Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Hồng Ánh, Hồng Đào, Lãnh Thanh, Lê Thiện, Võ Điền Gia Huy
Director: Trinh Dinh Le Minh
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.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Hồng Ánh, Hồng Đào, Lãnh Thanh, Lê Thiện, Võ Điền Gia Huy
Director: Trinh Dinh Le Minh
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Alejandro Goic, Antonia Santa María, Coca Guazzini, Diego Fontecilla, Eyal Meyer, Liliana García, Luz Jiménez, Pablo Krögh, Paulina García, Sergio Hernández
Director: Sebastián Lelio
Because the world exploits developing countries as dumping grounds for their waste, more attention should be focused on this issue. The immediate filmmaking response would be to document this reality, but Telugu thriller Gandeevadhari Arjuna takes this idea as the driving force of its story. It’s the reason why the bodyguard Arjun takes this job, as well as the reason why the Minister needs protection and why his family has unresolved drama. While the romance subplot distracts from this issue, Gandeevadhari Arjuna deftly interweaves this real-life problem into sleek action sequences, relatable family drama, and a personalized depiction of the problem’s consequences.
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Abhinav Gomatam, Kalpalatha, Mahati Bikshu, Manish Chaudhary, Narain, Nassar, Ravi Varma, Roshini Prakash, Sakshi Vaidya, Varun Tej, Vimala Raman, Vinay Rai
Director: Praveen Sattaru
Most people wouldn’t think that math is a transferable skill to the culinary arts, and in reality, it probably is. Fermat’s Cuisine disputes that, as Gaku Kitada makes the unique career shift from becoming a mathematician to becoming the head chef of the restaurant. While most people (ourselves included) won’t really understand what kind of calculations he makes in order to succeed, it’s easy to sympathize with Gaku’s troubles as he tries to make a new start. It’s also an intriguing mystery to try and figure out what happened between this start and his later success. Choosing a career path, finding a good mentor, and trying to learn something new are things everyone goes through. Fermat’s Cuisine confidently suggests math is the answer.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Fuka Koshiba, Fumiya Takahashi, Jun Shison, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Mitsuomi Takahashi, Miyazawa Emma, Rihito Itagaki, Sei Shiraishi, Takashi Ukaji, Toru Nakamura, Yoshihiko Hosoda
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Anusara Korsamphan, Jirapat Uttamanan, Keetapat Pongruea, Napak Traicharoendetch, Nat Kitcharit, Urassaya Sperbund, Wipawee Patnasiri
Director: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
Family is one of the bonds we don’t really get to choose, and for better or for worse, they’re the bonds that form the foundation of our lives. Familia depicts this bond faithfully, as Leo’s remaining family, his three adult daughters, all travel back to the family’s olive orchard to decide on its fate. The way the bond is depicted feels realistic, as each of the family members can confront each other with their choices in the one time of the year they can do so. The film is able to make it work with its excellent cast, and carefully written dialogue that makes the conversation flow naturally. While Familia isn’t a holiday film, it’s a fairly realistic depiction of a family gathering and a timely film to watch before heading home to your family for the holidays.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Ángeles Cruz, Brian Shortall, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ilse Salas, Maribel Verdú, Natalia Solián, Vicky Araico
Director: Rodrigo García
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Adriana Facchetti, Alfred Molina, Anna Longhi, Davide Manuli, Jim Broadbent, Joan Plowright, Josie Lawrence, Matthew Radford, Michael Kitchen, Miranda Richardson, Neville Phillips, Polly Walker, Stephen Beckett, Vittorio Duse
Director: Mike Newell
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Aoife Hinds, Chloe Lea, Chris Mason, Edward Davis, Emily Watson, Faoileann Cunningham, Jade Anouka, Jodhi May, Josh Heuston, Mark Addy, Mark Strong, Olivia Williams, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Travis Fimmel
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Lee Jae-won, Lee Sun-kyun, Lee You-young, Park Hee-soon, Seo Ji-hye
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Al Warren, Angela Trimbur, Bridey Elliott, Chad Damiani, Courtney Pauroso, David Aaron Baker, DeMorge Brown, Dylan Redford, Ella Smith, Jamie Granato, Kristoffer Borgli, Nick Pinkerton, Sally Mullins
Director: Al Warren
Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Daisuke Ono, Hiro Shimono, Megumi Han, Satoshi Hino, Soma Saito, Yohei Azakami, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Yui Ishikawa
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Akshay Kumar, Ameesha Patel, Aruna Irani, Deven Verma, Farida Jalal, Karisma Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan
Director: Yash Chopra
Detective Forst isn’t a mindbending, totally original crime thriller that would revolutionize the detective genre, but sometimes we just want something familiar. The thriller adaptation of Remigiusz Mróz’s book series mostly sticks to the classic tropes, with eerily strung up bodies being investigated by the gruff, hardened detective, portrayed well by Borys Szyc. It’s not immediately clear what brought Forst to the mountains– whatever it was, it’s enough to gain the mistrust of his new station, and it’s possibly the reason behind his splitting migraines– but that’s part of the fun, as an additional mystery alongside who is behind the murders. That being said, the show plans to depict a whole series, so the ending of its first season might exasperate viewers who just want a complete story. Still, with the striking scenery of the Tatra Mountains, Detective Forst is at least stunning enough to watch, even with all the moody murder mystery tropes onboard.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Actor: Aleksandra Grabowska, Borys Szyc, Kamilla Baar, Szymon Wróblewski, Zuzanna Saporznikow
Director: Daniel Jaroszek
Many fantasy K-dramas stick to the serious side, but Destined with You feels more lighthearted as it starts off with a light jab at the handsome grim reaper trope with SF9’s Rowoon. The show honors many of modern-day fated love tropes, and sometimes makes fun of it, but the series does it in a way that’s grounded in its characters and setting. The show first introduces the main duo as individual people, specifically, characters working with and for the public at large. Because of their jobs, Destined with You acknowledges the modern-day systems we use to deal with day-to-day injustices, but also provides the fantasy of having a second recourse in witchcraft. With the show’s pairing, there’s a hope that one way or another, the two could meet halfway.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Ha Jun, Jo Bo-ah, Lee Pil-mo, Rowoon, Yura
Director: Nam Ki-hoon
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Choi Si-won, Go Youn-jung, Jang Seung-jo, Kim Jae-wook, Kim Ji-hun, Kim Kang-hoon, Kim Mi-kyeong, Lee Do-hyun, Lee Jae-wook, Nam Kyung-eup, Oh Jung-se, Park So-dam, Seo In-guk, Sung Hoon, Yoo In-soo
Director: Ha Byung-hoon