3 Best Movies to Watch by Kai Ko

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1. Let’s Talk About CHU, 2024

Ensemble romance stories are great for exploring different aspects of relationships, but this time, Taiwanese comedy drama Let’s Talk About CHU tackles sexual relationships. Centered on the Chu family, each of the members struggle in that aspect of their relationships– the parents are at the brink of divorce because of it, Ai prioritizes pleasure but not connection, Yu-sen is taken for granted because of it, and Wei struggles with the expectations of having children. It’s refreshing to see the show tackle these issues, which, until recently, has been mostly taboo to talk about, but it also happens to be direct, honest, and forthcoming about them in such a relatable way. While the show does struggle to balance the plotlines, Let’s Talk About CHU is a multi-generational conversation that’s important to have.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Actor: Chien-Ho Wu, Hsia Yu-chiao, JC Lin, Kai Ko, Tzu Hsuan Chan

Director: Remii Huang

Rating: TV-MA

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2. Miss Shampoo, 2023

In depictions of organized crime, we’re used to the stone-cold crime boss, and the conflicted, unwilling crime lord, but Miss Shampoo presents a new version of the gangster– one that’s fallen head over heels in love. The film plays out in hilarious ways, with the humor expected from writer-director Giddens Ko, and Daniel Hong and Vivian Sung are able to inject some heart into their performances with surprising chemistry. That being said, the film is clearly more interested in mocking organized crime, so the film feels more skewed towards Tai rather than Fen. It’s still really entertaining, though Miss Shampoo had so much more it could have shown, had it focused equally on Fen’s perspective.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance

Actor: Bai Jing Yi, Bruce He, Chih-ju Lin, Chu Chung-heng, Duan Chun-hao, Duncan Lai, Honduras, Hong Yu Hong, Hsin-Ling Chung, Kai Ko, Ke-Li Miao, Kent Tsai, Mei-Man Jin, Teng-Hung Hsia, Tsai Chang-Hsien, Vivian Sung, Wei-min Ying

Director: Giddens Ko

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3. Bad Education, 2023

With its wildly different shifts between the film’s chapters, Bad Education feels like it doesn’t know what to do with itself, like plenty of newly graduated teenagers. The first chapter holds such visceral revulsion that it first feels like it would be a serious cautionary tale, commenting on how, without guidance, teenagers will led each other astray. However, its next chapter takes a more comedic route as the kids try to escape from gangsters and the police. While director Kai Ko reveals an excellent sense of direction and imagery, his style feels like it’s been wasted on ill-thought intentions and a poorly written script. Bad Education at least has stunning visuals and a short runtime to get through it all.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Berant Zhu, Cheng Chih-wei, Edison Song, Hong Yu Hong, Huang Hsin-Yao, Kai Ko, Kent Tsai, Kurt Hsiao, Leon Dai, McFly Wu, Ning Chang, Tzu-Chiang Wang

Director: Kai Ko

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