To the Wonder 我的阿勒泰 (2024) dir. Teng Cong Cong – Ep. 5

This was such a unique, unexpected drama. It's mostly a slice-of-life story, leaving almost all the heavy drama for the last couple of episodes, and watching it is such a calming experience (except for a few intense scenes, of course). Also, I appreciate its efforts to explore Kazakh culture, which is pretty much never represented in any form of mainstream media. On top of that, it's a visually stunning piece of art: I can't remember the last show or movie that showcased such a big collection of downright striking landscapes. I feel like I spent 80% of the time staring in awe at the scenery. It really is that beautiful, and everything is so well-shot; the cinematographer deserves all the awards in the world. My only qualm is the dubbed voice they use for the male lead at some points, which is very annoying and unnatural. But yeah, To The Wonder is like no other drama I've seen. Just the visuals alone make it worth a watch.

To the Wonder 我的阿勒泰 (2024) dir. Teng Cong Cong