‘Happyend’ has this charm to it that resonates with you, even if you're no longer in your teenage years. Or better yet, it becomes a fitting experience of remembering who you once were.

 ‘Mistress Dispeller’ opens with a disclaimer: everything you will witness on screen is true. What follows is a complicated yet real case of infidelity in which the wife seeks the help of an expert to save their marriage. 

‘Tale of the Land’ is an ambitious attempt to connect societal issues such as forced displacement and familial trauma. It didn’t stick its landing, though it’s still serviceable.

One may just be impressed to think how for a debut feature, ‘Don’t Cry Butterfly’ just seamlessly flows through everything so nicely. It’s an experience that leaves plenty to think about, whether it be in the creative decisions or the story.

‘Pierce’ hits with a flurry of blows for a story about a tense brotherhood. Its soul is laid bare, framed so disgustingly sharp that one can’t help but be glued to its madness.

‘Moneyslapper’s’ brand of violence gets disgusting without ever firing a bullet. It is methodical, yet reckless; straightforward, yet deep.

Even though Love is a Gun is by far from redefining the neo-noir genre, there is still something enthralling about a forlorn man desperately in pursuit of rewriting his fate.

For a film about faith and questioning, I think it’s quite ingenious to use the medium of slow cinema to convey its themes because, in a way, there are a lot of commonality with each other in the sense that you have to be ready to embrace both, and you are willing to listen. And one can’t really force either, you have to devote yourself to it.

Amanda Nell Eu's attempts to explore these themes of puberty and womanhood while fusing body horror and adolescence are admirable because ‘Tiger Stripes’ deftly maintains a balance between realism and mythology.

From its direction to the performances, ‘Gitling’ perfectly captures that melancholic and quiet sense of loneliness and the pure joy of finding someone who’ll listen and understand you.

Arnold is a Model Student shows rallying students and activists side by side to make everyone realize how oppression exists in all forms, a subtle jab at the current Thai administration that curtails its people’s basic right to free speech. The school is indeed a microcosm of the community, where the principal and the head of the country both boil down to a single, authoritarian evil.

Though unrefined in some aspects, 12 Weeks still finds itself to be a fascinating debut from Anna Matutina.

Autobiography is very much a product of its home country. Due to similarities in customs and social issues presented in the film, other Southeast Asian audiences might find the film hitting close to home. Its structure feels familiar but what makes it stand out in this year's releases is its coherency and brilliance in all areas.

Even if one finds difficulty in the film’s individual plotlines, Plan 75 snakes around these at least with frames and shots that outline the loss of personal grief and humanity that come with the titular program.

If anything, Ajoomma works in the same way most other K-dramas work: family. Every plot point in this film revolves around the importance of it and the ways it changes dynamically, yet always having love remain in spite of everything.

Despite the array of searing performances from its cast, Elehiya does nothing to stem the confusion that comes from vaguely dissecting a spiritually-charged island and its colonially-subdued inhabitants.

Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul is an engrossing character study on identity and what it means to belong, cycling through the inner serenity and restless intensity of oneself, full of multitudes, incredibly evocative, and admirably purposeful. While it may be meandering and confused at times, it is a journey worth taking.