movie recs
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1. Better Days
Chinese Movie - 2019
Genres/tags: Youth, School, Bullying, Romance
Warning: there is violence and uncensored physical and verbal bullying in this movie
Honestly this should all go without saying. This movie is a heartwrenching, slightly horrifying (in terms of the things the characters had to go through), and yet somehow hopeful masterpiece. The acting was phenomenal. The supportive relationship between the leads was like a little light in the darkness.
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2. A Little Red Flower
Chinese Movie - 2020
Genres/tags: Life, Youth, Illness, Family
This movie made me cry so much, like WHAT. You will definitely need lots of tissues. My favorite part about this movie was all the relationships, not only between the leads but also between the family members. It was so touching and heartwarming to see, and the message of the movie was honestly beautiful. I was literally sobbing watching the end credits. Acting again is amazing.
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3. A Taxi Driver
Korean Movie - 2017
Genres/tags: Action, Historical, True Story, Gwangju Uprising
Warning: there is violence in this movie, particularly humans inflicting violence on other humans.
Horrible and beautiful at the same time. I think I was expecting a more comedic action movie. This was not that, but I could never complain. A topic like this can only take so much comedy before it detracts from the impact of the message. This movie practically changed the way I see the world; it is both incredibly inspiring and also incredibly saddening.
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4. Little Forest
Korean Movie - 2018
Genre/tags: Life, Food
The only way to describe this movie is healing. Beautiful cooking scenes, cinematography, and voiceovers by Kim Taeri. Made me feel so warm inside :))
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5. Two Lights: Relumino
Korean Special - 2017, 1 episode
Genres/tags: Romance, Life, Short Film, Visual Impairment
The best thirty minutes I've ever spent in my entire life lol. This might've been the sweetest, cutest, most touching thing I've ever watched.
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6. Upcoming Summer
Chinese Movie - 2021
Genre/tags: Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Romance, High School
I just love nostalgic school dramas/movies, especially when they take on a more serious and less slapstick-y tone. Upcoming Summer is honestly nothing new, but I love the down-to-earth, realistic take on love and how it might be hard to deal with as a teenager. This movie single-handedly made me fall in love with Wu Lei even though I disliked all of his other performances that I've tried lol.
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7. My Best Summer
Chinese Movie - 2019
Genres/tags: Romance, Life, Youth, High School
Nothing special, but it was enjoyable and I was feeling pretty emotional so I gave it 9 stars lol. Lighthearted, but also not really in a way? The leads relationship was pretty adorable and fun to watch. No complaints about the acting! A good movie for when you need something down-to-earth and not overly draining to watch.
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8. Your Eyes Tell
Japanese Movie - 2020
Genres/tags: Romance, Life, Melodrama
Warning: a bit of violence in this, but it's not overly graphic.
Cute, sweet, and heartwarming despite its melodramatic mood. It was just a bit boring in the beginning lol, but I loved their relationship (and their dog!).
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9. Us and Them
Chinese Movie - 2018
Genres/tags: Romance, Life
Heartbreaking but worth it (kind of). A realistic drama on how life can really beat you down sometimes. Their chemistry was pretty adorable.