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Thank you both, didn’t realize this wasn’t his first Netflix project. I’ll prioritize Makanai

I had no idea Asura existed. I guess that's one reason to subscribe to Netflix for a month. Makanai was excellent.

I was really intrigued with the first half of Asura, but found it ran out of steam once

Spoiler

the mother dies

. It was still quality television, but I didn't think it was up to the level of his features.

The main draw of Asura for me was watching so many of my favorite actresses doing their stuff (and doing it very well)....

If one does subscribe to Netflix (trial or not) also check out Midnight Diner. Not Kore-eda level but mostly very enjoyable in a similar low-key fashion.

Thanks for the reminder. I wonder how many quality director's newer TV works I've missed because it buried on some streaming service. Would be great to have a roll-up. I know at the very least I need to catch up on Moodysson's Gösta, Scorsese's Vinyl, and now these. I don't know if the others are even still easilly findable. Cue "worst timeline" grumbling, etc...but at the same time the boutique market for catalogue titles is the tits, so I'll shut up.

IIRC Scorsese only directed the pilot of Vinyl and even though it was the stylistic template for the whole series, it was done separately like its own production - a little unorthodox for television, but outside of the cast and the showrunners, there was nearly a completely different team working on the rest of the series.

Thanks, there are also a ton of clunkers like Vinterberg's Families like Ours and I gave up on Susanne Bier after her Hollywood debut Things We Lost in the FIre, but her TV work has only further descended into throwaway Netflixy assembly-line potboilers. My wife put on the Antonio Campos (SImon Killer) (mostly) directed The Beast in Me, and that was similarly unpleasant in that exceedingly generic way.

In terms of Netflix crime potboilers, I've found that Korean series are more consistently worthwhile, with a high degree of craft and creativity. Another bonus is that they often have a bonkers premise that is followed through with seriousness and consistency. (e,g, the one about the time-travelling walkie-talkie. I think it was called The Signal.) They tend to be long (16 episodes of an hour plus each is common), intricately plotted, generally stylish and very well-acted.

Stranger is a great place to start, starring the always excellent Bae Doo-na.

If you want something more deliriously campy, Flower of Evil is very entertaining, and the woman who plays the mother makes Joan Crawford look like one of Bresson's models.

Strangers is quite good -- but Bae Doona is the ONLY appealing element of Kingdom (other than maybe set design) in Kingdom, a Korean medieval zombie series.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 7:58 pm Strangers is quite good -- but Bae Doona is the ONLY appealing element of Kingdom (other than maybe set design) in Kingdom, a Korean medieval zombie series.

There's also a rather silly science fiction series (spoiler: water is a cancer on the moon) which she valiantly carries single-handedly. I've had a much better strike rate with Korean crime dramas than with other genres.

I bailed out of that moon thing pretty quickly too. As much as I love BAE Doona, I can't watch a show where she is the only non-dire element.

It is too bad that Kore'eda's 2012 series is not available, Lighter-weight than any of his movies -- but overall fairly charming.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 9:19 pm It is too bad that Kore'eda's 2012 series is not available, Lighter-weight than any of his movies -- but overall fairly charming.

Going My Home? I loved that, it's one of the few series I've watched more than once. Lighter than his films but much more fun and just as affecting.

Do I have a vague memory of it being available to stream on Mubi at one point? I didn't watch it there as I'd already seen it at that point but I remember being surprised they'd show a whole series. (This was prior to The Kingdom etc.)

I managed to find a subbed DVD of Going My Home (maybe still available from DVD Planet Store). As usual, the acting (including Aoi Miyazaki's only role in a Kore'eda project) is lovely.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 2:45 pm I managed to find a subbed DVD of Going My Home (maybe still available from DVD Planet Store). As usual, the acting (including Aoi Miyazaki's only role in a Kore'eda project) is lovely.

How is DVD Planet? I saw they were the only company who has Peter Watkins’ The Journey. Decent quality?

Supposedly they are based in Pakistan. My recollection is that the Kore'eda release seemed okay. Looking back into my email archive I actually bought this from ZoomMovie.com -- which also still lists this. It might be a safer place to order from overall.

Looks like Kore-eda will have two films coming out next year: Sheep in the Box, about a couple who raise a humanoid as their son, and Look Back, a live-action adaptation of the manga by Tatsuki Fukimoto.

Are these movies -- or is at least one another Netflix mini-series (I thought he made a deal for 3 or so). There is already a pretty good anime movie of Look Back. Be careful checking this title out because it will be easy to get "spoiled" if that sort of thing bothers you.

Both are films, as the former title was announced back in September, while the latter was announced this morning.

yoloswegmaster -- thanks. Looking forward to seeing these . . . eventually.

He also released a short film called Last Scene earlier this year that has finally showed up on the backpages.