Anime Blog Tracker

Belonging (2024) review [Japannual 2024]

Higashi delivers a touching exploration of love after death.

psycho-cinematography

Nov 3, 2024 • Subscribe

Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A complex character portrait that touchingly illustrates how easy it is to misrecognize the logic of the subject-supposed-to-be-in-need.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 29, 2024 • Subscribe

Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 17, 2024 • Subscribe

Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 2, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A subtle but playful narrative about a subject who slowly tries to crawl out the hole of emptiness and diminished self-worth.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 14, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A pleasant narrative that offers a fresh but familiar exploration of the subject’s fundamental desire for recognition/love and the problematic yet medicative function of consumption.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 23, 2024 • Subscribe

Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry

psycho-cinematography

Apr 1, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Decoded (2024)

Decoded 解密 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 155 mins. Director: Chen Sicheng 陈思诚. Rating: 8/10. Belated return to form by film-maker Chen Sicheng is a strongly written, subtly played…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Oct 13, 2024 • Subscribe

2024 in Review

A year of retreads and repeats, none of them good: War in Ukraine. War in the Middle East. Famine in Sudan. Famine in Gaza. Covid and…

Collectr's Blog

Jan 1, 2025 • Subscribe

Blue Flames, Chalk-iro no People, Gakkou no Yuurei, The Apothecary Diaries, Dance Till Tomorrow

Review: Upstream (2024)

Upstream 逆行人生 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 120 mins. Director: Xu Zheng 徐峥. Rating: 6/10. A black but ultimately warm comedy, set among Shanghai’s community of food deliverers, shows…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Nov 1, 2024 • Subscribe

Jinsei - Life Consulting

Review: Untouchable (2024)

Untouchable 逆鳞 China, 2024, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 111 mins. Director: Da Qing 大庆 [Wang Daqing 王大庆]. Rating: 8/10. Cat-and-mouse gangster drama, set in 1990s pre-handover Macau, is stylishly written…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Dec 21, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: YOLO (2024)

YOLO 热辣滚烫 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 128 mins. Director: Jia Ling 贾玲. Rating: 7/10. Mainland comedienne Jia Ling’s second feature as writer-director-star hits the bell again, if not…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

May 27, 2024 • Subscribe

Penalty Loop (2024) review [Nippon Connection 2024]

The way Araki resolves the narrative’s thematical questions concerning vengeance and the working-through of trauma will divide spectators

psycho-cinematography

Jun 17, 2024 • Subscribe

Desert of Namibia (2024) review [Japannual 2024]

Yoko Yamanaka delivers a cinematic masterpiece of subjectivity.

psycho-cinematography

Nov 14, 2024 • Subscribe

Sin And Evil (2024) review [Japannual 2024]

Saito shows that the Other always bears some responsibility for the subjective outcomes of dysfunctional familial dynamics and the criminal excesses that plague its mendacious image of peaceful…

psycho-cinematography

Dec 10, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: All Suspects (2024)

All Suspects 全员嫌疑人 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 95 mins. Director: Fu Dong 傅鸫. Rating: 5/10. An okay period whodunit with two good leads but let down by a…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jan 13, 2025 • Subscribe

Review: Life Hotel (2024)

Life Hotel 来福大酒店 China, 2024, colour, 1.85:1, 118 mins. Director: Liu Bowen 刘博文. Rating: 7/10. A strong, characterful cast, led by Huang Xuan and Liu Yan, make this…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Sep 20, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Enjoy Yourself (2024)

Enjoy Yourself 祝你幸福 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 111 mins. Director: Kang Bo 康博. Rating: 6/10. Relationship-cum-legal drama sports some good performances but is hampered by a messily constructed…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Nov 17, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Remember Me (2024)

Remember Me 灿烂的她 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 115 mins. Director: Xu Wei 徐伟. Rating: 5/10. Light drama between a selfless fisherwoman and her grand-daughter who went missing has…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jun 6, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Crisis Negotiators (2024)

Crisis Negotiators 谈判专家 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 119 mins. Director: Qiu Litao 邱礼涛 [Herman Yau]. Rating: 8/10. A cracking, Hong Kong-set re-make of US drama-thriller The Negotiator  that’s…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Aug 4, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Big World (2024)

Big World 小小的我 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 130 mins. Director: Yang Li’na 杨荔钠. Rating: 5/10. Over-long drama centred on a son with cerebral palsy is a great opportunity…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

14 days ago • Subscribe

Review: Bureau 749 (2024)

Bureau 749 749局 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 123 mins. Director: Lu Chuan 陆川. Rating: 4/10. Sci-fi monster movie is a wannabe blockbuster holed by a shapeless script, colourless…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Dec 11, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Reversed Destiny (2024)

Reversed Destiny 沙漏 China, 2024, colour, 1.85:1, 109 mins. Director: Wen Jing 温婧. Rating: 7/10. Good-looking, well-played story of two high-school BFFs would have been even better with…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Aug 15, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: The Victims (2024)

The Victims 黄雀在后！ China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 98 mins. Directors: Xu Wei 徐伟, He Wenchao 何文超. Rating: 7/10. Richly cast, this well-mounted whodunit is 100% plot and procedure…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jun 3, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: The Wig (2024)

The Wig 戴假发的人 China/Hong Kong, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 119 mins. Director: Dong Yue 董越. Rating: 6/10. Huang Xiaoming gives a strong, atypical performance as a lawyer-with-a-secret, but his…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jan 4, 2025 • Subscribe

2024 Year in Review

At this point I just can’t be bothered to rank things and I honestly don’t know if I could, at least with movies, so here are a bunch…

Adventures in (Post) Gradland

Dec 31, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Burning Stars (2024)

Burning Stars 孤星计划 China, 2024, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 104 mins. Director: Xu Zhanxiong 徐展雄. Rating: 7/10. Smoothly assembled, suitably twisty package centred on CPC/KMT shenanigans in 1920s Shanghai. STORY…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

5 days ago • Subscribe

Review: Panda Plan (2024)

Panda Plan 熊猫计划 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 98 mins. Director: Zhang Luan 张栾. Rating: 3/10. A lazy, throwaway attempt at a comic action movie, with an aged-looking Cheng…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jan 27, 2025 • Subscribe

City Hunter (2024) review

A fun but very forgettable experience.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 30, 2024 • Subscribe

City Hunter

Review: Black Dog (2024)

Black Dog 狗阵 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 115 mins. Director: Guan Hu 管虎. Rating: 8/10. Elemental story of re-birth and renewal in a run-down town in northwest China…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Aug 31, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Cesium Fallout (2024)

Cesium Fallout 焚城 Hong Kong/China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 135 mins. Director: Pan Yaoming 潘耀明 [Anthony Pun]. Rating: 6/10. Technically polished disaster movie doesn’t reach down very far in…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Feb 9, 2025 • Subscribe

Review: Super Villain (2024)

Super Villain 大“反”派 China, 2024, colour, 2.35/1.85/1.33:1, 97 mins. Director: Bao Bei’er 包贝尔. Associate director: Zhang Zuofeng 张作峰. Rating: 4/10. Painfully unfunny comedy about an ambitious actor who…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jun 14, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Pegasus 2 (2024)

Pegasus 2 飞驰人生2 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 120 mins. Director: Han Han 韩寒. Rating: 6/10. More of the same and with knobs on, plus another effortless lead by…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

May 20, 2024 • Subscribe

Jinsei - Life Consulting

Review: Article 20 (2024)

Article 20 第二十条 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 139 mins. Director: Zhang Yimou 张艺谋. Rating: 6/10. Comedy-drama, set among a city’s public prosecutors, is entertaining enough due to its…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

May 12, 2024 • Subscribe

Memories of this Scent (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

An endearing and fragrance rich tale of subjective change.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 8, 2024 • Subscribe

Short Movie Time: Perfect・Nervous (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

An exquisitely crafted narrative that touchingly shows that a simple encounter, a simple exchange of signifiers, can turn a wish to die into a desire to life.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 26, 2024 • Subscribe

Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp – (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2024]

An evocative experience that succeeds in giving the vampire and the well-explored themes a fresh coat of drama and sexiness.  

psycho-cinematography

Jul 29, 2024 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

All The Long Nights (2024) review [Japan Cuts 2024]

A splendid drama that shows how symptoms can disturb a subject’s life and how the social field attains its cruel complexity due to the riddle of desire.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 20, 2024 • Subscribe

Yin Yang Master Zero (2024) review [Nippon Connection 2024]

A fantastical visual experience like no other.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 8, 2024 • Subscribe

Secret: A Hidden Score (2024) review [Nippon connection 2024]

Spectators who like piano and pianists might find something to enjoy in this emotionally impotent narrative.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 19, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Go for Broke (2024)

Go for Broke 重生 China/Hong Kong, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 113 mins. Director: Ma Yuke 马浴柯. Rating: 7/10. Another tough, twisty crime drama by Mainland actor-turned-director Ma Yuke, with…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Oct 19, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Formed Police Unit (2024)

Formed Police Unit 维和防暴队 China, 2024, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 100 mins. Director: Li Dachao 李达超. Rating: 6/10. Mainland flag-waver, with Chinese Blue Helmets keeping the peace in Africa, is…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Jun 29, 2024 • Subscribe

Winter 2024 Anime In Review

Quick Overall Thoughts Over all this season was pretty alright. Some of the weight of how good it is comes from continuing series like Frieren and the Apothecary…

Mechanical Anime Reviews

Mar 30, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: Be My Friend (2024)

Be My Friend 我才不要和你做朋友呢 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 113 mins. Director: He Nian 何念. Rating: 8/10. Cleverly packaged, well-played light comedy about a teenager who travels back in…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Dec 6, 2024 • Subscribe

Tian Yu

A Seasonal Review — Spring 2024

Didn’t Watch: See Seasonal Impressions 29. The Irregular at Magical High School S3 — F- Took all the worst parts of the previous seasons and repeated them. I…

Draggle's Anime Blog

Jul 7, 2024 • Subscribe

A Condition Called Love

A Seasonal Review — Summer 2024

Didn’t Watch: See Seasonal Impressions Didn’t Watch Because It Never Happened: Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World S2 22. Failure Frame: I Became the…

Draggle's Anime Blog

Oct 9, 2024 • Subscribe

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells

A Seasonal Review — Fall 2024

Didn’t Watch: See Seasonal Impressions Still Need to Watch: Thunderbolt Fantasy S4 16. The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians — D Zzzzz….. 15. As a Reincarnated…

Draggle's Anime Blog

Jan 11, 2025 • Subscribe

Spring 2024 Anime In Review

Some Generalizing This season was pretty great. I’m just going to state that outright because I am ranking them. In a lesser season, the shows I put in…

Mechanical Anime Reviews

Jul 6, 2024 • Subscribe

Review: We Are Forever (2024)

We Are Forever 我们永远是我们 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 100 mins. Director: Xia Meng 夏孟. Rating: 5/10. Good-looking distaff road movie sports good leads but lacks emotional depth and…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Nov 13, 2024 • Subscribe

City Hunter (2024) [Film Review]

City Hunter; or, Mr Private Eye      I’ll take you on your case. Let’s go avenge your brother. I’m back with new, belated update. This time,...

Watching Asia Film Reviews

Jun 26, 2024 • Subscribe

City Hunter