Neko's Reviews

US / 2026 / 156 min

★★★★★

Project Hail Mary is sci-fi, but it doesn’t focus heavily on science, making the story easy to follow and enjoyable. It is an adventure about an astronaut who travels into space toward another star system. Unlike in the real world, global cooling is a serious problem in the movie. For some reason, the Sun is losing energy, and it is certain that people will face food shortages in the near future. To save the world, the astronaut played by Ryan Gosling is given a mission to explore a distant star system, where the central star continues to radiate energy.

Until this movie, I hadn’t realized that how good Ryan Gosling is as an actor. I have seen La La Land, First Man, and Barbie so far, and he feels somewhat overshadowed in those movies. Perhaps that is because each of them has a strong presence as a movie. Project Hail Mary is also impactful, visually and cinematically, but Ryan Gosling stands out as the lead. Here, he proves he has real star quality and perfectly embodies a character who never loses his sense of humor, even in the most desperate situations.

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Australia, US / 2013 / 142 min

★★★☆☆

The Great Gatsby is an American film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. It is a heartbreaking story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man who seems to have everything except love. The fact that Daisy, the woman he loves, is shallow and not very considerate makes the story even sadder.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays this tragic figure, still carries the charm from his Titanic days, along with a more mature and intense presence, which perfectly fits the role. At first, Gatsby is a hopeless romantic who is naive about love, but as the story unfolds, he reveals a completely different side of himself. DiCaprio embodies this dual personality very well. He often plays similar characters in films, like in Shutter Island and Inception. Whether intentional or not, he is skilled at portraying complex and divided personalities.

March 21, 2026

The other day, I watched BTS’s comeback live on Netflix. The whole scene was amazing—city lights everywhere, plus all the fans’ smartphone lights. After a four-year hiatus, they are finally back. I'm not exaggerating—sharing this moment with fans around the world felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have been a fan since I watched Kpop Demon Hunters, a 2025 American Anime inspired by K-pop culture. All the songs in the movie were so catchy that I got hooked right away. That naturally led me to actual K-pop artists, which is how I found BTS.

Since this was my first time watching them perform in real time, I had been looking forward to March 21. I was a bit worried though, because RM had broken his toe the day before and didn't seem to be at his best. Also, the title track, “Swim” from their new album Arirang, wasn’t quite like the songs in Kpop Demon Hunters. It is not exactly catchy; rather, it’s calm and makes you feel as though you are drifting underwater.

To be honest, the live felt a bit off at first since their older songs and new ones had such different vibes. From what I saw online, some ARMYs were excited when BTS performed their hits but they did not quite know how to react to the new material. I felt a bit confused too. However, that changed the moment they introduced “NORMAL”. When J-Hope said, “Isn’t it good? ‘NORMAL’ is one of my favorites,” I realized they truly love their new music and believe in their new direction.

Director: Celine Song

South Korea, US / 2023 / 106 min

★★★★☆

If you’ve ever loved someone who loved you back, but the two of you never became a couple and you still regret it a little, Past Lives might be the movie to help you find closure—and it personally worked for me.

The story follows a man and a woman who grew up together in Seoul. When they were children, the girl moved to Canada with her family. Years later, they reconnect through social media and try to figure out how they feel about each other, but sadly they drift apart again. When they finally meet in person, she is already married to someone else.

Teo Yoo and Greta Lee beautifully portray this unfinished love. Teo Yoo captures how deeply the man values their childhood memories. Even though he respects her current life, he openly admits that he is still not over her. He is truly a straightforward man. Greta Lee portrays the woman's ambition and inner conflict well. She aspires to be a successful writer in the US and appears to be content with her current life, but she also has bittersweet feelings about this unfinished love.

Director: Yukiko Sode

Japan / 2021 / 124 min

★★★★☆

In Tokyo, people living in Shibuya and those in Arakawa rarely become friends. It might sound like an exaggeration, but to me, it feels close to the truth. They live in different worlds. Aristocrats is a Japanese human drama film that depicts this hidden social layering.

Shibuyaーparticularly areas like Shoto where Hanako livesーis a well-to-do neighborhood. It is the kind of area where families like the Asos (the former prime minister’s family) reside. It is almost impossible for outsiders to live there, as the land is passed down through generations of wealthy families.

Hanako is a sheltered 27-year-old woman searching for her future husband. One day, she meets her ideal man: a handsome lawyer who studied at Keio from elementary school through university. They soon become engaged, but she discovers that he has a longtime girlfriend named Miki, who once worked as a hostess—a job that involves flirting with men.

What I love about this film is the way it portrays these two women from different social classes as equals. One does not envy the other, and neither is to be pitied. They simply have their own lives and choices.

There is a famous Korean film that also depicts a layered society and achieved commercial success: Parasite. It thrilled me and made me laugh, but ultimately it left a bad taste in my mouth. It portrays, in an intense way, the idea that people from different worlds can never truly coexist. Aristocrats is different. It handles the same uncomfortable themes, but it leaves you a good aftertaste on the contrary. It is amazing that it has even become a feel-good movie. I highly recommend it if you enjoyed Parasite but want a different perspective.

Director: Lee Sang-il

Japan / 2025 / 175 min

★★★★☆

Kokuho is a Japanese film about a kabuki actor who is given the title of Living National Treasure —an honor given to individuals who possess culturally important skills.

Kabuki is a hereditary art form. Each family has its own unique style, which is usually passed down from father to son. Under such a system, becoming a top kabuki actor is almost a pipe dream for outsiders. The lead character, Kikuo, is one of them. However, he is given the opportunity to inherit his foster father’s name, even though the father has a biological son. Kikuo and Shunsuke, the biological son, grow up like true brothers. At first, their relationship is harmonious, but it becomes strained when Kikuo is chosen to take over his father’s role as the female lead in The Love Suicides at Sonezaki.

While Kikuo is the focus of the story, I was personally drawn to Ryusei Yokohama's portrayal of Shunsuke. Shunsuke has a certain softness, an air of ease often found in the privileged. He is destined to become a top actor, and that promised future gives him a sense of security. He maintains this ease on the surface, but internally he struggles with jealousy, brotherly love, pride and his duty as a biological son. Ryusei Yokohama subtly expresses all of those emotions.

The two scenes featuring The Love Suicides at Sonezaki are the film’s highlights and my favorite moments. In both, Ryusei’s performance captures Shunsuke’s feelings, which is truly heartbreaking.

G.C.F in Tokyo is a 3:42 short film created by Jung Kook. It captures intimate moments from his Tokyo trip with Jimin. Throughout the video, JK simply follows Jimin—alley to alley, street to street. At times, he stops focusing on his friend and turns his camera toward the scenery, like the pale moon in the evening sky, or a Ferris wheel lit up in the dark.

I am not sure if it was intentional, but the video evokes the feeling of walking behind someone you like— someone who only sees you as a friend. I would rather see it as something intentional. Because if it were not, that would mean JK is in love with Jimin, which might not be bad by any means, but would make things a bit complicated.

Part of this feeling comes from Jimin himself. For most of the video, we see his back, which feels a bit distant and feels as if he and you were just good friends. Every now and then he turns around, smiling or acting playful. Those movements are natural, but because he is Jimin, they seem graceful. I think he creates the illusion that often happens when we like someone: everything about them, even their surroundings, becomes beautiful.

In my opinion, this feeling also comes from the fact that JK is shooting it. To him, Jimin is someone very close, more than just a friend. Since they have shared many highs and lows in life, it is natural that the video reflects his admiration, affection or other emotions.

Lastly, what is good about the film is that it is like a personal video. Since it is edited with soft, muted tones, it feels like watching our own youthful romances on a VHS video.

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Japan / 2025 / 7 episodes

★★★★★

Asura is a remake of a 1970s Japanese drama and is now streaming on Netflix. Under the direction of Hirokazu Kore-eda, this new version has turned out to be one of the best shows I've seen in years.

The story follows four sisters—Tsunako, Makiko, Takiko, and Sakiko—who discover that their aging father is having an affair. They're upset because they think it's disrespectful to their mother. However, the ironic part is, none of them are in a position to judge him, as they also have their own flaws. Tsunako is dating a married man. Makiko is worried her husband might be romantically involved with a coworker. Takiko seems like the most moral one at first; she hires a private investigator to expose their father's affair. But deep down, she envies Sakiko, who can enjoy romance freely and without hesitation.

Rie Miyazawa, Machiko Ono, Yu Aoi, and Suzu Hirose are perfectly cast—so perfectly that it feels as if the roles were written just for them. The dialogue keeps you hooked from start to finish. Besides, the meal scenes are fantastic. The characters eat traditional Japanese dishes such as sukiyaki, rice balls, tempura and sushi. These are all very common foods, but thanks to Nami Iijima, a well-known Japanese food stylist, everything looks not only delicious but also natural and fitting for each scene.

Production Company: HYBE South Korea / 2024 / TV series ★★★☆☆

BTS is a powerful group that has achieved global fame. Each member has a unique charm. For example, Jin enhances the group’s visuals simply by being there, as he is strikingly handsome. Jimin's graceful movements evoke Onnagata, male actors who play a female role in Japanese Kabuki.

Then there is J-Hope. He is definitely an essential part of BTS, but it is not easy to pinpoint his true strength. He is a skilled dancer, but so is Jimin. He can rap, but RM seems more impactful as a rapper. Well then, what in the world is his value to the group after all? “Hope on the Street” is a docuseries that explores this question.

In the series, he goes on a trip to meet experts from various dance genres and tries to discover his roots. According to a street dancer that he meets in Paris, knowing our roots is crucial because once we know where it stems from, we’ll find ourselves much stronger. When we discover our roots, we might be surprised by how small they are. In J-Hope's case, it might be a small venue in his hometown where he once danced as a child, or just a passion for dancing. However, by knowing this, I believe we will become more humble and more accepting of our imperfections.

My favorite part is when J-Hope dances with this street dancer. It is impressive because it must be the very moment when he admits himself as imperfect and grows as a dancer. I'm not familiar with dance steps, but his movements differ slightly from his usual hip-hop style. Hip-hop may be his foundation, but by learning new dance moves, he proves he can evolve.