4Minutes (Sultrier Version) (2024)

Strong start average finish

4Minutes actually started out great but the last 2 episodes were not impressive. There are a few unanswered questions and the final episode has a few confusing moments which don't make sense unfortunately or at least they were quite ambiguous and just leave the audience to fill the gap.

I ended up starting the sultier version and it is definitely graphic. There is partial nudity especially involving a minor (at the time of shooting) so it is good that there is a censored version as well. Watch whatever you are most comfortable with.

I rarely watch BLs but the plot summary and title were what intrigued me. I enjoy mysteries and it was definitely fun trying to decipher the clues in each episode before the clarity of the situation finally hits. So that's where it started to be less enjoyable. There are a few editing issues that didn't make sense but don't affect the plot. I was still surprised these things weren't caught.

The show really was a 9/10 for me midway so I expected a strong finish but sadly they were unable to deliver. I felt disconnected from some of the characters by the end because their actions/reactions seemed strange. And some characters don't have the chemistry we were expecting so it feels unbelievable. It is sad because they really could have done well if they covered all their bases and hadn't skipped crucial moments and elaborated things further. I feel disappointed because I had higher hopes but it is worth watching for the suspense.

Leia Mais

So amazing, but the last episodes were weak

This show is definitely worth watching. I loved the plot that just kept you on your toes, and the amount of theories I created was not healthy. I just felt like the last two/three episodes were in stark contrast to the rest of the show and much weaker.

Positives:
- Bible's acting! He was once again just convincing, natural, and just truly a great actor
- The plot. The writing of the plot progression was super interesting, how they kept dropping hints and kept us guessing. The characters were also super interesting, especially how they were morally grey, flawed, and complex.
- The NC scenes. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the pairings in this, they're chemistry wasn't AMAZING (but that wasn't the point of the show at all so it's fine), all the NC scenes were full of chemistry, incredibly nuanced, natural, and well-used as storytelling devices. Probably my favourite NC scenes ever.

Negatives:
- The last two/three episodes. The dialogue felt off/forced. The acting suddenly felt unnatural. They tried to wrap up/explain the previous plot in a way that made it feel silly, that dissolved all this great tension they'd previously built in an insignificant way. Truly am a bit disappointed.

All in all, still an amazing series. Maybe not that much rewatch value since it lives off the plottwist. Truly could've been a 10 star if they'd kept up the theme with the last episodes.

Leia Mais

Interesting...

((MAJOR SPOILERS))


First things first I want to applaud this show for being probably one of the few that actually has me hooked till the end in these past months I’ve watched BL, it wasn’t that hard to finish, I think the fact that it has 8 episodes which is a perfect amount plays a part too, because god… 12 episodes is so much and a lot of shows have that amount so they really stretch out the story to the point it gets boring midway. But this show had me hooked, I think the way they made each episode flow was very helpful too. They made sure to confuse the fuck out of everyone in each episode enough to make you wanna continue to the next so your questions can be answered, and trust me if you’ve watched till the last episode, all of your questions will be answered. So there really is no reason why people should be confused. But if you still are, I’m going to explain what this story was about in my words. If there’s anything I misinterpreted or missed then I’ll take the blame lol. But so far what I got was in the first couple of episodes it shows Great and his experiences, at first it shows him living that 4 minutes life, but in reality he’s really in the hospital having a near death experience, then between the middle it shows more info about other characters and then it shows the reality of Great, so basically what Great actually experienced, where he actually runs over the girl and all that. Towards the end it shows Tyme and his near death experience, and he was also experiencing the same thing as Great in the sense of the 4 minutes and such. Then at the end they recover and live happily. So what is there to unpack here? This whole show was based on 2 people who were experiencing a near death experience, and once you’re dying I guess you just relive what you’ve experienced, any guilt or regret you have will transform into the opposite in your brain, that’s why Great could see 4 minutes into the future and basically fix his mistakes, and that’s why Tyme had a whole different life with Great during his 4 minute experience, he had a good relationship with Great and they were dating. But in their actual reality, Tyme didn’t have the best relationship with Great and he treated him pretty badly, so when Great got shot, that guilt stayed with him. And Great regretted running over the girl, and also “helping” or not doing anything to stop Title from killing Dome and more interactions or decisions. So this whole near death experience was a way for the brain and body to cope with the regrets of life and they kind of created their own reality that’s why both Great and Tyme have a whole different view/perspective on how they met and the experiences they had together, but the reality isn’t even close to what they both created. Thankfully both survived and lived to what seems to be happy (YAY), everything seemed to be resolved. Sadly Dome, Korn, and Tonkla passed away. Honestly, they all deserved better. And the fact that Korn killed himself after Tonkla died makes this an even more depressing love story between them. And poor Dome, he was so innocent and kind based on what we saw. He didn’t do anything. And the cop Win, idk I did ship Tonkla and Korn but I first saw Fuaiz (Tonkla) and JJay (Win/Cop) in DFF (Dead Friend Forever) and they were a couple there so this is what I was kind of hoping would happen here too. But I guess in either shows do they have a happy ending T-T. Poor JJay. But yeah this is pretty much it, I also have to applaud those NC scenes, omg… it was giving KinnPorsche. But nothing beats KinnPorsche. Anyway, the only things I would switch about this show is probably making it a little less confusing for the viewers, I like the fun in looking forward to the next episode but they really had me confused for a couple episodes until the end where I was like “OHHHH”. And I guess include a little more romance in it, I know this is a specific genre and the romance is there, but just a tiny bit more would make this show a little more enjoyable. But overall pretty good. In my opinion, this show is good to watch once, I probably will never rewatch, but to give it a try, I will for sure recommend.

Leia Mais

This was sooo good!

I really liked this drama, already watched twice to wrap my head truly around it. I like a good drama bl or not, and a bl that does to need all tropes to be successful. This was thought provoking about redemption and trying to get it right.
The actors were excellent in making the characters pull us in, great job. When you hurt for a character, even if they are flawed, you know they have done their job. This may not be for everyone, this is not the fluffy love story, you need to think. I would say the rewatch factor is high, not just for nc scenes, but the story.

Leia Mais

yeah, that's what i thought you'd do [slightly derogatory]

I came into this show knowing I loved about half the creatives and hated about half the creatives, so it was always going to be a best-of-times-worst-of-times situation for me. I was, honestly, pleasantly surprised where we ended up! High production values and an interesting concept will get you quite far, and 4Minutes had both in spades--plenty enough to cover some fumbling of plot lines and moderately lackluster romance. Though I think in the end I enjoyed the concept of this series more than the actual series itself, I am going to send out tweets telling me "when it's finished" friends to pick up... so. I guess they got me there!

-The Full Review-

STORY:
Sammon, Sammon, Sammon... It's always the same shit with you, isn't it? Women bleeding from their pregnancy-related-illnesses, a solid attempt at "medical accuracy." awkward/stiff romance in all the strangest places, and an ending that never quite manages to kill enough of it's darlings to stick the landing. And illegal casinos, now, I guess? I'm being rude.
I think 4Minutes is actually quite a bit stronger than Dead Friend Forever and tighter than Manner of Death. While the ending still dragged, I think there was an attempt to really bring all the pieces full circle that improved the quality of the series overall. I loved the concept a lot, and felt that there was a reasonably good use of the 4Minutes concept throughout the narrative, the strongest being in the earlier episodes.
That said, I think pacing and execution was quite sloppy. The first four episodes were full of intrigue and suspense. but the later episodes didn't keep pace conceptually as the action sped up. The 4Minutes touchstones were lost to a lot of montage and time skips that made it difficult to stay invested in the time-bending narrative. I ended up feeling much more connected to the characters on the grounded timeline.

ACTING:
Well, there's no coy way to say it. I think Fuaiz and Bas stole the show entirely--but I don't think it was entirely their doing. Everyone in this show is at worst a competent actor and at best really quite an interesting performer. However, the structure of the story was much kinder to the characters in "reality," in terms of audience connection and the ability to build character.
Fuaiz and Bas had very traditional character arcs. We get an initial impression of their characters, and then slowly the plot reveals the layers of their psyche. For Fuaiz, I loved the balance of how cold and calculating he tries to be over top the much more unstable distress. The way he broke and then smoothed over the pain was heart-wrenching and won me over immediately. For Bas, the struggle between his responsibilities was not quite so intriguing to me... until it built to breaking point in the final episode. Really beautifully raw emotion coming through with very little dialogue.
For Jes and Bible... I was less impressed. I was surprised, because I loved Bible as Vegas. But the shift between Great's 4Minutes ideal reality, reality as we know it, Tyme's 4Minutes reality, and the new normal... really lost their characters along the way and the romance with it. They felt less dimensional and less stable as characters over time, not more real. The performances in any given moment were solid, but they didn't add up to a coherent character. It was... a little flat.
For the stand out ensemble I am going to take a minute to once again bitch that Be On Cloud is absolutely Wasting Jet by using him in these one-dimensional villain characters. I watched all of the Hidden Character and I fell absolutely in love with rendition of Porsche and I want to see that actor again. Stop punishing him for a bad choice in partner a year ago and give him something to work with!

PRODUCTION:
Gorgeous, as always, though not quite on par with Kinnporsche. I think the stand out moments of this series were the moments when reality and the 4Minute experience begin to blend. The snatches of spot-the-difference were beautifully chosen and very alluring. Unfortunately, some of the other shots got a little muddled and confusing--some of the darkness too dark and unstructured to be clear, some of the effects in the dream scene nauseating, and some of the choices a bit cute for the kind of production they were having. These weren't overly offensive though.
The only two choices I really disliked were the stupid stuffed animals (no one should take GMMTV's lead in shoving blatant merch opportunities into their series) and the use of Why Don't You Stay. Leave what is special to each production where it is. You've gone above and beyond to differentiate this from Kinnporsche and separate the cast from what they were in that series.... the cover was a misstep (and quite poorly sung).

INTIMACY:
Ok. The NC scenes were realistic and artistic. I enjoyed the way we were introduced to characters and their personalities through their sex scenes! I think there was clear purpose and choice for the degree of explicitness these scenes were shot with and I think they really pulled them off well in that regard. I hope that, despite Pond seemingly awarding himself the title intimacy director with no training, these shoots were a positive experience for the cast.
That said,,, They weren't hot LOL??? That's the best way I can think to phrase my complaint. Despite such a degree of explicitness and nakedness, very few of these scenes had a good sense for chemistry and connection. The plot was clear, the choices and conflict was clear, but the connection wasn't really happening in the moment. The pacing and framing always stumbled in a way that prevented them from being great. It feels like a step backwards, if I am being honest.

In all, I knew I was going to struggle with this show and the show struggled in exactly the places I expected it to. So, if you really like Be On Clouds post-Kinnporsche work or you're a huge Sammon fan... you'll probably have a great time (no pun intended)! If you, like me, don't... I think it's still worth watching and interesting work in it's own right. I think this company is still finding it's footing and discovering it's voice. This was a pretty good attempt!

Leia Mais

Better than any other BL I have watched

4 Minutes is really a cut above the BLs I have seen before. Indeed, as a casual BL fan, I never imagined I would create an account here and post a review. But here we are!

The show sets itself up quickly. Despite the synopsis, this is really the story of two hot, young rich brothers: Twinky 'Great' and hunky 'Korn'. The bros' lives are turned upside down almost immediately as the series starts. Korn, because he finds out his parents' business is not simply the respectable freight and shipping company it seems to be. Great, on the other hand, realises he can see exactly 4 minutes into the future. (Or can he?)

Now we are ready for the super-fun, dark, twisty and sexy romp to commence. What sets 4 Minutes apart is that it actually stands its ground as a very solid, if implausible (and the best ones are) crime thriller, part gritty, part glamorous. The characters' personalities make sense, and their decisions are believable, given the extraordinary situations they find themselves in. The pacing is, uniquely for a BL, suitably fast, even propulsive at times.

The acting, directing, editing and set design make your typical BL look like first-year drama school productions by comparison. The show also avoids some of the more irritating, common BL tropes. The bad guy goons are not universally incompetent, for example. (Though their masters still spend an inordinate amount of time drinking posh spirits.) The bottoms are not all wide-eyed virgins - they are even on PrEP and beg for it raw!

The supernatural element is also devised and deployed with great care, maturity and sophistication. Some have complained that some plot elements remain frustratingly vague and confusing. But, for me that works, because it serves to advance the ambiguity around the nature of Great's seemingly magical ability.

Lastly, the 'NC' - I still have no idea what that acronym stands for - scenes. Wow! These are sexy and hot, but not at all gratuitous. They serve the plot very well. My only gripe. they are edited in such a way that the tops appear to climax within a couple of minutes of penetration. That is not how it is supposed to work, lads!

We will have to wait and see whether the writers are able to bring all the various threads of 4 Minutes' plot together satisfactorily in the conclusion. But, even if they don't, the ride will have been worth it. I cannot wait for the next episode! Just watch this drama!

Leia Mais