Author: Morgen Schuler

Reviews

The Wedding Banquet is a beautifully nuanced re-imagining

by Morgen Schuler

Two couples, four best friends, Min (Han Gi-chan of kdrama Where Your Eyes Linger) and Chris (Bowen Yang of Crazy Rich Asians), Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, of several Star Wars films) and Lee (Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon), live at the same address, share their lives and love each other. Nothing special or grandiose about their stories, there’s love, frustrations, insecurities, but these are things we all share as humans. While Chris is working through his issues with worthiness, aimlessness and fear of the future, Angela is trying to reconcile her frustrating and hurtful relationship with her mother while apprehensively preparing to become one herself with Lee’s second attempt at IVF looming.

Reviews

Sacramento is a millennial midlife crisis

by Morgen Schuler

Two formerly close friends, Rickey (Michael Angarano) and Glenn (Michael Cera) embark on a road trip after the former pops in for a visit to the latter. Rickey seems lost in grief after his father’s passing the year before and Glenn has gone off the deep end, swallowed up by fear of his impending role as a father. Rickey manages to get Glenn to head to Sacramento to supposedly carry out his late father’s last wishes, but has more than just scattering remains in mind. Along the way, they find their friendship again but also seem to create a sort of co-dependence that exacerbates their self-centered midlife crises.

Festivals Reviews

Slamdance 2025: Quick Reviews

by Morgen Schuler

While the in-person festival has come to a close, the virtual Slamdance Film festival is in full swing. Nearly every film available at the theaters in LA are now available for streaming for a killer price. I’ll have more pocket reviews coming up!

Reviews

Love Hurts tries to be a playful punch in the gut but misses the mark

by Morgen Schuler

Marvin (Ke Huy Kwan) is a simple, easy-going and enthusiastic real estate agent in Milwaukee. He has his sights set on being the best of the best and it shows in every crumb of the fresh-baked cookies he makes for potential clients and co-workers alike. Soon it comes out that Marvin has a past he’d rather forget, a long-lost love (Ariana Debose) that suddenly re-emerges and a brother (Daniel Wu) who is hoping to wrangle him back into the family business.

Reviews

Harbin is a dark and intense story, one among many, of Korea’s fight for independence

by Morgen Schuler

In 1909 a small band of Korean independence fighters including protagonist Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) plot to assassinate Japan’s first Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi. Their goal was to take a big step toward Korean independence and pull their country out from underneath Japan’s harsh rule. Hirobumi had just rejected Korea’s attempt at annexation, so in response a small group of Korean soldiers hatched a plan to eliminate this new threat.

documentary Reviews

EOY Catch Up: RM: Right People, Wrong Place

by Morgen Schuler

Kim Namjoon, better know as RM and member of the musical supergroup BTS, released an album early in 2024 titled Right Place, Wrong Person (RPWP). Within the world of ARMY, BTS’ fanbase, it was beloved just as any release from any of the members always are. However, it didn’t end up being as much of a commercial success as his bandmate Jeon Jungkook’s Golden or Park Jimin’s Muse despite those two albums bookending his own release. That doesn’t diminish the quality of the songs contained within RPWP; as a matter of fact, it is a deep dive into the emotional state of RM as a man and an artist that doesn’t go for the easy listen or immediately relatable lyrics. It just gets better the more often you listen to it. That becomes even more evident with a viewing of the accompanying documentary he created as the album was produced.

Reviews

EOY Catch Up: Hard Truths

by Morgen Schuler

Set in contemporary London we meet Pansy, a middle-aged black woman just trying to move forward in an increasingly stressful world. As we follow her accomplishing every day mundane tasks she seems to be set off by the most innocuous things from being bumped into walking down the street, to a cashier at the grocery rubbing her the wrong way. Her stress becomes our stress and it’s hard to understand just where all the hostility comes from.

Reviews

EOY Catch Up: Flow

by Morgen Schuler

Cat is languidly living in an urban wilderness. Surrounded by worn-down buildings and lush greenery, you sense both the familiar and the unknown. Without any warning he is faced with quickly rising water; he moves farther and farther up surrounding buildings and to the top of a sculpture identical to our small protagonist. Nothing but water as far as the eye can see, he’s unsure of where to go.