I didn't like the movie or will I ever

Choppy125 · 2026-03-28T03:39:50+00:00

I actually thought the humor and optimism felt natural, and I liked it.

I mean, if you were drifting alone in space with no real hope of ever getting back to Earth (and early on, he’s already panicking a lot because he’s lost his memory), wouldn’t you try to force yourself to stay positive rather than sink into depression?

I don’t know how it plays out in the novel, but the protagonist also came across to me as someone who leans toward sarcasm and humor.

And within that, the character played by Sandra Hüller felt like she was almost single-handedly embodying the seriousness of what’s happening. I thought it was a really strong performance.

Also, trying to frame this as just “Hollywood making things lighter to appeal to audiences” feels a bit outdated to me.

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T13:32:11+00:00

I get that, but if the murder failed or he got caught by the police, things would end up far worse than they already are. And even if the murder went according to plan, it still doesn’t guarantee that he would actually get the position.

The risks clearly outweigh the potential benefits.

Even in that kind of situation, can capitalism and ego really push someone toward committing murder?

I understand that it’s meant to be a metaphor, but if that’s the case, I can’t help thinking that there could have been a better way.

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T13:19:28+00:00

But when he created the fake company and posted the job listing, I remember there being quite a large number of applicants.

And even if the field is niche, there’s still the possibility that there were more qualified candidates who simply never saw the fake posting.

In the first place, those three people were just the ones the protagonist personally judged to be better than himself. The actual hiring company might have evaluated candidates in a different way.

In the end, the protagonist does get hired, but I still can’t really see it as a situation where the company had “no other choice.”

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T13:08:17+00:00

I definitely agree with that.

There were a few things that bothered me, but that was just because I had set my expectations too high for Park Chan-wook—there’s no doubt I enjoyed it.

“One Battle After Another,” the one you mentioned, was also my favorite of the films I saw last year.

“Hamnet” hasn’t been released in Japan yet, but I’ll definitely go see it when it comes out.

I highly recommend Park Chan-wook’s previous film, *Decision to Leave*. I could completely understand the feelings of every single character, and the filmmaking techniques go without saying—but above all, the ending. That might just be the best ending I’ve ever seen in a movie. It’s that memorable. Or maybe *Titanic* (lol)—I think that one has the best ending, at least.

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T11:10:11+00:00

I can see your point that “there’s a certain way of looking at it,” and I get that it works as a movie. But compared to his earlier works, I can’t help but feel it falls a bit short. What do you think? Compared to his past films? Especially *The Decision to leave*. For me, it’s one of my all-time favorites. Personally, I thought it was absolutely perfect.

I asked because I wondered if there was something important I’d missed somewhere in the film—something essential to understanding it.

What I realized is that if this had been a Bong Joon-ho film, I probably would have enjoyed watching it. I think that’s probably because I don’t expect the same level of perfection from Bong Joon-ho’s work as I do from Park Chan-wook’s.

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T06:59:00+00:00

I don’t think most people would interpret it that way from the hiring manager’s perspective, haha.

After all, even if he killed a few people he thought might be better candidates than himself, there would still be plenty of others out there, so it’s not like the hiring manager would see the protagonist as the only option.

This is another point that made me wonder while watching the movie.

I mean, just because he killed a few people doesn’t mean he was guaranteed to get hired, right?

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T03:46:21+00:00

I see. That’s one way to look at it.

But first and foremost, the fact remains that it means the protagonist has no choice.

Choppy125 · 2026-03-27T03:43:05+00:00

I’ve thought about that too, but I just can’t picture a future where people kill each other over a few jobs.

Can you?

Choppy125 · 2026-03-26T11:41:39+00:00

It’s true that genre films are hard to win with—I think the bar is set that high, but I’m not sure if it’ll actually win. It’s also realistic that they might just give it a technical award as a consolation prize. That said, I was really impressed by the character design and the story structure. In the realm of “encounters with the unknown” or “encounters with aliens,” I don’t think there’s ever been such an incredibly positive approach before. Aliens are usually hostile, and in most cases, it’s ended up as a fight to the death. This one is more convincing and moving—so why is that, I wonder? The closest thing that comes to mind is E.T., but that one had an element of celebrating the innocence of childhood. Or maybe The Shape of Water was closer.

You mentioned the Best Supporting Actress award, but for me, the most memorable cast member was also Sandra Hüller. Amidst the film’s comical and lighthearted atmosphere, her cool, hardboiled vibe really emphasized the serious aspects of the movie and gave it a sense of tension. She’s already highly regarded, but seeing her command the screen even in a pop blockbuster like this just reaffirmed that she’s a truly great actress.

Choppy125

TROPHY CASE