D_RIVIEW

Materialists isn't a rom-com with overly basic content. It explores themes like love, relationships, control, and self-esteem. In terms of the concept and story that Celine Song offers, the film is quite fresh and above the standard of any rom-coms. Focusing on Lucy, who is trapped between choosing a man who can fulfill all of her desires or a man who sincerely loves her despite his lack of wealth, all of this is conveyed in a mature and reasonable manner, packaged with a touch of comedy. There are subplots that really help on deepen the story and its emotions. The characters here are made quite relatable and layered, each character is also really well developed. The pacing is just right, not too rushed. The cinematography is good with interesting shots and minimal movement. The visualization are subtle and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The editing for each cut is neat. The scoring is good and the soundtrack is nice to listen to. Good acting from the cast, the chemistry between the cast is quite fitting. Overall, for Celine Song's second film, this is more of a type that is suitable just to enjoy it.

I give this 7.8/10.

Together is a new body horror film with an interesting concept. The film explores themes such as dependency, identity pressure, and self-satisfaction. The story is quite unique and fresh, with a quite solid writing. Body horror, which is the main element in this film, doesn't just give a disgusting or disturbing impression to the film, but also serves as a metaphor for Tim and Millie's relationship, which kinda has a deep meaning. Amidst all the horror and the tension, there are sometimes interspersed with dark and sensual comedy with perfect timing. However, in the final act of the film, even though it was okay, for some reason it felt like something was less than satisfying. The character writing is so good, with a layered and quite complex background. The pacing is really perfect, very enjoyable. The cinematography is good, with many close-ups that make it uncomfortable. The editing for each cut is solid and helps the tension. The use of practical effects for the body horror adds to the scary impression. The sound design is unsettling, as is the score. The casting is great and they play their roles very well. Overall, the combination of body horror with the main themes is what makes this film unique.

I give this 8.2/10.

Although Noktah Merah Perkawinan is formulaic, it is successfully made more interesting. This film contains several themes, such as relationships, love, trust, pressure, and consequences. The story in this film may be too typical, the plot direction is easy to guess, and it feels like a soap opera, but Sabrina Rochelle makes the story enjoyable to follow until the end of the film. Although the drama is too familiar, it is not cheap, in fact, the storytelling seems more mature. In addition, we will also feel the drama is very complicated and intense, and can make us care about the storyline. The dialogue here is good, not excessive, and consistent in the use of language style. What makes this film feel mature is that there are no "bad" characters here, even though what they do is still unjustifiable. The pacing is also very good from beginning to end. The cinematography is predominantly symmetrical, which doesn't look too simple but is beautiful to look at and can convey the emotions appropriately. The editing is also okay. The mellow music is nice and matches the tone of the film. The acting of the cast is also solid, especially during the build up to the climax which is also smooth. Overall, a bit doubtful at the beginning, but managed to reverse expectations with solid execution.

I give this 9/10.