mosquitocyn Reviews

The Longest Day in Chang'an (2019)

This is a spectacular watch

[9/10 · 23 May 2024]

This is high quality and scores in many aspects including cinematography, acting, intrigue, attention to details, costume, execution, lighting and believable fight scenes. In a nutshell, it tells of a terrorist attack on the city of Chang'an on the day of the Lantern Festival and follows through our hero's efforts to investigate and prevent the attack on the city. There's many characters in the entire series and I definitely got lost and confused many times. Much time and effort is given to the development of each character. There's no shortcuts in this series and if you don't follow through it, you will want to rewind and catch up again to continue with the story. The series is interesting, fast paced and beautifully made, so you will not want to give up at any point. It also builds up and you just want to solve the mystery.

Io Capitano (2023)

Well acted treacherous refugee journey

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

This is a well directed and acted movie that depicts the journey of 2 cousins who wanted a better life and took a treacherous journey from Senegal to Europe. The movie show them having a happy life with their family albeit in poverty. They were influenced by social media that they can find fame and money in Europe and despite being warned that the journey to Europe can mean death, they choose not to believe it. I was a bit skeptical as to why young boys who have family who love them & can find work to save up money secretly and be so naive to take this journey. In any case, the acting and cinematography were good and I stayed with the movie. Horrors quickly unfold and the boys get separated and reunited later on but not without each of them suffering in their misadventures. The movie touches on various issues briefly like torture camps, mafia which captures refugees for ransom money from home, inhumane transportations whether in trucks or boats. I was disappointed that there was no time spent on showing what happened to the 2 boys when they arrived in Europe.

The Shunning (2011 TV Movie)

Enjoyable decent watch

[7/10 · 27 April 2024]

I have not read the book, didn't know this movie comes in a trilogy and I do not know much about Amish community. Only realised there is a book and the movie is a trilogy after I finished watching this movie and read the comments of reviews in this App. I must say the story is good, pace is fast moving and at times a bit rushed, acting is believable and the songs are nice. I find it pretty entertaining and a good family movie. I did not understand the over-dramatizing of being adopted, maybe the news was aggravated by the fact she is only told about it 20 years later. This movie is definitely interesting enough to make me watch the continuing 2 movies that make this a trilogy.

A Killer Among Us (2012 TV Movie)

Easy enjoyable TV watch

[7/10 · 25 April 2024]

This movie popped up on YouTube and decided to give it a go and turned out to be a pretty good and easy watch. Yes, there are a number of loopholes but it is well paced, not boring at all, reasonably good acting, a very handsome cop, a few surprising twists and some predictable events. Think it is based on a book and am not sure whether it's based on or inspired by true events - tried to search in the web but had conflicting results. I thought there wasn't enough time given to show the children's sorrow and adjustments after their mother was murdered. In fact I resided the movie to see whether I missed any jump in time. All in all, still a good watch.

The Queen (2023)

Good short series

[7/10 · 23 April 2024]

Firstly, if this series was any longer like over 15 episodes, I wouldn't have enjoyed it. Thankfully it's just 11 episodes because the series can be exhausting and all the lies, infidelities and bitchy love triangles can be too much to swallow. The cast is just fantastic especially our two main leads acted very well. I also like the ending because it shows how a woman can stand on her own despite all the disappointments she went through. Burcu Ozberk really lived up to the title of the series. Initially I thought the scriptwriters would write a new love interest for her after the divorce but am glad they did not. They are able to show an independent lady who can accept and build a better life despite unfortunate public embarrassing events.

Ask Aglatir (2019)

Not a romcom, sadness and sacrifices before happiness

[6/10 · 21 April 2024]

It's a watchable series. Not too long which is good and has a proper happy ending. However there's too much sadness, tears, injustice and sacrifices in the beginning which can be rather off putting. I fast forwarded a lot. Also it has love triangles and the third party can be rather toxic which again made me press the fast forward button. Not only that, there seem to be quite a few nasty characters to contribute to all the sorrow our two lead characters have to undergo. Other than all these negatives, it's well casted with a sweet love story. Not a romantic comedy but rather a family drama with romance with lots of sufferings before eventual happiness.

Bahar (2024– )

From excellent watch to just ok

[7/10 · 24 March 2024]

This series started off very well with a stellar cast including Demet Evgar, Bugra Gulsoy and. Mehmet Yildaz Ak. I like watching these 3 stars and it's a bonus that all 3 are in this series. The first 5 episodes were really entertaining and explored various issues a woman can relate to especially those who gave up a career to be a housewife. There is fun, sadness, disappointments, romance, infidelity, family relationships and hope played out in various degrees in this series. However, the series seems to be losing steam from episode 6. Now that Bahar has become a doctor and is accepted by her colleagues, the direction of the series seems unclear and the episode mostly deals with her husband's infidelity and other family issues. Let's hope the scriptwriters find some direction or else it will become just an ordinary series. Currently it is receiving high TV ratings.

Tas Kagit Makas (2024– )

Interesting plot with talented Akin Koc

[7/10 · 24 March 2024]

Just finished episode 4 and this series is now on my watch list. The plot is interesting and good pace. There is a jump of 5 years from episode 3 to 4 which was good for the development of the plot. I've always enjoyed Akin Koc's acting and have been following most of his series. In this series, he delivers again as Umut. Although it looks like another revenge series, it does have a fresh approach. Oxan Guven as Harun is a refreshing and interesting take. There's 3 weaknesses I see from this series. Firstly, it's supposed to touch on criminal investigation and law but it really just does a surface touch and forgets about DNA evidence of a murder. The audience is supposed to accept evidence tampering and possible corruption amongst officials to frame an innocent man as the murderer. Secondly, there's very little chemistry between Umut and Alev - it's like all of a sudden they become close to each other. Thirdly is more personal, I guess. I've watched Serra Ariturk on another series and there's more improvement needed in her acting. Same thing in this series. I find myself hoping where's another female lead to be introduced for Umut in this series.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Good but lacking some depth

[7/10 · 22 March 2024]

I've not heard of the Osage murders until I watched this movie. So, the starting was a bit confusing for me. The movie is set at a pace which I can't say is slow but it could be better if it was faster. The acting is good. But somehow the element of fear and mistrust within the tribe resulting from the unexplained murders was not projected in the movie. Corruption amongst local officials in covering up the murders was not shown in much detail too. Given the length of the movie which was around 3 hours, I expected the movie would show more murders involving more Osage families but the movie was focused on one particular family. But all in all, it was a worthwhile movie to watch. Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone carried their roles really well.

Hotel Mumbai (2018)

Well made and well executed

[10/10 · 13 March 2024]

I was not sure about this movie before I watched it. It has such extreme ratings from high ones to very low ones. Decided to watch it as I like movies based on true events and it's definitely a winner. So well made and executed. Can't fault the acting from all the cast. The movie is violent and you can't predict who will survive because it's masterfully presented. The movie is intense and you get caught in the trauma and emotions depicted. It also honors the staff of the hotel who stayed behind to help the guests. This is like 9/11 for Mumbai and if you are too young to hear about the what happened, this is a good watch.

Our Story (2015)

Meaningful and well executed

[9/10 · 10 March 2024]

I didn't know what to expect from this movie as it kept popping up on YouTube. Decided to give it a try as I have always liked Cansel Elcin's acting and also his voice. There's some narrations from him during this movie too. His voice can speak right to your heart with just the right amount of emotions. I originally thought the movie would be focused on him but was delightfully surprised to find out that there's a fair share of focus on him, his son and his family and even some romance. The only thing I wished is that there was more focus on the argument of his case to clear his name. It does appear to be rushed there. All b in all, the movie is well-executed with a generally good pace and not a boring moment. A highly recommended watch.

A Hero (I) (2021)

Slightly overrated. Good but not that good

[5/10 · 8 March 2024]

The plot is rather simple. You can guess it and how it pans out early in the movie and then you realize it's a 2-hour long movie. It would be better if this was a shorter movie. The acting looks good with a believable cast. The pace is actually pretty well thought over to lead from one event to another. There's no main evil character here and the movie rolls on to slowly unfold unfortunate transition of events. If you are one who likes to analyze characters, roles, morals annd emotions, then this movie is right for you. I guess I'm not in that circle and can't tolerate conflicts and issues being rehashed, discussed again and again. To me, I got bored and just pressed the fast forward button a lot.

Sila (2006–2008)

Mesmerizing series

[7/10 · 6 March 2024]

There's something magical about this series. It's an old classic that you can rewatch with amazing landscape and sceneries, a timeless romance and beautiful music. It also tackles the issues of gender inequalities, cruelty against women, cultural and religious differences. However, it's a bit slow and the viewer may want to be patient as the events slowly unfolds and repeat themselves. There are quite a number of repetitive flashbacks too. Some characters are very cruel and they can stay on for all the episodes. So, it can be rather tiresome for the viewer. But all in all, the series is very well executed and mesmerizing enough to keep the viewer interested. The developments of some events may not be to my liking but then they for the entire package. So, just watch it slowly.

Adini Kalbime Yazdim (2013–2014)

Weak start, boring conversations, revenge series

[2/10 · 25 February 2024]

Completed first episode and not impressed at all. Artificial acting, can't feel the romance at all, even the conversation is not interesting. One minute the couple seems to be arguing for no reason and then suddenly switch to what is supposed to be romantic mood though I don't feel the connection between the couple at all. Then you have another typical plot back in the make lead's family of a revenge to be settled with a bride trade. The to-be bride has no choice in the matter. Nothing new there. Same old story. Don't think this series is worth pursuing. Just tried one episode because it has English subtitles in YouTube.

Gelin (2024– )

Avoid! Stressful and ridiculous plot

[1/10 · 18 February 2024]

Watched 1 hour of episode 1 and am disgusted over the acting, plot and situation. Where do scriptwriters come up with such plots with utter disrespect for values. The mother of a wealthy family manipulates the entire family with the sole purpose that the male lead who is his son produces a male heir. He is made to divorce his wife because of failure of birth of a child from their marriage, finds a poor girl and gets her married to his son with the promise to his ex wife that once a son is born by the new wife, the new wife will be divorced and the ex wife gets reunited with the male lead. The entire tone of the the 1 hour is haughty, stressful and cruel - so, you know what to expect of this series. Switch it off and avoid this!

Akelli (2023)

Excellent movie

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I ended up watching this Indian movie on a Cathay Pacific airplane and it was very entertaining! It's about an average girl trapped in Mosul when war broke out. Never a dull moment follows as she tried to escape from imprisonment by ISIS. It claims to be inspired by true events but I only read about that later. The pace and tone of the movie is just great. Never a dull moment and yet there's time allowed to show the anguish faced by her loved ones in search of her. In the entire movie, I keep wondering how can our heroine seems to be better than agent 007. But it's not all roses for the good guys and our heroine. So be prepared for some really bad moments. The acting, cinematography and mood set in the movie is worth mentioning.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Not something I want to re-watch

[7/10 · 29 January 2024]

It is a good movie on a tough subject. Well acted and well casted. But there's too many abrupt time jumps that makes the movie rather messy and required much concentration. It's ok if it is a regular length movie but this one takes about 3 hours. It's just too long and created some boring moments. After 2 hours of long dialogues though some parts are quite interesting, the audience then only gets to see a bit of fiery action rather than dialogue. I thought I would have an experience like what A Beautiful Mind or Schindler's List would bring but I was quite happy when the movie ended as though it was interesting, it actually exhausted me.

Operation Cicero (2019)

Entertaining espionage movie with a romantic twist

[9/10 · 11 January 2024]

I find this movie pretty well-executed and delivered well on an entertaining perspective. It is based on some true events but I think more of a romanticized version. I approached this review not to rate it on how true it is but rather on an entertainment value and based on that I was rather impressed with this production. The acting by the cast was excellent. The costume, setting and music really sets the mood. It's fast moving and the 2 hours passed rather quickly. I was expecting a sad ending and was surprised with a good closure. A thoroughly entertaining spy movie set during the 2nd world war and executed rather stylishly without the sometimes unnecessary Hollywood loud style. A recommended watch.

Rüzgarli Tepe (2024– )

Not recommended

[1/10 · 9 January 2024]

I tried to watch longer but 20 minutes with additional fast forwarding and I just could not carry on. Poor acting from both leads. Poor script - nothing new - basic revenge story. Instead of car about to clash with horse ridden by heroine, we have car about to crash with tractor driven by heroine. Of course you also have male glaring angrily at female and all the usual acts. Nothing new at all. Conversation has nothing to offer. It's like watching a poor remake or a poor wannabe great movie. The male lead emits a poor character with demands and anger that are is warranted. Just not attractive. So, not recommended at all.

In the Name of the People (2017)

Excellent anti-corruption series

[9/10 · 3 January 2024]

This is a gripping good paced anti-corruption drama series. It focuses on the investigation is headed by Hou Liangping, a bold and intelligent young officer from the Supreme People's Procuratorate. As the drama unfolds, a lot of characters are introduced- this can be hard to follow and confusing at times. There were many times I had to backtrack and remind myself the characters' part in the series. As I do not understand mandarin very well, I do rely on the subtitles and I have to read very fast. At the beginning of the series when a lot of characters were being introduced. It was a challenge. The story does not only center on the investigation but also show the personal and family side of the individuals. Acting and cast is superb. Music fits well with scenes. Cinematography is good. Very good series.

Inconstant Love (2019–2021)

Stressful vengeful plot

[5/10 · 24 December 2023]

There's a ok plot here but be prepared for stressful viewing. Lots of sad events and crying and tears and shouting or screaming. Lots of vengeful words, hateful words and evil deeds. Amidst all these, there's a deep love between our 2 leads - painful and yet deep love told in a fairylike tale with beautiful and moving scenery and shots. You will fall in love with our heroine riding on a horse with a flowing dress and our hero in his heroic acts. The only way I could watch this series and not feel too stressful is to click the fast forward button when tears are flowing or deranged people are shouting and screaming. And yet I want to know how the series continue - up to a point. I decided to not continue to watch after season 1 which has 12 episodes. I think it's a good idea to watch up to there as the story is getting repetitive.

Never Say Never (2023)

A recommended watch

[9/10 · 19 December 2023]

I usually shy away from boxing or wrestling films but being on a plane with not many selections, I decided to give this film a go. 5 to 10 minutes into the film, I knew it was good directing and acting. Overall it's inspirational and motivating though at times a tear jerker. The pace is just right and the acting from the children is superb. The viewer may feel controversy in the sense of child abuse in training the children to fight when the children themselves have little choice in the matter in order to survive a rural poor life. The pain of survival and success or the struggle for a better life is certainly evidently portrayed. Overall a moving film and a recommended watch.

The Smell of Warmth (2021)

A warming drama on our hero's perseverance

[10/10 · 9 December 2023]

A wonderful cast for a heartwarming drama set in a beautiful village. Dong Jin excels as First Secretary appointed of a village which has plenty of squabbles amongst the villagers and on top of keeping everyone peaceful and happy, he has to tackle major issues that threatens the livelihood of the village, fend off ambitious attempts by a rich tycoon to modernize the village which may lead to the loss of the fundamental essence of the village. In addition, there's a little romance thrown in. The drama has a good pace and allocates ample time to each character to develop and tell her or his own story. I watched each episode without fast forwarding and there was a feel good factor throughout. It's also funny and sad at times - but more funny than sad.

The Great (2020–2023)

Rude but funny and entertaining

[7/10 · 22 November 2023]

This is worth watching for many reasons including being refreshing, original, funny and entertaining. Many may take offence to its crudeness abd its inclination not to reflect accurate history. Acting is spot on, the cast is really well chosen and it's pretty fast paced. You won't be laughing at every joke but you will certainly find the episodes entertaining in a positive way - for most people. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult deserves much praise for their acting and compatibility. I watched the 3 seasons on air flights and each episode just flew by quickly and happily. The costumes were quite beautiful and the setting was well done. All in all, a good series.

Surgeons (2017– )

Excellent medical drama

[9/10 · 6 November 2023]

I really like this medical drama from the very first episode to the end. It has a good plot and is well executed. Whilst as usual there are 2 main leads who are really interesting to watch, the rest of the cast are also given time to develop their character and role in the series. And at each different episode, you get to see how different diseases or outbreaks are handled in a China hospital environment. I like the female lead's character as she shows her flaws and also her goodness and skill throughout. She can be overly bossy but yet you will root for her. The male character has a painful past and purpose to work in Renhe hospital and his story slowly unfolds in the series and climax at the end. I look forward to each series and it is not a stressful watch - not like those series which revolve around evil characters and crazy love triangles. Here the romance is like a sub-plot. Some may comment about medical accuracy but I'm not overly bothered with that. Highly recommend to watch.