Cobweb (2023) User Reviews

Delightful movie-within-a-movie

[tomhimpe · 8/10 · 13 October 2023]

Saw this at the London Film Festival, and the audience was laughing throughout the whole film. The film renders the hardship of making great artistic work into a deliciously funy and absurd rollercoaster. The plot revolves around a film director convinced that an additional 2 days of shooting can turn his film into a true masterpiece. The grandeur and delusion of his visions contrasts beautifully with the fanatic enthusiasm of one of the studio's younger producers, the self-obsessed and frail ego's of his actors and mostly the soap-opera, B-movie quality of the final outcome, which comes to life through black-and-white movie-within-a-movie scenes. All this is set against the backdrop of a heavily censored Korean film industry in the seventies, adding an additional layer of obstacles. Even though the level of chaos and length of the overall movie can sometimes stretch too far, the film keeps you hooked and curious to see whether we've been finally watching the making of crap or art, which must be what every film crew goes through on every film set. The final shot of the film is us as the audience looking out at an audience on screen, mirroring the movie-within-a-movie construct, and ends with a director in despair of not having made the one true masterpiece he had imagined. Luckily it gave us a very entertaining and smart film about the passion it really takes to make anything great, and the joy and despair of movie making.

Funny unsual maybe a tiny bit too long

[loris-francoletti · 8/10 · 28 March 2024]

I saw only two reviews on this title and I felt compelled to write mine too :) The movie is good fun, a comedy about making movies, inspiration, failure, and the big massive problem of creating another masterpiece after you made one in the past. The movie is maybe a bit too long, it has some slow moments. And then in the last 20 minutes it picks up rhythm and energy for the gran finale ! Lots of surprises. All the time, for a moment you might think Homer Simpson wrote the script. Maybe there are other layers of meaning in the black and white movie. I enjoyed the actors and the music and the clothes. It has a very nice vibe, it is able to transmit the passion, love and energy necessary to make a movie and the happy atmosphere on set. Go watch it! Give it a go :)

LOVE THIS!

[jackrieuwpassa · 7/10 · 1 January 2024]

That's cool, especially with Krystal Jung (SNSD's Jessica's sister) cool dude! I like it, especially the one-take scene or what is called the squelence scene (if I'm not mistaken) at the end from leaving the building to the director who is sitting.

Here it really tells what really happens behind the scenes in the world of film, there are definitely pros and cons, there are even commotions because of disagreements between one another.

I didn't think, at first when I saw this film, it would fall into the history category. I thought this was about someone's past, but it turns out this is a film made in ancient times.

Maybe the spider scenario is an unexpected moment, but this will give a lot of question marks if this film ends with just 1 season. Why are directors and others trapped in the spider's web? While the director is not included in the script (film within the film).

On fire

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 20 April 2024]

No pun intended - this can be seen as a love letter. I would argue not just for Korean cinema (movie making that is), but any all over the world. But of course there are certain things that may be particular and just more on point there. It does play in the 70s, so I assume some things may have changed since then - one would hope so at least.

All that said, great acting - within acting - and movie within movie and all that. Though as is true with almost all movies that have a movie as central theme ... you have to suspend your disbelief ... as in making it non existent, if you catch my drift.

You could argue that we do not see the movie, but a spectator perspective ... fair point, but you mostly do not see the work that has to be done between shots. But that would kind of make the movie a drag ... this is about something else ... about a dream .. about showing critics that things are not as easy as they may think they are. Plus a lot of personal stories of course! May be a bit too long - and I was a bit surprised with the ... let's call it addition in the end ... but I reckon it was necessary ... to give us something back.

Well done to say the least - and realistic in a way (relationship wise), in a very unrealistic way - gotta love it. Also not to be confused with the American Cobweb ... renamed Knock Knock Knock in Germany ...