hr 8 mins
Rating: M18 (Strong Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 August 2025
Synopsis: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
Movie Review:
Few movies earn the right to keep their cards close to their chests, and the fact that ‘Weapons’ does so speaks to its utter and absolute brilliance.
How often do you realise that what you know about a movie goes as far as its prologue? That is what one finds out in the opening few minutes of ‘Weapons’ – narrated by an unseen child, it claims to tell a “true story” of an incident from the fictional Eastern suburb of Marybrook, when at exactly 2:17 a.m., all but one of the 18 children in Justine Grady’s third grade class got up from their beds, opened the front door of their houses, and ran off into the night with their arms outstretched.
Unfolding like a well-layered mystery, ‘Weapons’ begins a month after their disappearance, with the parents of the children engulfed in panic and paranoia. As one of the parents challenges the principal during the school’s counselling session, the question on their minds is why it had happened to the kids in Justine's class alone. Even as she deals with the parents' anger and confusion, Justine (Julia Garner) is equally determined to get answers.
So too is local contractor Archer (Josh Brolin), whose frustration at the pace at which the local police are investigating the case leads him to mount his own search for answers, by reviewing the doorcam footage from other houses to try to triangulate just where the children might be running off to. We won’t spoil the surprise for you, but let’s just say that while both start off as antagonists, Justine and Archer soon become unlikely allies to uncover the larger evil that threatens to take over their town.
Besides Justine and Archer, there are four other characters who form the emphasis of six respective discrete but interconnected chapters. These include Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a recovering-alcoholic cop who happens to be Justine’s ex but is now married to the police chief’s daughter; James (Austin Abrams), a drifter who gets by selling whatever he can steal to get money for his drug habit; Marcus (Benedict Wong), the gentle, mild-mannered principal who gets caught up unexpectedly in a deadly tangent; and last but not least, Alex (Cary Chistopher), the one remaining kid who has been spared for reasons we will find out in the last half hour.
As with his superb debut ‘Barbarian’, writer/director Zach Cregger unspools the story like a slow-burn – here, each chapter ends on the equivalent of a cliffhanger, ratcheting up the intrigue before giving way to a massive payoff that masterfully blends horror and comedy. It is credit to Cregger’s careful, well-structured plotting that the non-linear storytelling never does come off gimmicky; instead, each chapter builds on the preceding one wonderfully, with simple and seemingly random details paying off meaningfully for the attentive viewer.
Some may no doubt be tempted to try to find deeper meaning in this high-concept experiment, whether likening it to a meditation on grief, loss and trauma or even a genre riff on Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Magnolia’ (which Cregger has mentioned that he was partially inspired by); but even on its own as a tightly wound mystery, ‘Weapons’ is richly satisfying as a masterclass in atmosphere, suspense and tension-and-release. It is – we dare say – a significant step-up from ‘Barbarian’, and for Cregger, reinforces the once-comedian as a master of horror.
Movie Rating:
(Carefully constructed with a bit-by-bit buildup that gives way to a massive payoff, this original horror mystery is a masterclass in atmosphere, suspense, and tension-and-release)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Ayuko Tsukahara
Cast: Takuya Kimura, Kyōka Suzuki, Ok Taec-yeon, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Masakado Yoshinoriha, Ikki Sawamura, Ai Tominaga
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Lighthouse Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 August 2025
Synopsis: Famous Japanese chef Obana (Takuya Kimura) opens a new restaurant in Paris in the quest for his elusive third Michelin star. But Obana finds life as an outsider in the city of lights very difficult, and even has trouble sourcing ingredients. His pride and ambition causes tension with his team, including his headstrong patissier Yuan (Ok Taecyeon), and loyal sous chef Rinko (Kyoka Suzuki). When his menu for a gala dinner proves a disaster, Obana promises his former mentor that if he doesn’t get three Michelin stars he will quit the restaurant and leave Paris. Can he pull it off?
Movie Review:
Japanese superstar and former SMAP member Takuya Kimura has played virtually everything—from a public prosecutor to a pilot, a bodyguard, and even a Prime Minister. No matter the role, Kimura remains as charismatic as ever, with his characters often portrayed as the smartest person in the room.
In Grand Maison Paris, Kimura reprises his role as chef Natsuki Obana. This time, he’s on a mission to earn three Michelin stars for his high-end Parisian restaurant after failing to impress the Michelin committee. If he fails again, his former mentor Mr. Blancan (Patrick Descamps) plans to reclaim the restaurant space and hand it over to his own son.
Obana faces mounting pressure not only from suppliers who refuse to sell him top-quality ingredients but also from mounting tension between him and chef Rinko (Kyōka Suzuki). At his wit’s end, the question looms: Can Obana rise to the challenge and finally earn that elusive third star?
Grand Maison Paris is the cinematic continuation of the 2019 Japanese TV drama La Grande Maison Tokyo (available on Netflix in 11 episodes). As expected, the film plays like a condensed version of the beloved series. If you’ve seen the original, you may find the movie familiar to a fault. Still, director Ayuko Tsukahara brings some cinematic flair, with the picturesque streets of Paris offering a visual feast even if the plot feels reheated.
Kimura once again portrays a deeply flawed protagonist—his biggest flaw being his inability to work as part of a team. Fortunately, he’s not alone. He receives much-needed support from Rinko, the ever-patient hall manager Kyono (Ikki Sawamura), and chef Aizawa (Mitsuhiro Oikawa). While several key characters from the series like sous-chef Tamamori and pastry chef Matsui are absent, the film introduces a new face: Rick Yuan, a Korean patissier played by Ok Taec-yeon of K-pop group 2PM. Rick’s obsession with rare herbs and ingredients and the French loan sharks that follow adds a splash of excitement to the otherwise familiar kitchen drama.
Newcomers to the series won’t feel lost in the world of haute cuisine. Still, Grand Maison Paris only scratches the surface of the culinary world. Despite its international cast and setting, the dramatic tension between chefs, critics, and mentors never quite lives up to the tantalizing dishes that fill the screen.
As expected, Kimura takes center stage, portraying Obana’s evolution from a self-absorbed perfectionist to a chef who finally learns the value of teamwork. As the film suggests, it’s not the ingredients alone that make the dish—it’s the shared skill and collaboration behind it. Screenwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa crafts a script that works both as a standalone film and a continuation of the series. And while it doesn’t break new ground, it offers a satisfying, if familiar, journey for fans.
Grand Maison Paris may not be a Michelin-starred movie experience but like a humble plate of neighborhood chicken rice, it’s comforting, familiar, and just enough to whet your appetite for more.
Movie Rating:
(Takuya Kimura as always looks good and so is the cuisine on display)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror
Director: Michael Shanks
Cast: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey, Karl Richmond, Jack Kenny, Francesca Waters
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes and Disturbing Content)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 August 2025
Synopsis: Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
Movie Review:
‘Together’ is not a movie for the faint or squeamish of heart.
The debut feature from Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, ‘Together’ is a literal meditation on what it truly takes for a couple to live up to their vows not to be apart from each other.
That is the struggle – physically, emotionally and psychologically – which confronts Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie), who move upstate after Millie accepts a teaching gig at the local school. Right from the start, it is clear that Tim is not quite crazy about the move, not only because it would inconvenience his still budding musician career, but also because it would make him even more dependent on her, given his inability to drive. So when Millie surprises Tim at their going-away party with a marriage proposal, Tim hesitates all too knowingly.
Their bond with each other is put to the test after they decide to explore the countryside in a bid to mend their relationship strained by bouts of bickering. Caught in an unexpected thunderstorm, Tim and Millie fall into an underground cave that appear to be the remnants of a church. It is there they encounter the natural spring which we are warned in the film’s preamble led to two canines being obsessed with each other in unnatural ways.
In the same way, things get icky, sticky and even freaky for our central couple very quickly. From their legs clinging together as though glued, to having their lips stick together during an unexpected snog, to waking up in the middle of the night to find him swallowing her hair, and to their very skin, flesh and bones conjoining together, Tim and Millie have to grapple with just how inseparable they accept being.
It isn’t difficult to see how this is ultimately a physical manifestation of their closeness and intimacy with each other, but Shanks struggles to translate the metaphor into real depth and nuance. Indeed, it is not clear what lesson on co-dependence we are expected to take away from the movie, or for that matter, if this is meant to be a cautionary tale on the state of modern-day co-habiting relationships (Millie refers to Tim as her “romantic boy partner”). In the absence of that, ‘Together’ simply becomes another exercise in body horror, let down from time to time by ropey CGI.
What Shanks does get right is casting Franco and Brie as his couple in question. For the uninitiated, both are married in real life, and both share an offbeat personality that make them nicely suitable for their respective roles. In particular, Brie portrays Millie in a way that earns your sympathy for wanting more out of her relationship with Tim, as well as your empathy when she grows increasingly edgy and brittle trying to come to terms with what is happening between them.
Like we warned at the start, ‘Together’ is not an easy watch, but it is also not exactly a compelling watch either. Pun aside, it doesn’t exactly flesh out what it wants to say about love, dependence and relationships, even as it quotes Plato’s Symposium and Aristophanes’s speech about how we began as two-faced, eight-limbed entities until we were split in two by Zeus and doomed to spend our lives looking for our other half. That said, there is no denying its gonzo sensibility, so if you’re in the mood for something less conventional even if not quite well-defined, ‘Together’ might stick with you in its own messy way (and yes, we intended that pun).
Movie Rating:
(Icky, sticky and freaky, 'Together' is a messy body horror that doesn't quite stick the metaphor about relationships and co-dependence)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Pil Gam-sung
Cast: Cho Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, Choi Yu-riy
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 August 2025
Synopsis: “Zombies are not your family!” To protect her daughter, Soo-ah, who has been infected by a zombie virus that has spread across the world, Jung-hwan heads to Eunbong-ri, a quiet seaside village where his mother, Bam- soon, lives. As society hunts down the infected, the family secretly lives together, hiding their unusual family bond. Refusing to give up on his daughter, Jung-hwan draws on his experience as a wild animal trainer and embarks on a life-or-death mission – taming a zombie.
Movie Review:
One look at the poster and you can tell this Korean film isn’t cut from the same cloth as other zombie hits like Train to Busan or Kingdom. Instead of dark, gritty tones, the splash of bright colours and the goofy expressions on the characters give away its true nature—a comedy. And it delivers just that.
The “most intense” scene plays out like a domestic squabble, but is in fact an infected wife attacking her hapless husband. Even the sight of hordes of zombies flooding the streets leans more slapstick than scary. And without giving too much away, you may find yourself chuckling at the idea that being bitten by a grandma zombie isn’t necessarily the end of the world.
Adapted from Yun-chang Lee’s webtoon of the same name, this comedy directed by Pil Gam-sung leans into heartwarming humour. At its centre is Jung-hwan (Cho Jung-seok), a tiger trainer whose antics include a hilarious video of him teaching a tiger to dance. His life takes a chaotic turn when his daughter Soo-a (Choi Yu-ri) is bitten by a zombie. Determined to protect her, he brings her to his mother’s (Lee Jung-eun) rural home, where a string of comedic misadventures unfolds as the family scrambles to keep her dangerous secret under wraps. Rounding out the chaos are his loyal friend (Yoon Kyung-ho) and potential love interest (Cho Yeo-jeong), adding just enough spark for this 114-minute caper.
The film leans on familiar but effective plot devices to keep things engaging and entertaining. Moments like Jung-hwan’s mother disciplining Soo-a with nothing more than a stern glare are funny, while her tender attempts to jog the girl’s memory with favourite foods add a sweet touch. For broader laughs, the story stages extended sequences at an amusement park and a school—convenient setups that provide plenty of opportunities for humour.
At its core, the film is anchored by Jung-hwan’s unwavering love for his daughter. What lingers after the credits roll is the portrait of a father willing to risk everything to protect his little girl. The absence of Soo-a’s mother—explained through a mid-film twist—creates space for Jung-hwan to give his all as a parent. Touching moments, such as him documenting her progress in a scrapbook, build toward a dramatic finale that underscores the enduring power of a father’s love.
Maybe it’s just us, but we half-expected the film to end on a devastating note. Then again, it probably wouldn’t have become this year’s highest-grossing South Korean film if it hadn’t gone the crowd-pleasing route.
We last saw Cho in Kim Han-Kyul’s Pilot (2024), where he made us laugh as a man forced into cross-dressing. This time, the 44-year-old actor delivers an even more layered performance, navigating a role filled with emotional twists and turns. Cho proves he is far more than just a charming face—his portrayal of a father who pours every ounce of himself into protecting his daughter is deeply moving, a performance that will resonate with fathers and daughters alike, capturing the fierce love and tender bonds they share.
Movie Rating:
(Cho Jung-seok delivers a moving performance that grounds this heartwarming comedy, turning familiar laughs into something genuinely touching)
Review by John Li
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Celine Song
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 August 2025
Synopsis: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Movie Review:
Writer-director Celine Song returns with another exploration of the elusive concept of love. Is it a calculated transaction or is Cupid truly at work?
Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy Mason, a professional matchmaker in New York who ironically prefers to stay single, or, if she must marry, to choose someone wealthy. At a former client’s wedding reception, Lucy is approached by the groom’s brother, Harry (Pedro Pascal, a.k.a. “Mr. Fantastic”), a charming, affluent banker who owns a sprawling Tribeca penthouse. One moment they’re exchanging flirty banter; the next, they’re in bed.
Is this the start of true love? Perhaps even a fairy-tale wedding?
Enter Lucy’s ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), a struggling part-time actor and cater-waiter who reappears years after their breakup which happened over, of all things, parking money. Unsurprisingly, a love triangle begins to take shape.
But Song isn’t here to give us a breezy Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers-style rom-com. Materialists digs into the complexities and frustrations of modern dating, requiring some patience as it unpacks Lucy’s cynical views on marriage and romance. In the most commercial way imaginable, Lucy “sells” love to the richest, the loneliest, and those desperate for companionship. She believes there’s a match for everyone except herself.
Caught between a wealthy man and someone who sees right through her (and still loves her despite his beat-up Volvo and near-empty bank account), Lucy’s dilemma feels most compelling in her scenes with John. Song’s script offers glimpses of why they split, making their dynamic more magnetic than Lucy’s lust-at-first-sight romance with Harry.
The film occasionally detours into a subplot involving Sophie, one of Lucy’s clients, who ends up matched with an abusive man and blames Lucy for it. While this thread adds a layer of drama, it ultimately feels more like a distraction than a meaningful addition. Cutting it might have allowed for more development of Harry though, to be fair, Pedro Pascal’s character suffers from corny writing and an unnecessary “twist.”
The three leads are naturally charismatic: Johnson redeems herself after the Madame Web misfire, Evans proves he’s still got leading-man appeal and Pascal oozes charm despite the script’s missteps.
Ultimately, Materialists caters to audiences looking for a less conventional romantic comedy. There are flashes of sharp humor such as Song poking fun at older men who only date younger women but these moments are too scarce to win over mainstream rom-com fans. Still, the film serves as a cinematic love letter to New York, making the most of on-location shoots in Manhattan and Brooklyn despite not ticking all the right boxes.
Movie Rating:
(A mature love story on modern dating)
Review by Linus Tee
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SKECHERS X TONY LEUNGPosted on 14 Aug 2025 |
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