Reviews

From film festivals to new releases, find the latest reviews from contemporary East and Southeast Asian cinema here, written by the Filmed in Ether team.

Taiwan Film Festival 2020 Review: Mirror Image

Amir MuhammadJuly 15, 2020

Hsiao Ya-chuan broke out in 2001 with his film, Mirror Image, a quiet debut that heralded the arrival of a new voice in Taiwanese film....

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Taiwan Film Festival 2020: The Good Daughter

Levin TanJuly 13, 2020

Wu Yuying's directorial debut The Good Daughter is an intimate look at the life of Azhe, a Vietnamese woman living between two worlds and two roles....

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Taiwan Film Festival 2020 Review: Detention

Brooke HeinzJuly 10, 2020

Despite its glaring issues, John Hsu's horror blockbuster Detention is the rare video game-to-movie adaptation that works....

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Review: The Wandering Chef

Hayley InchApril 21, 2020

Park Hye-ryoung's documentary The Wandering Chef is a deeply fascinating look at chef Im Jiho and the role food plays in processing emotions. ...

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Review: Diner

Brooke HeinzMarch 22, 2020

Mika Ninagawa's opulent visuals aren't enough to save her manga adaptation, Diner, from its thin plot and poor action direction. ...

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Review: Maggie

Claire LanglaisNovember 12, 2019

Yi Ok-seop's debut feature Maggie will endear itself to today's youth with its winning cast and topical issues. ...

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TIFF 2019 Review: Bring Me Home

Aidan DjabarovOctober 16, 2019

Lee Young-ae makes her return to acting in Kim Seung-woo’s debut film 'Bring Me Home', a bleak picture that horrifically exploits the suffering of women....

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KOFFIA 2019 Review: Innocent Witness

Aidan DjabarovSeptember 2, 2019

A committed turn from actress Kim Hyang-gi can't save pedestrian filmmaking in Lee Han's courtroom drama Innocent Witness....

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Review: Nina Wu

Brooke HeinzAugust 10, 2019

Midi Z's timely contribution to the #MeToo movement, Nina Wu, is anchored by a powerful performance from actress and co-writer Wu Ke-xi....

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Review: Clean Up

Brooke HeinzJuly 18, 2019

Kwon Man-ki's impressive debut feature Clean Up is a crime drama that grapples with complex themes of morality and guilt....

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Review: One Child Nation

Brooke HeinzJuly 2, 2019

With One Child Nation, co-directors Jialing Zhang and Nanfu Wang have crafted an incredible documentary that closely examines China's one child policy....

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Review: Parasite

Brooke HeinzJune 29, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's award-winning film Parasite is a welcome return to South Korean filmmaking for the director and is one of his absolute best works to date....

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