854 Contributions by: Isabella Endrinal (Page 38)

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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556. The American, 2023

	
Ballet has always captivated with its grace and poise, so of course it captivated cinema as well, with classics such as The Red Shoes and Black Swan centered on the dance, the culture, and of course, the drama. The juxtaposition of the ideal feminine form and the ugliness of competition, the sabotage, and the objectification are regular topics, but The American adds the national identity into its themes, tackling the anxieties of a young American in an academy that isn't friendly to outsiders. It's stunning. It gives justice to the journey of the real ballerina Joy Womack, portrayed excellently by Talia Ryder with breathtaking ease, and given dramatic flourish through the direction of James Napier Robertson. While it doesn’t quite surpass classic ballet films, Joika proves that real life ballet can be more emotional, more traumatic than any drama made about the dance.Genre: Drama
Actor: Andrzej Andrzejewski, Andrzej Kłak, Borys Szyc, Charlotte Ubben, Dariusz Majchrzak, Diane Kruger, Edyta Torhan, Karolina Gruszka, Maciej Nawrocki, Marek Kasprzyk, Natalia Osipova, Natasha Alderslade, Oleg Ivenko, Robert Gulaczyk, Talia Ryder, Tomasz Kot
Director: James Napier, James Napier Robertson

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557. The Accidental Influencer, 2024

	
When life gives you heartbreak, sometimes the grief can push you to do stupid things, but in The Accidental Influencer, it becomes a surprise social media sensation that changes the life of Red Ho. Based on the real life story of Taiwanese blogger Jhai Nyu Siao Hong, The Accidental Influencer isn’t afraid to get goofy with the story, turning a break-up that was devastating at the time, to something silly to laugh at, especially with Red Ho’s over-the-top imagination. While the show is a familiar story, it’s certainly a relatable one, and it’s executed in a fresh, if a bit ludicrous, way that makes it a decent pick. If, like Red, you happen to break up just before an important occasion (like this Valentine’s day), then The Accidental Influencer might be the show to watch to soothe your woes.Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Aviis Zhong, Ken Lin, Shu-yao Kuo, Sun Ke-Fang
Director:  Pei-Ju Hsieh

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558. Supersex, 2024

	
The way we are introduced to sex does shape the way sex features in our lives, whether that be an unintended glimpse into the wrong room, or an accidental encounter to NSFW media, or a proper discussion towards sex. Being inspired by, but not entirely accurate to the life of prolific Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi, sex is central to Supersex not just as his job, but as the way his family, relationships, and his concept of love is irrevocably affected by it. It’s fixated on sex, yes, but showrunner Francesca Manieri stirs the discussion not towards how hot it can be, but towards the various ways sex affirms and negates his masculinity, as well as the conceptions that determine that, and how it can slip into vice rather than healthy pleasure. There are moments where the series falters, particularly the way it depicts internalized homophobia, but overall, Supersex is a well-meaning exploration of sex work and masculinity.Genre: Drama
Actor: Adriano Giannini, Alessandro Borghi, Enrico Borello, Gaia Messerklinger, Jade Pedri, Jasmine Trinca, Linda Caridi, Saul Nanni, Vincenzo Nemolato
Rating: TV-MA

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559. Studio 54, 2018

	
New York’s hottest club was Studio 54. It has everything– the lights, the exclusivity, the drugs, the tax evasion legal issues that brought its founders to jail… But in all seriousness, the documentary about the notorious studio-turned-disco already has an interesting story to tell, and while it’s done with the usual Netflix flair, but director Matt Tyrnauer keeps focus on the actual club, rather than the notoriety surrounding it, by interviewing the crew behind Studio 54 rather than the famous celebrities, and thankfully, former studio owner and one half of the duo Ian Schrager finally opened up to talk about the whirlwind success he went through nearly half a century ago. The documentary may be a bit more tame than the real life club, but Studio 54 is a long overdue documentary that’s refreshingly candid, if a bit more calmer than expected.Genre: Documentary
Actor: Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Bill Murray, Boy George, Divine, Donald Rubell, Farrah Fawcett, Ian Schrager, Jack Benny, John Belushi, John Travolta, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nile Rodgers, Ronald Reagan, Steve Rubell, Walter Cronkite
Director: Matt Tyrnauer
Rating: TV-MA

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560. Stan Lee, 2023

Stan Lee, the documentary, is a charming introduction to the iconic creator. He enthusiastically narrates his journey into comics – from lowly intern to famous publisher – giving a seemingly modest account of events. With his voice making most of the narrative, Lee’s voice reveals his creative process and mindset, detailing the day-to-day writing process and the Marvel method. However, the documentary isn’t Lee’s voice alone. Director David Gelb brings a charming approach to this documentary, as seen in his previous work, that helps turn his subject palatable, despite the disagreement displayed by other people. Overall, the film is an okay introduction, though the full story behind Lee’s most contentious events, deserves a documentary of its own.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Actor: Jack Kirby, Joan Lee, Joe Simon, Kevin Feige, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee

Director: David Gelb

Rating: TV-14

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561. Soundtrack #1, 2022

	
Look, Soundtrack #1 will not be the most outstanding, unique, heart-wrenching, tearjerking Korean drama you will ever get to watch. It’s full of tropes, with a childhood friends-to-lovers romance that blooms because they end up sharing the same house. Of course, they aren’t together because of miscommunication. But there’s a simplicity to the series that makes the romance work– the two friends have been written in a way that makes them understand each other’s aspirations, and so they would act to make sure the other person can go for their dreams, or at least, to make that journey a bit easier. Soundtrack #1 won’t have the melodrama plenty of K-dramas have, but there’s true love nonetheless, and it plays out in just four episodes.Genre: Drama
Actor: Han So-hee, Kim Ju-hun, Lee Jung-eun, Park Hyung-sik, Yoon Byung-hee
Director:  Kim Hee-won

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562. Skip and Loafer, 2023

Simple yet captivating, Skip and Loafer is a slice-of-life anime with a refreshing approach to the high school experience. While the anime genre is mostly known for its bright, high-saturated colors and action-filled, fantastical plots, this show celebrates the ordinary, with its pastel toned design, sweet humor, and clean animation. The series is centered around the main duo Mitsumi and Sosuke, but it never skimps on their friendships with their group. In fact, despite the classmates’ different backgrounds, the show’s thoughtful introductions make it easy to see why they would all care for each other, even as we get to know their insecurities. Skip and Loafer feels like a hug from the childhood best friend you had (or the one that you wished you had) – the one who you hung out with after school, the one who inspired you, and the one that changed your life for the better. Every episode is just full of pure, simple joy.

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Actor: Akinori Egoshi, Ayumu Murase, Hikaru Tanaka, Maaya Uchida, Megumi Han, Minami Tsuda, Mitsuki Saiga, Ryohei Kimura, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yuka Terasaki

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563. Sixty Minutes, 2024

While not having world-ending stakes or large-scale operations, Sixty Minutes just works as an action movie. Sure, the plot is familiar and a little far fetched, but the film maximizes the potential of its premise, with excellently choreographed fight sequences working in tandem with the cinematography to reflect the MMA fighter leading the movie. Each moment isn’t wasted, with the action escalating each time Octa finds out about the hidden information kept from him about the match he’s planned to skip, and the film easily keeps track of his journey through neon-lit stopwatch faces and maps. And when we (and Octa) feel tired from all the fighting, the film ends right on time after sixty (and twenty nine) minutes.

Genre: Action, Drama

Actor: Ágnes Krasznahorkai, Alain Blazevic, Aristo Luis, Balázs Megyeri, Bettina Hoppe, Bruno Salgueiro, Dennis Mojen, Emilio Sakraya, Eniko Fulop, Florian Schmidtke, Georg Blumreiter, Harry Szovik, Jackson Serafim, Janna Striebeck, José Barros, Laurent Winkler, Livia Matthes, Ludger Bökelmann, Marie Mouroum, Mehmet Ateşçi, Morik Heydo, Nyamandi Adrian, Paul Wollin, Philipp Droste, Steffen Jung, Tatjana Šojić, Tayssir Khalfallah, Vassilis Koukalani, Wanja Valentin Kube

Director: Oliver Kienle

Rating: R

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564. Shithouse, 2020

	
College seems to be teeming with possibility, in a more substantial way than adulthood or high school feels, since for many people, it’s the only time where one lives alone and makes decisions for their lives selfishly. Shithouse captures that moment with a candid sentimentality, all marked by a shared late night that changes the way the whole college life feels. Cooper Raiff captures this time of a freshman uncertainty with actual palpable emotions, acting, writing, and directing with a freshness that filmmakers aspire to but never seem to get on screen, and it’s this mumblecore-inspired feature debut that made him a filmmaker to look out for. Shithouse is pure college nostalgia.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Abby Quinn, Adam Foster Ballard, Adan Rocha, Amy Landecker, Ashley Padilla, Ayo Edebiri, Chinedu Unaka, Chris Kleckner, Colin McCalla, Cooper Raiff, Denny McAuliffe, Dylan Gelula, Eva Victor, Grant Harling, Jay Duplass, Joy Sunday, Juan Wood, Leonora Pitts, Logan Miller, Mallory Low, Nick Saso, Olivia Scott Welch, Tessa Hope Slovis, Tre Hall, Will Youmans
Director: Cooper Raiff
Rating: R

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565. She Taught Love, 2024

	
She Taught Love has a familiar romance film plotline– a guy that’s lost meets a girl that sets him straight, and through a course of a connection, they challenge each other’s perspective to become better people– but there’s a naturalness to the conversations writer and male lead Darrell Britt-Gibson creates through his performance, casual, genuine moments that is pairs well with easy, relaxed vibe formed by director Nate Edwards. It’s gorgeously graded, meticulously framed, with slow zoom-ins and pans that gradually switch between aspect ratios to create a sense of openness or restriction, depending on the moment. And with Arsema Thomas’ unshakeable poise as female lead, She Taught Love feels elegant in a way not many indie romance films are.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Alexander Hodge, Angela Elayne Gibbs, Arsema Thomas, D'Arcy Carden, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Edwin Lee Gibson, Hayley Law, Kevin Carroll, Kwame Patterson, Natasha Marc, Taissa Farmiga, Treisa Gary
Director: Nate Edwards

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566. Secrets of the Elephants, 2023

After delving into the secrets of giants under the sea, James Cameron and National Geographic now explores the giants above ground in Secrets of the Elephants. Natalie Portman narrates the intricate social behavior of four elephant families from around the world, as each family adapts to their specific environments, as well as living beside, and sometimes, together with, the human world. Of course, the show offers picturesque views and fun facts about these gentle giants, but it recalls the same sociological approach that defined Secrets of the Whales as they treat the elephants’ behaviors as its own human-like culture.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Natalie Portman, Paula Kahumbu

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567. Red Rose, 2022

With the rise of short video content apps like TikTok and YouTube shorts, there are, unfortunately, plenty of kids that do stupid things, egged on by the internet. Red Rose plays with this idea in a mysterious, possibly possessed, mobile application. The show feels slightly reminiscent of Black Mirror’s Shut Up and Dance episode, albeit in a more supernatural, creepy way, and there’s a thread here on how teens’ grief and other negative emotions are manipulated for increased internet usage. While the certain episodes feel like it dragged, the series is still a fairly solid watch if you’re wanting a spooky time.

Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction

Actor: Ali Khan, Amelia Clarkson, Ashna Rabheru, Ellis Howard, Lisa Siwe, Michael Clarkson, Natalie Blair, Paul Clarkson

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568. Ranma ½, 1990

	
Genderbending isn’t a completely foreign trope for Western audiences, but it’s rare to see the shenanigans that happen in Ranma ½, which takes a genderbending water curse to form a complicated web of relationships, that starts out as a casual romance comedy (albeit with plenty of kicks) and eventually evolves into a ridiculous fighting fantasy adventure. It’s rather revolutionary for its time, in part due to Ranma’s queer gender, but also due to its precursor of the harem trope, as well as its then-new take on the tsundere in Ranma’s intended fiancée Akane Tendo. Ranma ½ is eccentric, but the chaotic comedy is also so entertaining to watch.Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara
Rating: TV-14

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569. Raël: The Alien Prophet, 2024

	
Stories about cults have fascinated viewers because of how absurd their ideas can get… And how easy these ideas can lure in lost and broken people. Plenty of these cults tend to stick with ideas that sound similar with the world’s major religions, but not many claim to be able to clone humans. Raël: The Alien Prophet plays out like the regular cult playbook, with a regular man suddenly amassing riches, power, and fame through charisma, and abusing his followers to obtain more, but the show keeps the viewers’ interest by primarily focusing on what sets the movement apart: the aliens and the human cloning.Genre: Documentary
Actor: Raël
Director: Antoine Baldassari, Manuel Guillon
Rating: TV-MA

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570. Queen of Tears, 2024

	
To many people, marrying a rich heiress is the dream, since all that wealth can free a man from the drudgery and struggle of work. It’s also actually possible, with real life conglomerates actually having a similar story. Queen of Tears shows a different side to this modern-day fairytale, as the riches that come with the marriage also come with being controlled, in part by the media that surrounds them and the family whose strict, but strategic moves lead to their rise. Because of this heavy central idea, it’s no wonder the show tries to aim for a more lighthearted tone with some jabs at the ridiculous lifestyle enabled by the wealth of the Queens Group Hong family, and the cast are game to play, but in prioritizing the humor, the series sometimes makes light of certain difficulties that should be given the weight it deserves. Still, Queen of Tears is fairly entertaining, and fans of the leads would like seeing the funny dynamic they share.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Actor: Anzu Lawson, Go Gyu-pil, Hwang Young-hee, Jang Yoon-ju, Jung Jin-young, Kim Ji-won, Kim Joo-ryoung, Kim Jung-nan, Kim Kap-soo, Kim Shin-rock, Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Young-min, Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Ju-bin, Lee Mi-sook, Lee Su-ji, Lim Cheol-soo, Moon Tae-yu, Na Young-hee, Nicole Fong, Oh Man-seok, Park Jung-pyo, Park Jung-yeon, Park Sung-hoon, Park Yoon-hee, Yoon Bo-mi
Director:  Jang Young-woo, Kim Hee-won

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