Niels Matthijs

Film fanatic with a strong tendency towards Asian (genre) films, lover of the abstract, html idealist, html philosopher, css cruncher.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Little service announcement, but I'll be putting this Twitter account on ice. If you want to keep up with my movie exploits, the other socials will remain active, plus there's always https://t.co/920qd3laAO of course!

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Bride of the Covenant by Le-Van Kiet
https://t.co/ZJVcyHl0se

4.0* ~ The cinematography and score are stylish, the performances are on point, and the folklore elements are distinctive enough to make this a pleasantly eerie horror flick.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2026/02)
https://t.co/7iMfqgU3ik

Top 3:
01. 4.0* - Slum-Polis by Ken Ninomiya (2015)
02. 3.5* - Lupin the IIIrd: Zenigata and the Two Lupins by Takeshi Koike (2025)
03. 3.5* - Give Me Something [Dame Algo] by Héctor Carré (1997)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Slum-Polis by Ken Ninomiya
https://t.co/4KNY1gVnqz

4.0* ~ Slum-Polis is a smart, intriguing, well-acted and impeccably stylized feature debut, a quality film that set the tone for the rest of his oeuvre so far.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2026/01)
https://t.co/xfPufdcwxq

Top 3:
01. 3.5* - The Ugly Stepsister [Den Stygge Stesøsteren] by Emilie Blichfeldt (2025)
02. 3.5* - Tada's Do-It-All House: Disconcerto by Tatsushi Ômori (2014)
03. 3.5* - Arata Natsume's Marriage by Yukihiko Tsutsumi (2024)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: The Ice Tower [La Tour de Glace] by Lucile Hadzihalilovic
https://t.co/4oOh7UWMxa

4.0* ~ The cinematography is magical, the score is fitting, the performances are strong, and it's all too easy to get lost in the unsettling yet striking world meticulously constructed.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/53 & 2026/0)
https://t.co/fz2o0MR1yV
https://t.co/8GUsJRIQSL

Top 3:
01. 4.5* - Woodnuts by Zack London (2025)
02. 4.0* - The Ice Tower [La Tour de Glace] by Lucile Hadzihalilovic (2025)
03. 3.5* - Love Doesn't Matter to Me by Aya Igashi (2025)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Woodnuts by Zack London
https://t.co/xL8pVnx5CE

4.5* ~ Insanely inventive, sporting exceptional visuals, an epic setting, and a world dying to be explored in greater depth, hiding a million stories waiting to be revealed.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/52)
https://t.co/Y5wJ25lB4r

Top 3:
01. 4.0* - Megalomaniac by Karim Ouelhaj (2022)
02. 3.5* - Fashionista by Simon Rumley (2016)
03. 3.5* - Love & Loathing & Lulu & Ayano [Namae no Nai Onna-Tachi] by Hisayasu Satô (2010)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My favorite films I've discovered in 2025:
https://t.co/xT4rmcMSVE

It was a good year for animation, horror and fantasy, so if you need some proper genre recommendations, I'm pretty sure the list below has something to your liking.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Megalomaniac by Karim Ouelhaj
https://t.co/I5f22p7vPb

4.0* ~ Megalomaniac is a grimy, uneasy, and disturbing watch, carried by strong performances and an immaculate presentation, with a finale that begs for a sequel.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/51)
https://t.co/iCOtEkKmBt

Top 3:
01. 3.5* - The Boy and the Dog [Shonen to Inu] by Takahisa Zeze (2025)
02. 3.5* - Princess Toyotomi [Purinsesu Toyotomi] by Masayuki Suzuki (2011)
03. 3.5* - Hand in Hand [Saihate] by Michio Koshikawa (2023)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: When Black Birds Fly by Jimmy ScreamerClauz
https://t.co/IyfDge2eQu

4.5* ~ This isn't a film that chases conventional beauty, instead, it wraps itself in the uncomfortable and the awkward, aiming to unsettle the audience in whatever way possible.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/50)
https://t.co/Muu7KTcwTZ

Top 3:
01. 4.5* - When Black Birds Fly by Jimmy ScreamerClauz (2016)
02. 3.5* - Tuvalu by Veit Helmer (1999)
03. 3.5* - Where Are You? [Wakaranai] by Masahiro Kobayashi (2009)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Tomorrow's Star by Esther Veronin
https://t.co/cvscbDVsG0

4.0* ~ The stylish presentation aptly supports the narrative, the emotional core of the film lands, and the film ends up significantly more coherent than most of its peers.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/49)
https://t.co/3Uuw48hexX

Top 3:
01. 4.0* - Tomorrow's Star by Esther Veronin (2018)
02. 4.0* - The Forest of the Lost Souls [A Floresta das Almas Perdidas] by José Pedro Lopes (2017)
03. 3.5* - Mayhem Girls by Shinichi Fujita (2023)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: The Forest of Lost Souls y José Pedro Lopes
https://t.co/McpUxgVsEN

4.0* ~ The shorter runtime and stylish presentation pulled me in, the contrast between the dreamy and meandering mood and the harsher horror elements is what sealed the deal.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/48)
https://t.co/gZoYD1GtMf

Top 3:
01. 5.0* - Angel's Egg [Tenshi no Tamago] by Mamoru Oshii (1985)
02. 3.5* - Attack 13 by Taweewat Wantha (2025)
03. 3.5* - Unreachable [Kataomoi Sekai] by Nobuhiro Doi (2025)

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

Review: Qualia [Kuoria] by Ryo Ushimaru
https://t.co/ubOh4wvCGT

4.0* ~ It's the kind of film that got me into the genre a good two decades ago, so to see a small revival with a new batch of actors and upgraded aesthetics is a big plus.

[Niels Matthijs @Onderhond]

My week in films: (2025/47)
https://t.co/u0ZgfBxJ9j

Top 3:
01. 4.0* - Patlabor: The Movie [Kidô Keisatsu Patorebâ: The Movie] by Mamoru Oshii (1989)
02. 4.0* - Qualia [Kuoria] by Ryô Ushimaru (2023)
03. 3.5* - Keeper by Osgood Perkins (2025)