Unstoppable, originally titled Seongnan Hwangso, is a South-Korean action-thriller offering Kim Min-ho's directorial film debut. This movie notably features star actor Ma Dong-seok, who has risen to fame in movies such as The Good, the Bad, the Weird as well as Quick, Kundo: Age of the Rampant, Train to Busan, The Outlaws, Along with the Gods, Champion, The Gangster, The Cop, the Devil and the Roundup while international cineasts might have discovered him in Eternals. This excellent actor and his radiant charisma elevate an average genre film to a good one that should please fans of atmospheric action-thrillers.

The story is quickly told. Dong-chul is a former gangster who is now married and has become a meek seafood distributor who has serious financial issues. The latter element leads to constant arguments with his wife Ji-soo. After one such argument at a restaurant, Ji-soo decides to take a cab home, only to be kidnapped by a group of filthy human traffickers. When the police is slow to intervene, Dong-chul decides to take matters into his own hands. He teams up with several acquaintances and starts investigating across South Korea and even in Russia.

This movie convinces on several levels. Ma Dong-seok convinces in his role as gentle giant whose chaotic life takes a sinister turn. The action scenes in this film are filmed with precision and value authenticity over exaggeration. The different locations have been chosen with care and offer some entertaining diversity. The story has a rather realistic vibe, portraying an important contemporary issue in South Korea. Despite its bleak story, the movie includes several passages of hilarious situation comedy that make the final product more accessible.

On the negative side, one can't help but feel that Ma Dong-seok keeps being cast into stereotypical roles ever since his breakthrough performance as tough fighter with a heart of gold in Train to Busan. The side characters are sympathetic but also quite by the numbers. The story touches an important topic but remains overall predictable and must ultimately be considered paper thin.

At the end of the day, Unstoppable is by no means an excellent movie that should be watched by everyone. However, it's an entertaining action-thriller with some surprising situation comedy and a charismatic lead actor who might as well be considered South Korea's best contemporary male actor by now. Fans of Asian action cinema and actor Ma Dong-seok should give this movie a try. Everyone else might simply watch Unstoppable on a slow rainy day to get two hours of very decent but not excellent entertainment.

The Constable is a movie that combines action, drama and thriller genres for a sympathetic slice-of-life portraying the accomplishments and challenges of good-hearted police officer Lam Kwok-kuen. Rather than following one single gripping story line, cineasts get to explore the police officer's daily life. He takes care of police vehicles but also has a talent for resolving tense situations with courage, intellect and speed. In his personal life, he is taking great care of his son Lam Wing-chung who suffers from Down syndrome as a single father since the mother abandoned the family. Lam Kwok-huen gets some support from Lin Tsui-yan who develops a caring relationship with Lam Wing-Chun. Personal and professional lives start to collide when Lin Tsui-yan's jealous boyfriend joins a gang that plans on robbing a bank. Lin Tsui-yan reveals those plans to Lam Kwok-kuen after she has decided to end her toxic relationship with her violent boyfriend. Lam Kwok-kuen decides to intervene personally with his colleagues from the police station to arrest the ruthless robbers.

This movie convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the movie's slow pace and its unusual mixture of action, drama and thriller genres make it stand out among similar Hong Kong movies that tend to focus on breathtaking special effects and tense story lines. This film also convinces with its realistic vibe, portraying the life of a modest police officer, the daily struggles of people with Down syndrome and the challenges of young adults who have to take drastic decisions to organize changes in their lives. The acting performances in this film are also excellent and one has to underline Li Jinjiang's outstanding incarnation of a young adult suffering from Down syndrome whose behaviour changes from heartfelt affection to saddening opposition in an instant. The film's length is excellent as it clocks in at precisely ninety-six minutes which means that the movie neither cuts any important scenes nor overstays its welcome.

On the negative side, the movie explores numerous different settings and situations but lacks a truly gripping story. Cineasts who are expecting explosive action sequences or a clever scenario might feel disappointed. This movie is most recommended to movie lovers who care about realistic dramas with profound characters. The film's smooth pace might not sit well with certain audiences but it certainly helps fleshing out the different characters very well. This movie entertains and touches its audience while it lasts but might not have much replay value and might fail to leave a deep mark in the long run.

At the end of the day, The Constable is an emotional drama with profound characters in a realistic setting that shows cineasts what life in Hong Kong and Guangdong is like. Regarding its action and thriller elements, this movie is however only of average and even below average quality, respectively. This diversified, empathic and sympathetic slice of life however walks off the beaten path and is remarkably different from usual Hong Kong cinema revolving around the police force. The Constable might need some time to grow on audiences but patient cineasts will be rewarded with a creative film that offers an hour and a half of decent entertainment.

Sagasu, internationally known as Missing, is a Japanese crime drama that walks off the beaten path and shocks with with an overdose of bleak nihilism. The story revolves around an alcoholic father who claims to have found a mysterious serial killer and parts to claim the reward. He leaves behind his teenage daughter who attempts to find out what has happened to her father who fails to come back home. While a nun wants to put her into an orphanage, a teacher keeps criticizing her and police officers are convinced that her father will never be coming back, the rebellious teenage daughter continues to investigate with a perverted classmate who is obsessed with becoming her boyfriend.

This movie convinces on a few levels. First and foremost, the initial mystery of the father's sudden disappearance makes for a dynamic start of the movie. The settings of a desolate downtown sector are intertwined with an isolated island showcasing stunning landscapes. Child actress Ito Aoi is a wonderful discovery as viewers will quickly empathize with the courageous, resilient and smart teenage daughter who defies authorities, conventions and expectations.

However, this film takes a turn for the worse when its perspective suddenly shifts from the fascinating lead actress to extended flashbacks that reveal too many secrets much too quickly. The movie takes an uncomfortably sinister turn as it takes its time to show numerous elements of murder, suicide and torture. The genre also changes from a quirky thriller to a depressing drama. This is certainly the type of movie to be watched on a gloomy autumn night all by yourself as this film definitely isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea to say the least.

The clever closing scene is almost conciliatory however and leaves viewers on a positive note. Despite being passable at the end of the day, the perspective shift sadly wastes much potential and the repetition of gloomy scenes drags on for far too long as it might only please particularly cynical cineasts. To get to the point, Sagasu, better known as Missing around the world, is certainly a crime drama that walks off the beaten path but not in a very convincing manner. This movie is only recommended to fans of gloomy, nihilistic and slow dramas. If you enjoy this film, I would also recommend the similarly sinister Japanese drama The Suicide Manual.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 is a Japanese action fantasy movie based upon the famous manga series that was massively promoted upon release. Despite being labeled as the first chapter, there has't been any live action sequel to this movie as of yet. This film that was released to mixed to positive reviews takes place in the fictional town of Morioh where high school students investigate a series of mysterious murders.

On the positive side, the settings chosen for this movie are absolutely stunning. Principal photography has been shot in Sitges and Barcelona which makes viewers want to visit Spain more than most documentaries about these locations. The characters in this film are unique, quirky and bubbly as they provide at times surprising developments and unexpected depth. The special effects in this movie are also intriguing, especially in its second half that truly brings the magical world of the original manga series to life. The climactic showdown in an abandoned mansion is the movie's undeniable highlight and will keep viewers on the edges of their seats.

This decent film is however not without its flaws. Viewers who might not be familiar with the manga series might mix up a few characters, lose track of the complex plot and have trouble immersing themselves in this magical universe. The pace of the movie's first half is somewhat slow and features a few unnecessary lengths. Several questions remain unanswered by the end of the movie, aiming for a potential sequel that hasn't seen the light of day as of today. Miike Takashi is one of Japan's most creative filmmakers ever but his astonishing talent feels at times restricted by the precise guidelines of the source material and severe fan expectations.

At the end of the day, this movie is highly recommended to fans of the manga series as well as anyone appreciating contemporary fantasy movies starring youthful characters. Anyone expecting memorable plot and stunning filmmaking can however skip this film without any regrets. In conclusion, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 is a decent to good fantasy movie for a slow evening but fails to leave a deeper impression.

Over My Dead Body, originally known as Seisi Seisi Seisapsei, is a pitch-black satire from Hongkong criticizing the explosion of property prices and its consequences on middle-class citizens. The movie follows a group of residents of an apartment complex who discover the body of an unknown naked male on their floor in the middle of the night. Since they are afraid that the discovery of such a body could significantly lower the value of their apartments, they are trying to find more and more adventurous ways to get rid of it.

This movie's shining highlight is its eclectic selection of characters and most importantly their connections. First of all, we meet a family that lives in the apartment of the tyrannical grandmother that is much too small for all of them. Up next, we meet an elderly couple consisting of a forgetful wife and a proud husband who are completely taken by surprise by the events. We then meet a single lady who has recently converted to Buddism and lives with her beloved dog and a housekeeper from the Philippines. Lastly, the last apartment on the floor belongs to a single father working as a cab driver and his aggressive son who has never gotten over his parents' separation. Along the way, these characters meet a few other ones such as a zealous security guard and a chain-smoking daredevil lady who is supposed to get married the next day. The chemistry, developments and tensions between these different characters are fascinating to observe from start to finish.

The story features a few dynamic ideas but is overall very predictable. There are numerous elements of foreshadowing right from the start that give attentive viewers a very good idea how the film is going to be ending. This is why the inspired story was lacking an element of surprise that could have ended the film on a high note.

The flow of the movie also has its ups and downs. Initially, viewers are introduced to way too many characters who are difficult to empathize with. Especially the first family that is introduced in the movie comes off as cold-hearted, manipulative and selfish with the exception of the little girl. It's only once all characters have been introduced that they develop some depth as not only weaknesses but also strengths are being explored.

This film has overall a humorous tone and can be described as a macabre comedy film. The film's connections to a very real problem with exaggerated property prices will strike a chord with many residents from Hongkong and its surroundings as well as similarly expensive markets. Viewers who are however less exposed to such problems in their personal lives might have issues connecting with the topic and getting all the sinister jokes about it. The movie's humorous flow is at times intertwined with elements of tragedy that hit particularly hard and make for a vivid rollercoaster ride. Viewers certainly have to be open to deal with the collision of exaggeratedly humorous elements and heartbreakingly tragical scenes.

At the end of the day, Over My Dead Body is a decent satire with interesting character developments and a bubbly mixture of bittersweet satire and tearjerking tragedy. The downsides are an initially repulsive set of characters and predictable plot developments. This movie certainly isn't as excellent as some reviews claim but it nevertheless offers two hours of dynamic entertainment on a slow night.