Everything Before Us (2015) User Reviews

Eh

[djokawari · 6/10 · 8 June 2015]

I don't really know what compelled me to pay $5 for this movie because I don't necessarily enjoy their romantic short films, but I did.

It's not a horrible movie. It had some good parts, specifically with the older actors. Vimeo really made the experience crappy, as I couldn't log in to finish the movie. Wong Fu uses the same tropes over and over again. All of their shorts and this film are romantic. It just gets kind of old after a while.

I think Wong Fu understands their fan base(teenage girls), but at some point they need to change it up. I found some parts to be slightly cringe worthy.

Worth a watch

[yuyi_tan · 7/10 · 16 June 2015]

I've been following Wong Fu Productions for more than a year and have watched most of their short films. I had expectations for this movie and well it barely met them, which is good I guess.

The movie had some cool ideas, like how the implementation of this DEI system affected the lives of people. I thought it was funny how you needed to meet a certain EI score to enter certain bars, it's almost like a type of social classification and something people use to judge one another. I enjoyed watching those scenes the most.

The romantic aspect of the movie was a little cringe-worthy but still watchable. Aesthetics or design wise, I feel that it's top tier, just like how all Wong Fu films have been. It's clean, simple and that's what makes the experience unique.

I'd say this movie is worth a watch and to be honest, it's better than some of those playing in cinemas nowadays. It's quite a nice movie on a relaxed afternoon if you just want to chill and do nothing.

Relatable story-lines with well developed characters.

[nicolechan916 · 8/10 · 20 August 2016]

In a world where relationships are documented, and break ups accounted for, people are judged by their DEI score. The Department of Emotional Integrity is the center of it all, where everything about a person's relationship is documented.

From Wong Fu Productions, one can expect nothing less than a play on emotions and heartbreak. Known for their masterful shorts on YouTube, Wong Fu has done well in managing to produce their first feature film.

Having subscribed to Wong Fu for a couple of years already, I can see that this film is characteristic of a Wong Fu short. There's great cinematography and editing (props to the rest of the Wong Fu crew), but the characters are especially a Wong Fu feature. Each character has a certain vulnerability to them that makes audiences sympathize with. This is what makes Wong Fu videos so special, because they are able to bring out those characteristics that make us human.

Furthermore, the acting cast did well in their roles. I was actually surprised by Yoo's performance, mainly because I wasn't expecting a lot as I haven't seen him before. But, he was probably the character who held the most weight in the film as it progressed. Ishibashi is believable as a striving to-be owner of a bakery and the chemistry between her and Yoo is credible. Soo Hoo and Park's puppy love is cute but cringe worthy at times. They seem a little too mellow at the beginning, but their chemistry really kicked in when some arguments emerged. Or maybe it was just because they are pretty mellow characters to begin with, as in they're too nice and submissive - especially Haley. Other than some awkward times between the couples, the acting was great.

I really like how the YouTube community supports each other; as was shown by the appearance of many different YouTubers in the film. For example: Chris Riedell, Joanna Sotomura, Megan Batoon, Justin James Hughes, and Lana McKissack.

Overall, this is definitely a creative concept. The relationships were well developed and the acting did the characters justice. Editing, directing, and cinematography all came together to produce a film worthy of Wong Fu productions.

Not Bad

[danjeang · 7/10 · 5 July 2015]

Wong Fu videos never fail to make me cringe but for some reason I get really hyped when they release new stuff. My theory is that I like punishing myself and find it rewarding to sit through so much cheesiness. It's like good disciplinary practice. Or similar to why I watch horror movies even though I suck at handling scares.

I gotta say though, the movie wasn't as cringe as I thought it'd be. Like in their Youtube videos some of the characters felt flat, but I still always wanted to know what happened next. Can't believe I just said that. Have to give them credit for a decent job. That TA guy though man... most disturbing character on film I've seen since Robin WIlliams in One Hour Photo, daamn.

Beautifully made and relatable gem for all. Please watch and support!

[rockmanprince86 · 16 June 2015]

Wow. This was excellent. Beautifully shot, actually layered, and wonderfully performed. I found myself enjoying all aspects of the story and it's characters. The characters felt like real people who we could all relate to in some aspect. I never got bored with what was going on. I was genuinely satisfied, regardless of whether or not the outcome was what I expected. And it was fantastic to see a large number of Asian actors on the screen portrayed as ORDINARY PEOPLE and not stereotypes. Bravo to the producers, filmmakers and cast involved. You've made a new fan and I look forward to your next feature. And good job taking advantage of digital distribution. Perfect platform for movies that wouldn't get the recognition they truly deserve in theaters. I highly recommend this movie to anyone!

Interesting concept, not sure about the execution

[thuytran213-401-124192 · 6/10 · 21 April 2016]

I won't spoil nothing that Netflix summary wouldn't already give away.

I thought the concept of a public Agency meddling in our affairs and overstepping boundaries in this word was kinda original and interesting, but it could've been better executed maybe. I mean..dude. Gattaca..now that was blockbuster ya know. rating ppl based on their DNA (valids and invalids)

I did see a lot of familiar faces. I don't even know what or who "WF" is, as one altruistic industry reviewer refers to, but even I noticed some biased casting here. Don't we hear so much gripe about Hollywood being bias and stuff, this is blatantly bias.

The couples had no Chemistry shown. moments, were just bleh and awkward looking. -- high school play? Ben was believable... he seemed into her (i almost thought he was Leonardo Nam from the Perfect score all grown up but hmm...IMDb proved me wrong).

I watched it to the very end, so it was OK.

Great movie - would definitely recommend!

[lsamgirl · 10/10 · 3 June 2015]

Amazing movie. I've been a fan of WongFu for a long time, and was so excited for this movie to come out. When I watched it, it was very relatable yet has interesting twists. I think most people would enjoy this movie - from teenagers to 20 somethings to 60+. This movie is somewhat of a tear-jerker, but portrays a very important message about love. While the moral of the story is clear, it is not portrayed in a cheesy way. I think the story line of the movie, having a world where people's "emotional integrity" are quantified, is very clever and brings light to what love is or what love should be like. Great movie! Production quality was great, as usual. Can't wait to see more from Wong Fu Productions!

Wongfu 4 Lyfe!

[dchuau · 9/10 · 14 July 2015]

i really wanted to watch this movie... I had seen most of the other wongfu shorts and love them all! With this one, it's different cause it's a full length movies so I wasn't sure how wongfu would handle this one. However, they did pretty damn well! The acting was pretty top notch, especially Randall park and Aaron yoo, and the cast was just a great choice. The story reflects how love is not easy, which is a great concept and thingy... We can relate to it in many ways, but I don't wanna spoil it. What I will say is that things change between the two couples; we can probs most easily relate to the younger couple as it seems as if everything is fresh and great, but that isn't how it will always go. With the adult couple, it's completely different and it can reflect how you are after breaking up with someone you deeply love. Overall, a great film however it's not perfect, a few small flaws here and there. I recommend you rent it for about $6!

An honest opinion

[Jeremy_Fu · 3/10 · 22 June 2015]

Hi Wong Fu team and fans,

First off I would like to say congrats on making this movie, it's definitely been long over-due that WF would make a feature length film and I couldn't have been more anxious and excited to see how far you've come. Your short videos have been touched millions of fans across the world and for that, Thank You.

Before I start my review I would like to point out that I BOUGHT the movie, watched it with my friends, and really discussed my thoughts with them before writing this. As much as I would like to give you guys praise I would also like to see you grow as a company and as filmmakers. I hope you or the fans reading this won't simply glance over it because I gave it a "sub-par" rating, but see the merit behind it.

PLOT: I really wanted to get the feels WF is so famous on invoking. However what I found myself feeling was confusion and even annoyance at Ben. The plot just seems tries so hard to validate Ben and his actions when clearly he's a not-so-good-guy who gets away with cheating on his girlfriend only to end up with his ex. One major scene that irked me was when Seth accidentally fell asleep and Haley left him sleeping on her bed; really? There was no backlash from Seth about this? I get that you need to get the story moving but scenes like this that does nothing for the plot shouldn't be in the movie at all. After watching the movie I was glad that you cut the 3rd story line out as this movie as the movie right now already struggles to mesh the two story lines it has together; what I mean is that though Ben and Sara have a character arc, Seth and Haley's are not as developed. Overall I thought the plot didn't have the magical WF moment, I couldn't identify with any of the characters, and ultimately the plot didn't make me root for any one (maybe Anna.. Poor her being dumped by Ben).

ACTING: As much as I would say I love Victoria's acting, I can't. I don't know if she was upstaged by Brandon but I could not take her acting seriously. A scene that stood out for me was during Brandon and Kihong's fight scene, all she could say was a passive "no.. stop..". I'm no expert in having guys fight for me but I would assume that anyone in this situation would have a better sense of urgency and say something or even do something instead of passively telling them to stop. I'm all for helping your friends and casting them in your films, but when it comes to something as big of scale as this I would maybe consider really looking out there for casting instead of going directly to cast your friends.

EXECUTION: The one thing I loved about the movie was the production value. You can tell that a lot the budget went into getting the locations, sets, and overall props. However as pretty as the movie was, I was definitely irked by the amount of montages used. Sure montages might be pretty and help speed the pacing of the story, but you can't expect to use this technique multiple times to push a feature film. It works on a much shorter film but to not only have crucial moments told in montage form but to feature multiple montages gives this a feel of a glorified longer youtube video. There was also way to many CU of expressions and deep depth of field that really felt out of place. I don't know if this was because of the camera you use but if you notice in other feature films there's a point where the amount of depth of field screams "5D" vs "RED SCARLET".

To WF, clearly you know your niche is making romantic films, but is that you want to make for the rest of your career? As much as I love them, you need to try to explore what other areas you're good at. Unfortunately the sad truth is WF is not relevant anymore. Your videos used to easily surpass 1 million views but now, a million is an accomplishment. Many other "youtubers" have seen a vast growth in their subscribers and yet you're stagnant at 2 million. You need to keep pushing your boundaries and grow as company; NOT push out the same sappy love story again and again (give or take a few characters). Reinvent yourself. So what if A World Away got a lot of dislikes, you need to push yourself and continue to make yourself relevant. Please don't let the amount of dislikes stop you from your growth. You have so much talent and potential in your team in Christine, Kenson, and Taylor, please don't let all that talent go to waste. If people are really your fans, they will support you through anything if that means seeing you guys become successful. As Phil mentioned in a tweet "we don't need those kind of fans"; thats right you don't. So don't let them stop you from pushing on and furthering your career.

To all the fans, before you down vote this review or give WF an automatic 10 and give this movie the review "best movie ever" think about whether this movie in and of itself deserves that title. Watch this movie for what it is, not for who made it. WF deserves to know what they are doing right and what they can improve on. We owe it to them to continue to make sure that they can keep creating content that isn't only relevant to today's standards, but is successful on a global scale.

I wish you all the best WF in your future endeavors.

Jeremy

Quite Amusing on a Subtle Level

[gleepbeep · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

I found the Wongfu rendition of young relationships to be an honest take of reality. It had the additional kicker of a government agency gone wild. This was quite amusing.

I certainly enjoyed it more than higher budget movies.

Thank you.

Meh...

[mmmrei · 2/10 · 15 January 2016]

Big props to WongFu for making their film. But honestly couldn't watch past twenty minutes, had to skip through to reach the middle and just stopped completely. Fans need to be realistic and tell WongFu the truth, don't just fan girl it out and say everything they make is wonderful. Its true what others have said that they aren't popular as before or relevant. Please, please, please move on from the sappy romance and the typical lovers quarrel! I wasn't emotionally invested in the film, didn't like any of the characters, and it was just sooo cheesy. How could people sit through it all? Might as well watch their shorts on Youtube. Hopefully you get actors that have more depth to them and read their lines better without sounding so bland. The only guy that did it for me was Randall Park. But even his lines weren't so interesting or engaging. Try something new please. Like drama, sci fi, just something away from romance because you aren't really there anymore. I am a fan but I say it like I mean it. I was so happy to see an Asian American cast but that's about it. And no more Youtuber cameos in your films please, it takes away from the story and their acting skills aren't, well, they aren't meant for acting. Hopefully WongFu will listen to the negative side and not assume that just because everyone says its good, doesn't mean it is. Please do better and try something new.

Sorry Wong Fu

[mdw13 · 2/10 · 28 December 2015]

I saw this with my GF whose been a big Wong Fu fan for awhile now and has been begging me to see this with her. I've seen a couple of their vids but never been a regular follower like her. Going in I already had my doubts when looking at the Vimeo comments that seem to all be made by a bunch of little fan girls calling this a master piece and flawless production. Those were immediately red flags for me that this was not going to be good and I was proved right after seeing this.

Basically my complaints are the same as most of the previous reviews here have already pointed out. The acting was pretty bad, almost cringe worthy at times, it made Hayden Christensen from the Star Wars prequels look like Leonardo Dicaprio. The story was badly paced and had a ton of plot holes. The relationships for both couples fell flat to me and I really couldn't get invested in either of them.

Its pretty clear that this movie is clearly targeted toward their fan base and I know that Wong Fu most likely had constraints making a film that a major studio wouldn't. However, this still does not mask the fact that the film was pretty subpar. To me its almost comical that you have to pay $15 for this on Vimeo, yet I could go for example to Freddie Wongs channel and watch the popular Video Game High School series, which is far superior in both acting and production for free. I think they charge this much because their fanbase will buy it regardless, which is pretty cheap to me.

Sorry Wong Fu if you see this. I'm not being a hater, I know you have had great success and I wish you the best going forward. I'm just being brutally honest in my view of your film for whatever its worth.

Bad Movie

[cocowan · 1/10 · 1 July 2015]

I like Wong Fu Productions but this movie was really terrible. I hated how Phillip Wang played the "race" card in one of his youtube videos promoting the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEVJElg_Rv4

It was really terrible acting. D-Trix did a good job for the one short scene he had.

It was set sometime in the future where all the sudden there's a system to oversee relationships. There are a lot of plot holes and a cheesy script that would appeal to young girls.

It could have been good, nah a great movie. But instead it was just mediocre .

Wouldn't recommend

[reportingnikola · 3/10 · 15 June 2015]

I don't usually watch romantic dramas, but I had faith in Asian American people, so much that I illegally torrented it to show my true Asian nature.

This film was pretty bad and a clear copy and a less futurized version of the anime psychopass. I found this to be pretty bad.I wouldn't recommend this movie for $5 dollars, but it's worth an illegal download if you have nothing better to do.

I saw much racism during this film because they started calling some child's mom a score digger, which translates into someone that is promiscuous. The victim, child, was of course a negroid! It was terrible.

What is wrong with people

[nevermindthebuzzcockz · 1/10 · 15 July 2015]

This movie was NOT good. My trust in people went down a little when I was reading all of the positive reviews from VIMEO where this movie is streamed. They seemed like a bunch of fangirls that were unable to judge the movie objectively: AND THEY WERE FANGIRLS!! Wong Fu will never improve their film making abilities if their only audience are teenagers who will praise anything they do.

They hire bad actors most of the time and all of their stories are sappy romance, the pacing of the movie is just too slow. I've nothing against them doing nothing but romance, but their execution and writing fails every time. It's like they have no one around them to give them criticism so that they can improve. Or, there are people who criticize them but they are quick to label them as "haters" without giving it much thought.

Even those fans that admit the movie wasn't that good are so apologetic about it, giving excuses for all the faults that the film had.

So far, no ACTUAL film critic has reviewed the film, only their youtube fans. If an ACTUAL critic does end up watching this movie, I can already guess what that reviewer will say.

This wasn't much of a constructive criticism, but I'm just trying to counter all of those positive reviews left by their loyal fans that can't see any fault in what Wong Fu does.

Sorry wong fu supporters

[deedeemow · 1/10 · 4 July 2015]

This movie was bad. I mean real bad. The problem is simple. Wong Fu's often corny love videos work well in 5 minute bursts on youtube. But to make an entire full length movie without stepping outside their comfort zone of cheesy, hire my friends, similar plot line videos won't work. It's a shame for wong fu supporters but it's reality. If they keep on this same old track there will never be a second film that makes any real splash in the entertainment industry.

Also I'm all for Asian pride but when you only feature Asians in your videos then immediately other races of people are going to think "Well these films clearly aren't intended for me." This will only lead to a limited audience. It's time to step outside your comfort zone wong fu. You're at a crossroads. Make the best of it.

Worst Movie I've seen

[snewman-44595 · 1/10 · 15 June 2015]

First I didn't pay for it, I illegally downloaded it. I personally don't feel like they should have charged for it considering the amount of donations they got from their fans. I like chick flicks, but this movie was terrible I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

The movie had really bad actors, the only good one was the guy who played the DEI agent. It was stupid and corny. It is set in the future where in order to have a relationship you must register with the department of emotional integrity. Whats to stop somebody from not registering a relationship? Absolutely nothing! They gave no explanation of how the system was designed or whats to stop somebody from not registering. I could have gotten over that part, but the actors were terrible!! So you have no story and no good actors.

It was stupid and I'm glad I didn't pay for it as stated in the first paragraph.

Terrible! Just terrible!

[changsung · 1/10 · 26 July 2015]

I have no problem with Wongfu Productions, its not personal. Just your movie sucked and you don't know how to take criticism. It's set in the future where couples are required to register with D.E.I. where you're are assigned a score based on your past relationships. I don't understand whats to stop couples from registering. There are many other plot holes as well. I could have gotten over it the plot holes if the acting wasn't terrible.

Attention Wongfu Production fans: If the movie sucks don't be afraid to say so. They want to be film makers and if you don't tell them because your afraid that it will hurt their feelings, then you're robbing people like me of MY money. I rented the movie based off you guys reviews. I get that a majority of you guys are Asian and want to see more Asian faces in movies. But the fact of the matter is that you WONT see more Asian faces, if you don't give them criticism. Phillip Wang said to his "Critics" that "We don't need fans like that". The fact is if they cannot take criticism from people, they have no business making movies AT ALL. Like I said I hated it. It was a waste of money. I had to skip over the long, draggy scenes

The overall should be 3

[briank2025 · 2/10 · 5 January 2018]

I was shocked it was at 7 but I realize it's ONLY from the first 3 seconds of their youtube intro *bing* WongFu

The most overplayed cliches played out in what felt like a dragged out version of one of their youtube shorts. Things like this are meant for a short.

I get that people are blinded by their name rather than watching the movie for what it is. Call us haters but the movie was bad.