PoochieVince

​I’ve recently realized that watching film noir is weirdly relaxing for me. There’s something about the "process" of the genre—the shadows, the fatalism, the inevitable rain—that I just really respect. Finding a hidden gem like this that I’d never even heard of is a total win. ​This isn't your typical rise-and-fall crime saga. Instead of seeing the climb, we meet a man already mid-plummet. It’s a claustrophobic, anxious experience where absolutely no one feels comfortable; every character is just scratching and clawing to eke out some kind of survivable existence in a world that feels rigged against them. ​Also, I’ve clearly watched <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i> way too many times because I recognized Nick the bartender immediately. Truly a unique find.

**B**ad

Max Ophüls really went all out here. It’s a technical marvel, and the use of color and the frame-within-a-frame stuff is genuinely impressive. But honestly, it’s a bit much for my taste. ​I tend to gravitate toward more understated films, and this felt like it was dialed up to eleven at all times. There’s so much majesty and sensory overload that it actually made it harder for me to care about Lola herself. It’s a gorgeous spectacle, but I left feeling more exhausted than moved.

Look, this is definitely not an easy watch, but man, it’s incredible. Park Chan-wook has this way of making everything feel so raw and desperate without ever being flashy for the sake of it. ​The way it uses silence because of Ryu is genuinely stressful—it makes the sound design feel so much heavier. It’s a total downward spiral where you basically feel bad for everyone involved, even when they’re doing horrific things. Brutal and heartbreaking.