What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Move To Heaven (2021)

Knowing I was in for some intense drama, I tuned in to Move To Heaven ready to bawl my eyes out and have my heart broken (and then lovingly put back together). And boy! did the show deliver on both fronts.

The show has one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever heard of: a company that tidy up the final living spaces of the recently deceased when said people have nobody else to do it for them. The company itself, the titular Move to Heaven, is run by the father-son duo of Han Jeong-u (Ji Jin-Hee) and Geu-ru (Tang Joon-sang), who has Asperger’s syndrome. When Jeong-u’s sudden passing leaves Geu-ru in the care of his unsavory uncle, Cho Sang-gu (Lee Je-hoon), who has recently been released from prison and is extremely confrontational, naturally their personalities clash constantly.

I like that the show takes its time with introducing us to Geu-ru’s daily routine, his relationship with his father, and his work ethic before turning everything upside down. Because we’re so rarely given insight into his thought process, it was great to learn about him through his father’s eyes, the man who understands him best, and the person on whom Geu-ru relies the most. Of course, that made it particularly cruel to see them separated later on. Seeing how helpless Geu-ru is without his father, and his unwillingness to accept his passing makes you realize that although he may not be equipped to express himself, he is deeply affected by it.

I love that the show dropped hints about how insightful he can be over the course of the show. His genius is, of course, no mystery to us, but the inner workings of his mind often can be. And while he appears to be straight-forward and aloof about the work that he does, it is often through Geu-ru that the deceased’s family members have emotional breakthroughs. He tries time and time again to do the best he can for his clients even when it forces him out of his comfort zone and it endears him to me that much more.

It is also through the work that they do that Sang-gu starts to understand his nephew better and vice-versa. Intent on using-and-losing Geu-ru, and taking revenge on his brother for his perceived wrong-doings, Sang-gu becomes much softer over the course of the show, showing genuine care and compassion for Geu-ru and Na-mu (Hong Seung-hee) as he spends more time with them. They similarly come to accept him in their own way as they learn to rely on him and understand the warm heart that beats behind the tough-guy exterior he’s cultivated.

Aside from our trio’s main story thread, I also found myself deeply moved by the individual cases that they took on. Almost every person’s death felt like a terrible missed opportunity to tell someone precious something, or to pass on something cherished to someone. Seeing the gruesome aftermath of the unfinished business that people leave behind really shone a light on the importance of sharing what’s important with your loved ones while they’re still around rather than have their memory be tinged with regret. While sometimes the writing was a little too clunky, or the message too on-the-nose, the final sense that each case left me with was one of hope for the people left behind to do better.

However, it was the performances that ultimately made the show. Tang in particular has a captivating screen presence, and shows incredible potential. I’m really looking forward to his new project, Racket Boys, where he plays a character that couldn’t be further from Geu-ru, but is no less intriguing. I also remember being less than impressed by Lee in Signal, but here he shows subtleties to his character that support the way that Sang-gu is written. While I went into the show skeptical about Lee, I came out thoroughly won-over by him.

Movies

Cruella (2021)

The latest in the slew of Disney live-action films has arrived, and it continues the trend of sub-par remakes of beloved classics. While the film has several individual components working well for it, from the soundtrack, to the styling and wardrobe, overall the story is predictable and cliché. Disney seem to have forgotten that people don’t want to see the same story rehashed a hundred times over, that we don’t just want to know what it would look like if a real human played the part of an animated character.

In fact, at times this actively works against them. Both Emma Thompson and Emma Stone are very strong performers, able to draw reactions from even the most passive of audiences. However, while I am more forgiving of over-the-top performance from animated characters, ironically it just seems more cartoonish when performed by a human in the flesh. Scenes that should have had emotional impact just made me laugh, because I couldn’t help thinking how silly it was. The scenes between The Baroness and Estella’s mother (Emily Beecham) on the cliff comes to mind, in particular.

That being said, it wasn’t all bad. I particularly enjoyed the editing in the film, and the visual styling was also very appealing, showing of 1970s London in all its glory. The film contrast the gritty with the up-scale beautifully, immersing you in the landscape of the film.

Cruella definitely isn’t going to be anywhere near my favorite films of the year and I wouldn’t have been too disappointed if I’d missed it. But I’m not too peeved at having watched it either, so I suppose I can’t complain.