854 Contributions by: Isabella Endrinal (Page 16)

Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She’s now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She’s currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn’t coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.

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226. Baraka, 1992

Slow, contemplative, but captivating, Baraka uses no narration, dialogue, or text to connect its images. The documentary stitches together shots with different subjects from different locations around the world. At first, it seems very peaceful—gorgeous, high-definition shots of nature paired with a soothing, resonant score that lulls you into hypnosis—but as the film progresses, director and cinematographer Ron Fricke presents more scenes with people, from the cities to the countryside, to places rarely documented on film. Depending on how you look at it, Baraka will either feel like just a compilation of screensavers or a profound meditation on how intrinsically connected everything is. It’s totally breathtaking either way.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Actor: Patrick Disanto

Director: Ron Fricke

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227. Babylon Berlin, 2017

	
Babylon Berlin is mostly an intriguing spy thriller with both the sleekness and the style of the Golden Twenties, but what makes it stand out is the way it depicts the inevitability of the country’s upcoming struggles, as well as the hope it held in itself to reach a brighter future, with the new millennium. It’s a pretty brilliant concept. Through the eyes of its alternate protagonists, the show depicts Berlin polarized by two ideologies, and it keeps this context to drive Inspector Gereon Rath’s investigation, with the help of police clerk and flapper in the underground Charlotte Ritter. While the later seasons lost a bit of its edge, Babylon Berlin nevertheless paints a new perspective of the capital that once was at the forefront of art and science.Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Actor: Benno Fürmann, Lars Eidinger, Liv Lisa Fries, Ronald Zehrfeld, Volker Bruch
Rating: TV-MA

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228. An Autumn's Tale, 1987

	
New York, especially in older movies, seems to be an enchanting place with endless possibilities, as long as you’re willing to put in the work. With Hong Kong’s handover to China, it’s no wonder plenty of Hong Kong natives decided to emigrate to the Big Apple. That being said, this experience isn’t always smooth. Mabel Cheung’s An Autumn’s Tale is a fairly simple romance, but it also captures the rough times of the assimilation process of Hong Kongers, the way they have to toughen up to eke out a living, and the joy they manage to hold, even just for a while. And as the young Chow Yun-fat softens his edge to guide the blindsided, sweet Cherie Chung, we can’t help but root for them.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Brenda Lo, Cherie Chung, Chow Yun-fat, Danny Bak-Keung Chan, Danny Chan Bak-Keung, George Gerard, Gigi Suk Yee Wong, Gigi Wong, Huang Man, Wu Fu-Sheng, Yun-Fat Chow
Director:  Mabel Cheung
Rating: N/A

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229. Aamis, 2019

	
At the beginning of Aamis, it’s easy to think that the film will be a unique forbidden romance drama where the lovers could only be satiated by food (and perhaps each other). To a certain extent, that’s correct. Like their love for unique food, it’s the yearning for the unusual and the strange that drives this relationship, with the feelings blossoming between them fulfilling something that their relationships and careers can’t, and the performances between newcomers Lima Das and Arghadeep Baruah make this feeling palpable, taking the two to a surprising, if not totally unexpected, climax that most viewers wouldn’t expect from Bollywood, much less Assamese cinema. Aamis is a provocative romance that might be hard to stomach for some, but undeniably has its own flavor.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Arghadeep Baruah, Chandan Bhuyan, Lima Das, Momee Borah, Neetali Das
Director: Bhaskar Hazarika

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230. Youth of May, 2021

Youth of May is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a straightforward spring-set coming-of-age drama where young adults chase after their dreams, if they have any, and try to figure out what they want otherwise. Like plenty of other K-dramas, this usually involves a romance. But in between the ordinary romance, life strikes. Students fight for democracy, and at the time, the government cracked down on them brutally, but because the show spent time getting to know Myung-hee and Hui-tae, the consequences of these events make it all the more poignant. Youth of May reminds us of the humanity behind the brave students that fought for South Korea’s democracy, and the lives that have been tragically cut short for it.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Choi Seung-hoon, Geum Sae-rok, Go Min-si, Heo Jeong-do, Hwang Young-hee, Jang Won-hyuk, Joo Bo-young, Jung Wook-jin, Kim Eun-soo, Kim Won-hae, Kim Yi-kyeong, Lee Do-hyun, Lee Hwang-eui, Lee Kyu-sung, Lee Sang-yi, Oh Man-seok, Park Cheol-min, Park Se-hyun, Sim Yi-young, Uhm Hyo-seop

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231. Withnail & I, 1987

	
There are a few instances that prove the merit of one’s friendship, and one of those instances is a roadtrip. Withnail and I is considered one of the greatest British comedies of all time, but there’s a certain melancholy to it, as two unemployed actors have gone on holiday due to an offer from one of their uncles, though this offer doesn’t come without strings, which the titular “I”, Marwood, whose name is never mentioned, has only found out on the trip. As the holiday goes wrong, with the two making the worst of every new situation, the two share somewhat of a dysfunctional, slightly homoerotic relationship, as Withnail deals with everything in the most drunken, unserious manner, and Marwood anxiously realizes how much he’s outgrown their friendship. The film’s humor may be a tad too dry for those outside the country, but cult favorite Withnail and I still resonates with its endlessly quotable lines, memorable scenes, and its bitter understanding of how life can diverge.Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Anthony Wise, Daragh O'Malley, Eddie Tagoe, Irene Sutcliffe, Llewellyn Rees, Michael Elphick, Michael Wardle, Noel Johnson, Paul McGann, Ralph Brown, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Robert Oates, Una Brandon-Jones
Director: Bruce Robinson
Rating: R

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232. When I Fly Towards You, 2023

Meeting a cute boy at the corner store, sneaking snacks into camp, leaving gifts at your crush’s desk… These are things that got lost for high schoolers who had to take online classes during the pandemic. Because of this, When I Fly Towards You is a timely blast from the past as schools get back on-site. This show captures the classroom experience before it went online, in such a cute and nostalgic manner. With moments that have to be ripped straight from someone’s high school diary, it’s easy to root for the sometimes cringy but mostly charming main characters in this series. The funny misunderstandings and assumptions between them feel all the more sweet as they try to make it up to each other.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Soap

Actor: Bian Tianyang, Gao Wen-feng, Hao Wenting, Miaoyi Zhang, Wang Yu, Zhang Lei, ZhiNan Jiang, Zhou Yiran

Director: Shuang Yuan

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233. Wave Makers, 2023

	
Capturing the craziness of a political campaign, Wave Makers portrays a behind-the-scenes look of a fictional campaign team as they work to get their party elected. While branded as a political drama, the Taiwanese Netflix series focuses on the dynamics of its team members, starting with their day-to-day work – how they deal with on-the-spot PR issues, budget cuts, and negotiations – and ending the first episode with the personal issues that affect them, such as work-life balance, career growth, and personal revenge. Focusing on the team makes for an interesting approach in portraying how the personal affects the political, and the show easily balances these two through its well-written sequences and careful direction. It’s no wonder it’s already inspired a #MeToo wave in Taiwan.Genre: Drama
Actor: Chen Yan-Fei, Gingle Wang, Hsieh Ying Shiuan, Jag Huang, Leon Dai
Director: Chun-Yang Lin

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234. Twilight of the Gods, 2024

	
Partially due to the surviving Norse myths, as well as certain modernized cinematic depictions, most people think of the Norse gods as fairly benevolent, if a bit violent, entities. With Zack Synder at the helm, it’s unsurprising that he would take an edgier approach to the Twilight of the Gods, but this time, it works well, transforming these arbitrarily powerful beings as the villains they would actually be, at least in the perspective of the humans trampled by their thoughtlessness. It’s beautifully depicted, with lovely character designs and great voice performances, and it’s an interesting depiction of a mythology not often depicted.Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Jamie Clayton, Kristofer Hivju, Paterson Joseph, Peter Stormare, Pilou Asbæk, Rahul Kohli, Stuart Martin, Sylvia Hoeks, Thea Sofie Loch Næss
Rating: TV-MA

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235. Thursday’s Widows, 2023

Based on the Argentine novel, Thursday’s Widows is a Mexican Netflix adaptation about the shallow lives of the nouveau riche. While this adaptation changed its setting – it’s now in Mexico, long after 2001 – the series slowly reveals the ridiculous heights to which all of the affluent families would meet to achieve their luxurious lifestyles. As the series does so with one episode dedicated to each family, their absurd lifestyles reveal possible agents, motives, means, and opportunities that could explain the death of three husbands. It makes the series a compelling murder mystery, as it delves into the things only rich people could do without dire consequences.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Alfonso Bassave, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Irene Azuela, Juan Pablo Medina, Omar Chaparro, Zuria Vega

Rating: TV-MA

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236. Thesis, 1996

	
Because of our continued interest in living, one would think that human beings would shy away from death, but the opposite seems to be the reality. There’s a certain morbid fascination with violence, to the point that some people are captivated in making it more intense, more sensational, and more dangerous. Just before his groundbreaking second feature, Alejandro Amenábar made his debut around that idea in Thesis. It’s quite meta, of course, with the film about film students studying violence in media pulled into a murder mystery after discovering a snuff film, but Amenábar also sticks quite close to the narrative conventions of the genre, remixing certain tropes and the general knowledge of how such a film would go to heighten the sense of paranoia that Angela (and the audience) feels.Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Actor: Ana Torrent, Eduardo Noriega, Emiliano Otegui, Fele Martínez, Fele Martínez, José Luis Cuerda, Miguel Picazo, Nieves Herranz, Paco Hernández, Rosa Campillo, Xabier Elorriaga
Director: Alejandro Amenábar, Alejandro Amenábar
Rating: R

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237. The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, 2023

	
Gangster films have an issue of glorifying organized crime, and in some ways The Pig, The Snake, and The Pigeon does the same. There are excellent, action-packed fight scenes that makes Ethan Juan as Chen Kui-lin look so damn cool, and the journey Chen takes as a stern criminal out for his legacy definitely romanticizes the character, but it’s so compelling to see him contemplate the purpose of his life through confronting those like him, who tend to move for the ideas of love and spiritual detachment. There are some moments when the pacing falters, but The Pig, The Snake, and the Pigeon delivers on its ending and reimagines the gangster as something to remember.Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Ben Yuen Foo-Wah, Benjamin Tsang, Chen Yi-wen, Cheng Yu-Chieh, Cherry Hsieh, Chia-En Yang, Chien Sheng, Ethan Juan, Gingle Wang, Huang Di Yang, Lee-zen Lee, Ming Che Lee, Nelson Shen, Peggy Tseng, Troy Liu, Yi-Jung Wu, Yu An-Shun
Director: Wong Ching-Po

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238. The Man in the Moon, 1991

	
Crushes seem much more important when you’re young, and when you and your sibling share one, it easily alters your dynamic, with the jealousy, comparison, and the insecurity it can foster. The Man in the Moon tackles this childhood crush with care. Writer Jenny Wingfield and director Robert Mulligan characterize each kid with consideration befitting their ages, with an understanding of the different priorities they would have with a three year age gap, the feelings they would have, and the misunderstandings they would have with each other. And this all works because of Reese Witherspoon, who even then held a screen presence that made her into a star.Genre: Drama, Family, Romance
Actor: Bentley Mitchum, Dennis Letts, Emily Warfield, Ernie Lively, Gail Strickland, Jason London, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Waterston, Tess Harper
Director: Robert Mulligan
Rating: PG-13

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239. The Lying Life of Adults, 2023

Based on a novel, The Lying Life of Adults might feel, at first, like a standard Netflix coming-of-age series, complete with vintage styling (the 90’s, this time) and teenage shenanigans, like skipping classes, preoccupation over sex, and rebelling against parental disapproval. Sure, the show does go through these moments, but the writing of original novelist Elena Ferrante, with the assistance of the writing team and showrunner Edoardo De Angelis, elevates this template through its subtleties, as Giovanna visits her estranged aunt Vittoria, and compares and contrasts the way she lives, with the way her parents approach life. It’s both a portrait of a divided family, but also one of a divided city, and it makes Giovanna’s coming-of-age a more nuanced journey that we haven’t seen before.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Alessandro Preziosi, Giordana Marengo, Pina Turco, Raffaella Rea, Valeria Golino

Rating: TV-MA

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240. The Last Round, 2024

At a certain age, it can feel like starting over again isn’t possible, especially when all signs discourage you from ever trying again. Dr. Yehya of The Last Round knows this better than most– quitting kickboxing wasn’t an option, but a requirement, with his age and near misses and personal issues taking him out of the arena and into a low point in his life. But despite this, and despite day-to-day difficulties, The Last Round also portrays him getting back up, pursuing his dream one more time. It’s a familiar story, one we’ve seen in many sports shows, but with Ahmed Al-Sakka in the ring, and the careful characterization of the whole team that gets him there, The Last Round knocks our socks out.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama

Actor: Ahmed El Sakka, Ashraf Abdel Baky, Asmaa Abu ElYazeed, Hanan Motawie, Roshdy El Shamy

Director: Mariam Ahmady

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