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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

All content by Tony Jaeyeong Jeong
A man with headphones speaking into a walkie talkie on a film set.

Q&A: South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong on realism in cinema

With Lee Chang-dong’s upcoming retrospective at the Metrograph, WSN spoke with the legendary South Korean filmmaker about the significance of realism in his films.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Staff Writer April 8, 2024

Director Lee Chang-dong’s films are uniquely Korean, and throughout his career, his work has served as cultural beacons for the future of Korean cinema. “Peppermint Candy”...

A cartoon panda with a straw hat and a red cape winds up a punch to a flying green stingray on a black background with a yellow flash.

Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ lacks what made its predecessors so charming

DreamWorks Animation’s latest addition to the decade-long series lacks the ingenuity and emotional core of its predecessors.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Staff Writer March 26, 2024

Once again, our favorite animated panda is back. The first “Kung Fu Panda” film released in 2008, winning the hearts and minds of critics and audiences alike, making it one...

A man with dreads plays the guitar while singing into a microphone.

Review: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ is only pleasing to the ear

While the recently released biopic recreates some of the magic from Bob Marley’s music, it fails to thoughtfully explore the reggae superstar’s legacy.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Staff Writer February 22, 2024

Renowned Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley was a multidimensional cultural icon. Dubbed the “King of Reggae,” he was a pioneer in the Reggae music scene who constantly...

A garden with green grass, chairs and stone paths, surrounds a shallow pool that children are playing in while adults watch. Behind the garden, there is a wall with barbed wire, guard towers and a large red-shingle roofed building.

Review: Why ‘The Zone of Interest’ asks you not to watch, but listen

“The Zone of Interest” is an experimental audiovisual portrait of Auschwitz that questions the nature of violence.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Staff Writer February 6, 2024

The lights dim in the theater as “The Zone of Interest” is about to play. The audience puts away their phones, expecting an opening shot that might give them a hint of what's...

A man (Hayao Miyazaki) with a white beard, white hair and glasses is sitting down, looking at a piece of paper. Behind him, there are paintings hanging on the wall.

Why Studio Ghibli nostalgia hits different

Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his animation studio introduced a generation to the adult world, while also reminding us of our childhood innocence.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Contributing Writer December 15, 2023

After groggily dragging my exhausted and hungover body out of bed, I crept outside my dorm for a breath of fresh air and headed to the cinema. I squinted at my phone to check for...

A man wearing a light blue shirt with a dark blue suitcase walks on a countryside road. Behind him is a yard with two rows of trees and a tall mansion

Review: ‘Saltburn’ is a rave at an old gothic British mansion

Writer-director Emerald Fennell’s second film is a dark satire on the English class system, with Hitchcockian obsession at its most destructive form.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Contributing Writer November 21, 2023

A university student dressed too old for his age stands in front of an imposing gothic mansion. The sheer size and marvel of the grand estate makes it hard to believe that behind...

An illustration of a purple teddy bear with a glowing red eye.

Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is classic nostalgia at its best

The “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie adaptation gives us the same scares, laughs and fun the franchise did a decade ago.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Contributing Writer November 2, 2023

Let’s be honest here — there’s a reason you’re buying tickets to “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” In part, you’re buying them out of sheer curiosity, and hilarious disbelief,...

An illustration of two people seen through a TV screen. They are both wearing yellow and one of them is holding up an image of a dog. Outside of the TV screen there is a white coffee mug, and to the right it reads ‘barking dogs never bite.’

Off the Radar: ‘Barking Dogs Never Bite’ will make you laugh and wince at the same time

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Barking Dogs Never Bite” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Contributing Writer October 27, 2023

Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is one of the most distinguished directors working today. From his use of dark humor to encapsulate oppressive class structures to his trademark anxiety-inducing...

A black and white illustration with a portrait of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and the title ‘El Conde’ in pink lettering.

Review: ‘El Conde’ tells a chilling story of bloodthirst through absurd political satire

Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s film is screening at the Paris Theater until Sept. 22.
Tony Jaeyeong Jeong, Contributing Writer September 20, 2023

A shadowy figure emerges from the screen, leaping across the cloudy skies. His silhouette, styled with a gothic cape and oversized collars, closely resembles that of the infamous...