Mother’s household ledgers contain a lifetime of arduous years. While her memory fades as she grows older, the details of her daily life, meticulously recorded in the household ledgers for 48 years since 1969, remain as traces of her existence. Director Seong Seungtaek discovered these ledgers among his elderly parents’ belongings when they moved in together after 30 years apart. Carefully examining those records, which are both precious documentation of his family history and his mother’s intimate diary, the director creates another important historical document. As Mother’s Household Ledger gradually intertwines the family story with modern Korean history and their shared memories, our hearts are profoundly stirred. The mother wrote down the passage of time, and the son now illuminates the world imbued with that time. (HONG Eunmi)

Yeong-eun (Kwak Sun-young), a swimming instructor, lives alone with So-hyun, her 7-year-old daughter. So-hyun exhibits increasingly violent tendencies, which are spiraling out of control. 20 years later, new characters emerge: Min (Kwon Yu-ri) and Hae-yeong (Lee Sul), who deal with cases of solitary deaths and live together. They each harbor their own personal hell. In that damp hell, the presence of the mother is ever-present. The strength of Somebody lies in its multiple facets. It skillfully turns our focus into a character-searching game through bold developments, while also consistently posing heavy questions about family and motherhood. In summary, it has a relentless and compelling appeal. (HONG Eunmi)

A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when old tensions between the odd couple resurface against the backdrop of their family history. A Real Pain is a 2024 comedy drama film, written, directed, and produced by American actor Jesse Eisenberg. With this funny and emotional drama, Jesse Eisenberg clearly displays impressive talent in directing and writing. Plus, Kieran Culkin delivers a superb performance throughout the film, stealing the show. When it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, it became an audience favorite, with Jesse Eisenberg winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. A Real Pain is his second feature film after When You Finish Saving the World (2022).

Misericordia is a philosophical film noir by Alain Guiraudie that stands comparison with the works of Claude Chabrol and Robert Bresson. The movie is a prime example of the eccentric and imaginative world of director Alain Guiraudie. Jérémie returns to his village to attend the funeral of his former boss, a baker. Back in his old environment, he encounters old friends and feels the resurgence of desires and violence he harbored during his youth. In Misericordia, the dark and damp autumn forest becomes an astonishing stage. People there pick peculiar mushrooms, engage in fights, and bury corpses. In this primordial setting, moral questions are raised: “To what extent can ‘forgiveness’ be possible in the face of society and justice?” For Alain Guiraudie, mercy is not merely a dimension of forgiveness. It is a concept that transcends all morals, embodying understanding and empathy towards others. (SEO Seunghee)

At 24, Heewan (Kim Minha) struggles to find hope and the will to live. Then, her first love, Ramwoo (Gong Myoung), reappears after six years—but as a grim reaper. Ramwoo warns Heewan of her impending death and proposes that they spend her remaining week fulfilling her bucket list. Thus begins their week-long journey. The story traverses between their playful high school years and the present, weaving together a time-traveling adventure, a connection between the living and the dead, and a mix of secrets and love in this fantasy coming-of-age romance. Gong Myoung and Kim Minha gradually build the tender and poignant emotions of their characters. Directed by Kim Hyeyoung and Choi Hana, the talents behind two impressive debut features IT’S OKAY! (2023) and More Than Family (2020), with creator Roh Deok, known for her unique genre style, this drama offers everything from wit and depth to genre appeal. (JEONG Jihye)

Lawyer Avril decides to defend Cosmos, a dog who is facing trial for biting three people. If they lose the case, Cosmos is at risk of being euthanized. To save Cosmos facing a life-or-death decision under human law for the crime of biting people, Avril begins by examining the dog’s legal status. So, according to the law, are dogs considered people or objects? In court, a discussion unfolds with ecologists, philosophers, and religious figures debating the ethics and soul of animals. The trial also explores why Cosmos only bit women, leading to the absurd claim that ‘Cosmos is a misogynist.’ This comedy, which is both incredibly funny and ultimately serious, is based on a true story. Laetitia Dosch, a former actress, directs and stars as Avril. Cosmos (Kodi) won the prestigious ‘Palm Dog’ Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for the best performance by a dog. (LEE Juhyun)

High school fencer Zijie is shocked to learn that his older brother, Zihan, is being released early from prison. Zijie’s mother, who is about to marry a kind, wealthy man named Zhuang, wants to erase or downplay Zihan’s existence. But Zijie remembers his older brother as the one who saved him from drowning and the winner of three national fencing championships. Was Zihan really a psychopath who deliberately killed his opponent, as their mother claims, or was it an accident? If fencing is ‘chess with swords,’ requiring strategic anticipation of the opponent’s moves, the characters in Pierce are players, each moving their own pieces on the board of truth. In her directorial debut, former fencer Nelicia Low captures the dangerous yet beautiful art of fencing in a tale of brotherhood, earning her the Best Director Award at the 2024 Karlovy Vary Film Festival. (CHOI Eun)

Jinwoo (Jin-young) and his friends, who are each experiencing the peak of their puberty, have their own unique interests and causes of trouble. The one common interest among them is Seon-ah (Da-hyun), the model student who embodies both grace and beauty. To them, Seon-ah looks like an unattainable dream, even though she’s in the same class. Despite their contrasting personalities and academic performances, Jin-woo and Seon-ah develop a close bond by showing interest in each other’s different sides. Their relationship navigates through the lovey-dovey and bittersweet phases of high school and into the heart of their poignant youth. You Are the Apple of My Eye, a stylish remake of the Taiwanese film of the same name, vividly captures the lively moments of young people in the 2000s, the nuanced emotions of first love, and the intricate journey of first love over 15 years. (HONG Eunmi)

Kirill Serebrennikov, director of Leto (2018) and Petrov’s Flu (2021), adapts Emmanuel Carrère’s biographical novel to portray Eduard Limonov, the Russian writer born in 1943 who caused a stir in Russian literature and politics. The film vividly follows Limonov’s turbulent life: from his impoverished existence in Russia during the late 1960s, to his time in New York during the 1970s, to his emergence as a famous writer in Paris in the 1980s, and finally, his return to Moscow where he formed an extremist political party. Serebrennikov recreates New York streets and Siberian prisons in the studio and delves into the writer’s chaotic inner world, evoking the style of Federico Fellini. Through the character of Limonov, brilliantly portrayed by Ben Whishaw, the director reflects on the painful history of Russia, spanning from the communist dictatorship to Putin’s nationalism. (SEO Seunghee)

There are several journeys in The Room Next Door. The first is the journey of Pedro Almodóvar, who is now considered synonymous with Spanish culture, to the United States to make his first English-language feature film. The filmmaker still captivates audiences with his aesthetic sensitivity and scripts full of secrets. The second is a journey towards death, where a woman asks her friend to accompany her in her final moments. The last is an aesthetic journey; through captivating colors and the still image of female characters, the director leads us into a world reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s masterpieces. World-renowned actresses Julianne Moore, playing the role of the bestselling author, Ingrid, and Tilda Swinton as Martha, who suffers from an incurable disease, form a wonderful ensemble. Julianne Moore’s deep eyes, unfathomable as the abyss, convey all the emotions of the world—love, wonder, compassion, admiration, and sorrow. Director Almodóvar offers Tilda Swinton one of the best roles of her career with the luminous yet fragile character of Martha. With The Room Next Door, a melodrama dealing with illness and death in a serene manner, the Spanish master adds one of the most beautiful films to his filmography. (SEO Seunghee)

Ash Valley: Janyl is about Janyl who investigates strange behavior in livestock near a large oil rig. Something feels wrong, but her superior asks her to stay out of the investigation for her own safety. (PARK Sungho)

On Cheung Chau Island, located 10 kilometers south of Hong Kong, A-Cheung and his wife run an old food stall that serves simple fare like dried grilled seafood and beer. The stall has served a loyal customer for over ten years, nicknamed “Plumpy.” Plumpy, a tomboyish regular, shares a close bond with A-Cheung, despite their 40-year age difference. They are a perfect pair, who spend their days drinking beer, smoking, chatting, and playing mahjong. But when it comes to the current state of Hong Kong, which is just a ferry ride away, their views could not be more different. Leisurely pastimes and the intense rhythm of revolution clash in Another Home, which uses the food stall as a stage to observe how the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests and the subsequent pandemic transform their lives. With the mood of a feature film, this documentary offers a portrait of everyday life, capturing the end of better times with striking simplicity. (KANG Sowon)