What Markus Goller delivers is disappointingly trivial; his cinematic approach is deeply mediocre and unsatisfying. In the summer of 2015, a young man named Lukas (Louis Hofmann) was so distressed by the plight of refugees attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean that he decided to take matters into his own hands. These refugees made the crossing in rubber boats—often dangerously overloaded—resulting in many lives being lost at sea. Faced with a lack of government assistance, Lukas decided to act on behalf of the refugees. He sought a boat to purchase and approached both banks and charitable organizations for funding. Director: Markus Goller Writers: Michele Cinque, Oliver Ziegenbalg Stars: Louis Hofmann, Mala Emde, Katharina Stark He even printed flyers to distribute on the street and raise public awareness of his cause. Initially, his appeals fell on deaf ears; no one wanted to help him. Later, Nina (Katharina Stark), inspired by his passion, joined him; following her...
Set during the Joseon era, the series follows Gu-cheon, a spirit hunter capable of crossing into the realm of the dead, and Saeng-gang, a cursed court lady with the ability to hear ghosts. Every so often, a Korean drama comes along determined to throw a mix of genres into a blender; usually, the result is chaos. Surprisingly, *The East Palace* makes this formula work. From the very first episode, the series makes one thing clear: it has no interest in being a typical, conventional palace drama. Yes, there are royal conspiracies and power struggles over the succession, but these elements are filtered through restless spirits, ancestral curses, and an unsettling mythology that constantly blurs the line between the living and the dead. It feels as though *Kingdom*, *The Guest*, and a traditional *sageuk* briefly crossed paths inside a haunted building. The result is undoubtedly ambitious. Stars: Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo, Cho Seung-woo Nam Joo-hyuk delivers a captivating performance in h...