1434. Kokuho (2025)

Director : Sang Il Lee

Cinematographer : Sofian El Fani

Genre : Drama

Country : Japan

Duration : 174 Minutes

🔸 Kokuho is a quiet and reflective Japanese drama about a man who is closely tied to a respected cultural tradition. The story follows his journey as he trains, performs, and lives within a system that values discipline, legacy, and perfection. As he moves deeper into this world, the film shows how his public role begins to affect his private life. Daily routines, professional pressure, and expectations from seniors and society slowly shape his choices.

🔸 The plot carefully shows how success and recognition come with emotional cost. Relationships with mentors, colleagues, and loved ones begin to change as responsibility increases. The film explores how admiration can turn into pressure, and how tradition can feel both meaningful and suffocating. These conflicts are shown through work, silence, and small interactions rather than arguments or dramatic moments. The story keeps moving forward through time, showing growth, fatigue, and quiet resistance.

🔸 Performances are restrained and believable, especially the lead, who expresses conflict through body language and subtle emotion. The cinematography is clean and calm, matching the controlled world of the story. The pacing is slow and sometimes uneven, and some plot ideas feel only partly explored. Still, Kokuho offers a thoughtful look at identity, legacy, and the price of dedication. It is a film that asks the viewer to watch closely and feel slowly.

Verdict : Good

DC Rating : 3.5/5

1433. Little Amelie Or The Character Of Rain (2025)

Director : Mailys Vallade

Writer : Liane Cho-Han

Genre : Animation

Country : France

Duration : 78 Minutes

🔸 The Character of Rain is a quiet and introspective film told almost entirely from a child’s point of view. The story follows a very young girl living in Japan, observing the world around her with confusion, curiosity, and emotional distance. The plot is simple and unfolds through everyday moments, thoughts, and sensations rather than clear events. It is less about what happens and more about how the world feels to a child who does not fully understand it yet.

🔸 The film’s strength lies in how honestly it captures childhood isolation. The central performance is impressive, especially considering the age of the actor. Emotions are expressed through silence, looks, and stillness rather than dialogue. The film does not try to make the child cute or charming. Instead, it shows childhood as intense, strange, and sometimes unsettling. Relationships with adults feel distant and confusing, which adds to the emotional weight of the story.

🔸 Visually, the film is calm and reflective. The cinematography focuses on interiors, textures, water, and light, creating a soft but emotionally heavy atmosphere. The pacing is slow and deliberate, which suits the subject but may test patience at times. Some ideas feel more suggested than explored, and the emotional payoff is subtle rather than strong. Still, The Character of Rain is a thoughtful and sensitive film that treats childhood seriously, offering a quiet but memorable experience.

Verdict : Good

DC Rating : 3.5/5

1432. Hamnet (2025)

Director : Chloe Zhao

Cinematographer : Lukasz Zal

Genre : Drama

Country : UK 

Duration : 126 Minutes

🔸 Hamnet tells a quiet and emotional story about grief and creation. The film follows the loss of a young boy and how that loss slowly shapes the inner world of his parents. Without directly focusing on fame or legacy, the story gently shows how this personal tragedy later finds its way into art. The plot hints at how William Shakespeare transforms grief into imagination, and how pain becomes the emotional foundation for writing Hamlet. The film never explains this in a direct or obvious way. It lets emotion and memory guide the connection.

🔸 The performances are remarkable and deeply felt. Grief is shown with restraint, through silence, distance, and broken routine rather than loud emotion. The actors carry sorrow in their eyes and body language, making the pain feel real and heavy. Relationships feel fragile and strained, especially within the marriage, where love still exists but is buried under loss. These performances give the film its emotional power and make the creative process feel human rather than romantic.

🔸 The cinematography is soft, natural, and poetic. Light, nature, and everyday spaces are used to reflect inner emotion. The camera often lingers, allowing feelings to sit and breathe. The pacing is slow, but it suits the subject. The emotional payoff comes quietly, not through revelation but through understanding. Hamnet is a moving film about how art can be born from grief, and how imagination becomes a way to survive loss. It is gentle, sad, and beautifully made.

Verdict: Very Good

DC Rating: 4/5

1431. Mayasabha (2026)

Director : Rahi Anil Barve

Cinematographer : Kuldeep Mamania

Genre : Fantasy

Country : India

Duration : 104 Minutes

🔸 Mayasabha is an unsettling and ambitious film that explores greed, power, and moral decay through a mix of reality and imagination. It is best watched without knowing much about the plot. The film slowly pulls the viewer into its world, where everyday life blends with symbolic and dream-like moments. It is not made to entertain in a simple way. Instead, it wants to disturb, confuse, and make the audience think. This approach will not work for everyone, but the intention is clear and sincere.

🔸 The influence of Tumbbad is hard to ignore. Tumbbad changed how many viewers looked at Indian genre cinema, especially stories about greed and consequence. Mayasabha discusses the same thread of greed, but it lacks the strong punch and lasting impact that Tumbbad had. Still, the director deserves praise for the vision and courage to make an unsettling film. The way reality and imagination are mixed is often beautiful, and the performances are strong and committed. Actors help ground the film even when the storytelling becomes abstract.

🔸 The film struggles mainly with pacing and payoff. Some scenes feel too long, and certain plot points are introduced but not fully explored. A few ideas feel half-baked, and the emotional or thematic payoff does not always land. Because of this, the film feels uneven at times. Even with these flaws, Mayasabha remains interesting because of its ambition and intent. It may not fully succeed, but it shows a filmmaker willing to take risks and push Indian cinema toward darker and more uncomfortable spaces.

Verdict : Above Average

DC Rating : 3/5

1430. The Voice Of Hind Rajab (2025)

Director : Kaouther Ben Hania

Cinematographer : Juan Sarmiento

Genre : Drama

Country : Tunisia

Duration : 89 Minutes

🔸 The Voice of Hind Rajab is a restrained and emotionally heavy drama that follows a short, terrifying window of time in the life of a child trapped in an impossible situation. The story is told from a limited point of view, staying close to one experience rather than expanding into multiple storylines. The plot is simple and focused, unfolding through moments of waiting, fear, and uncertainty. The film avoids dramatized events or twists, choosing intimacy and realism instead.

🔸 What gives the film its power is how it quietly reflects contemporary politics without turning into a statement piece. The larger political reality is always present in the background, shaping every moment, but it is never explained through dialogue or speeches. Instead, politics are felt through absence, danger, and helplessness. This approach makes the film more painful and honest. Performances are controlled and deeply affecting, especially in how fear and vulnerability are expressed without exaggeration. Sound and silence play a major role, often carrying more emotion than visuals.

🔸 The film’s narrow focus can feel emotionally exhausting, and the pacing is deliberately slow. Some viewers may want more context or narrative expansion, but the restraint feels intentional. The Voice of Hind Rajab is not interested in answers or resolutions. It asks the audience to witness and to listen. As a drama, it is quiet, respectful, and deeply unsettling, leaving a strong emotional impact that lingers long after the film ends.

Verdict : Very Good

DC Rating : 4.25/5

1429. Marty Supreme (2025)

Director : Josh Safdie

Cinematographer : Darius Khondji

Genre : Drama

Country : USA

Duration : 150 Minutes

🔸 Marty Supreme is a slow and character-focused drama that lives in moral grey areas. The story follows Marty, a man who appears confident and in control, but slowly reveals cracks beneath that surface. The plot is simple and unfolds through everyday situations, decisions, and conversations. There are no big twists or dramatic turns. Instead, the film lets character behavior drive the story, allowing the audience to slowly understand who Marty really is.

🔸 One of the film’s strongest qualities is how it portrays its characters without clear judgment. No one here is fully good or fully bad. Marty himself is written as a complicated person, capable of charm, selfishness, care, and cruelty at the same time. The performance captures this perfectly. Small changes in tone, body language, and silence show inner conflict without spelling it out. Supporting characters are also treated with the same balance, each shaped by personal need, fear, or ambition. This grey portrayal makes the world feel realistic and uncomfortable in a good way.

🔸 The pacing is mostly steady, though the film sometimes lingers longer than necessary on similar emotional beats. A tighter edit could have made the impact sharper. Still, the direction remains confident and focused. The film avoids flashy moments and trusts quiet scenes to do the work. By the end, Marty Supreme leaves a strong impression, not because of the plot, but because of how honestly it presents flawed people trying to justify their choices. It is a thoughtful and well acted film that respects complexity over easy answers.

Verdict : Very Good

DC Rating : 4/5

1428. The Secret Agent (2025)

Director : Kleber Mendonca Filho

Cinematographer : Evgenia Alexandrova

Genre : Drama

Country : Brazil

Duration : 161 Minutes

🔸 The Secret Agent is a slow burning political thriller that is more interested in atmosphere and control than action. The story is set during a tense period of political unrest and follows a man working quietly inside a system built on surveillance, fear, and silence. The plot unfolds carefully, revealing information in small pieces. There are no loud twists or constant movement. Instead, the film builds tension through waiting, listening, and watching.

🔸 The film’s biggest strength is its mood. Every scene feels heavy with unease, even when nothing obvious is happening. The performances are restrained and strong, especially the lead, who carries tension through posture, looks, and silence rather than dialogue. Characters feel trapped inside their roles, and that emotional pressure slowly becomes the film’s driving force. Politics are not explained directly, but they are felt in every interaction, giving the film quiet power.

🔸 At times, the film can feel distant and demanding. The pacing is slow, and it asks the viewer to stay patient and attentive. Some emotional moments remain cold rather than engaging. Still, the control and confidence of the direction keep it compelling. The Secret Agent is a serious and thoughtful film that values tension, mood, and political weight over entertainment. It may not fully grip everyone emotionally, but it leaves a strong impression through its atmosphere and intent.

Verdict : Good

DC Rating : 3.75/5

1427. The World Of Us (2016)

Director : Yoon Gaeun

Cinematographer : Min Jun Won

Genre : Drama

Country : South Korea

Duration : 95 Minutes

🔸 The World of Us looks at childhood not as something innocent and simple, but as a time full of quiet pain and confusion. The film follows a young girl who spends her school days trying to hold on to friendship and avoid being alone. The story is very small in scale, with no big incidents or dramatic turns. It stays close to everyday life, where small words, small choices, and small exclusions slowly begin to hurt.

🔸 What makes the film special is how accurately it understands children. The film shows how friendships can change suddenly, how kindness and cruelty can exist together, and how loneliness can grow without anyone noticing. The child performances are excellent and feel completely natural. Nothing feels written or staged. Emotions come through in silences, glances, and hesitation. The film never explains feelings with dialogue. It trusts the audience to feel them.

🔸 The direction is quiet and patient, never forcing drama. The camera often stays at the child’s level, making the world feel big and overwhelming. The pacing is slow, but it fits the emotional experience of childhood, where time feels long and feelings linger. The ending is simple and realistic, offering understanding rather than comfort. The World of Us is a gentle but deeply honest film that reminds us how deeply children feel, even when adults fail to notice.

Verdict: Very Good

DC Rating: 4/5

1426. The Daytrippers (1996)

Director : Greg Mottola

Cinematographer : John Inwood

Genre : Comedy

Country : USA

Duration : 87 Minutes

🔸 The Daytrippers is a smart and warm indie film about family, misunderstanding, and the chaos that comes from caring too much. The story follows a woman who discovers something troubling and takes a sudden trip into the city with her family to find answers. The plot is simple and unfolds over one day, built around conversations, arguments, and awkward encounters. There are no big twists or dramatic turns. The film is more interested in people than events.

🔸 The performances are excellent and feel very natural. Every actor feels perfectly cast, bringing humor and emotion without exaggeration. Family interactions feel real, messy, and often funny in uncomfortable ways. The film understands how families talk over each other, misunderstand intentions, and still care deeply underneath it all. Comedy comes from character behavior rather than jokes, and emotional moments land quietly but strongly.

🔸 What makes The Daytrippers special is its tone. It balances humor and sadness with great confidence. The pacing is tight, and the short runtime works in the film’s favor, keeping everything focused and lively. By the end, the emotional payoff feels honest and satisfying without being sentimental. The Daytrippers is a small film with a big heart, showing how everyday confusion and love can exist side by side. It remains one of the finest examples of thoughtful, character driven indie cinema.

Verdict: Very Good

DC Rating: 4.25/5

1425. A Brother And Seven Siblings (2024)

Director : Yandy Laurens

Cinematographer : Dimas Triatma Yoga

Genre : Drama

Country : Indonesia

Duration : 131 Minutes

🔸 A Brother and Seven Siblings is a warm and emotionally grounded family drama that focuses on responsibility, sacrifice, and quiet love. The story follows an elder brother who suddenly finds himself responsible for his younger siblings. The plot is simple and clear, built around daily struggles, shared spaces, and small decisions that slowly shape the family’s future. The film avoids dramatic twists and instead lets life unfold naturally.

🔸 The strongest part of the film is its emotional honesty. The performances feel natural and sincere, especially the lead actor, who carries exhaustion, care, and frustration with great restraint. The younger actors are also very convincing, making the sibling bond feel real and lived-in. The film treats every character with respect, never turning them into symbols. Relationships feel messy, loving, and human, which makes the emotional moments land quietly but strongly.

🔸 The storytelling is patient and well-paced, allowing emotions to grow without forcing drama. The cinematography is simple and intimate, focusing on faces and shared moments rather than visuals meant to impress. While the story stays within familiar territory, the emotional payoff feels earned. A Brother and Seven Siblings is a heartfelt and sincere film about family and responsibility, made powerful through strong performances and emotional truth.

Verdict : Very Good

DC Rating : 4/5

1424. The Paradise Of Thorns (2024)

Director : Naruebet Kuno

Cinematographer : Tawanvad Wanavit

Genre : Drama

Country : Thailand

Duration : 131 Minutes

🔸 Paradise of Thorns is a dark and tense drama set in a rural setting where beauty and danger exist side by side. The story follows a group of people connected by land, power, and survival, slowly revealing how greed and fear shape their choices. The plot is simple on the surface and unfolds gradually, focusing more on mood and tension than on clear twists. The film gives just enough story information to understand the conflict without explaining everything directly.

🔸 The film’s atmosphere is one of its strongest points. There is a constant feeling of unease, even in quiet moments. The performances are solid and restrained, especially from the central characters, who carry anger, desperation, and quiet suffering with realism. The film treats its characters seriously, allowing them to feel human rather than symbolic. The cinematography captures nature beautifully but never lets it feel comforting. Landscapes feel harsh and isolating, reflecting the inner state of the characters.

🔸 However, the film struggles with pacing. Some scenes feel longer than necessary, and the tension does not always build as strongly as it should. Certain emotional ideas are repeated without adding new depth, which slightly weakens the overall impact. While the story is interesting and the mood is strong, the film holds back from becoming truly powerful. Paradise of Thorns is a well-made and atmospheric film that works in parts, even if it does not fully reach its potential.

Verdict : Above Average

DC Rating : 3/5