jungbareumshoe
sung yohan’s basement
Ambiguous Chemistry, But Fell Short on its Characters and Plot Execution
"Recalled" is what I’d consider to be a "semi-solid" movie. Although we’re met with another take on the "amnesiac surrounded by things that aren't quite as they seem" type of premise, the movie does contain some of its own originality.
Characters were alright, nothing too spectacular imo in the essence of being "fleshed out." Good character development of the two leads from start to finish, as it didn’t feel rushed. Other than that, I’d have to point out that the story’s flow (of events) wasn’t exactly ideal. Since we’re dealing with a narrator who’s an amnesiac, the movie juggles what’s "fact" vs. "fiction." If you’re not used to keeping up with different timelines, it’s easy to feel like your brain is utterly fried. Although I tried my best to interpret which scenes were which and what events REALLY unfolded, I’m still left with some plot holes towards the end. Also, predictability is an important factor to consider when rating thrillers and if I’m being completely honest, although I was able to predict roughly 80% of the plot "twists," I’d consider predictability to be relatively low-normal to the average viewer (unless you’re a makjang connoisseur like me).
Dialogue isnt necessarily poorly written, but noticeably lacking— what took the cake for the emotional scenes were the cinematography and acting. Speaking of acting, there were no flaws in the casting whatsoever. Although an unexpected duo, SYJ and KKW did an awesome job at portraying their characters and delivering top-notch emotional scenes. Also, despite there not being a lot of intimate scenes, the leads chemistry was really.. really good. Like, I found myself feeling like an actual third wheel the moment their eyes met (and that’s how you know it’s good). It’s really the type of chemistry that bubbles beneath the surface— I mean, I need to see these two reunite in a slow burn romance in the future or I’m suing.
As some additional notes, not only should the ending be completely rewritten, but there is one character in particular *cough* 2nd ML *cough* who was written rather poorly. I just feel like there was no depth to his character and his motives. Overall, I just found him too 2D for his own good.
Characters were alright, nothing too spectacular imo in the essence of being "fleshed out." Good character development of the two leads from start to finish, as it didn’t feel rushed. Other than that, I’d have to point out that the story’s flow (of events) wasn’t exactly ideal. Since we’re dealing with a narrator who’s an amnesiac, the movie juggles what’s "fact" vs. "fiction." If you’re not used to keeping up with different timelines, it’s easy to feel like your brain is utterly fried. Although I tried my best to interpret which scenes were which and what events REALLY unfolded, I’m still left with some plot holes towards the end. Also, predictability is an important factor to consider when rating thrillers and if I’m being completely honest, although I was able to predict roughly 80% of the plot "twists," I’d consider predictability to be relatively low-normal to the average viewer (unless you’re a makjang connoisseur like me).
Dialogue isnt necessarily poorly written, but noticeably lacking— what took the cake for the emotional scenes were the cinematography and acting. Speaking of acting, there were no flaws in the casting whatsoever. Although an unexpected duo, SYJ and KKW did an awesome job at portraying their characters and delivering top-notch emotional scenes. Also, despite there not being a lot of intimate scenes, the leads chemistry was really.. really good. Like, I found myself feeling like an actual third wheel the moment their eyes met (and that’s how you know it’s good). It’s really the type of chemistry that bubbles beneath the surface— I mean, I need to see these two reunite in a slow burn romance in the future or I’m suing.
As some additional notes, not only should the ending be completely rewritten, but there is one character in particular *cough* 2nd ML *cough* who was written rather poorly. I just feel like there was no depth to his character and his motives. Overall, I just found him too 2D for his own good.
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