“By the Stream” (2024) “Fnc” film review: Hong Sang-soo continues his thoughtful odyssey across smaller bodies of water

They say there are only three certainties in life: death, taxes and the release of at least one new Hong Sang-soo film a year. In a career marked by extreme productivity – By the Stream is his ninth film released this decade, and which, I remind you, is not even half finished – Hong’s directorial approach has been equally of a series of his own developments coinciding with his personal journey; Minor adjustments for anyone who just regularly checks in on one of his many features, but for those used to his penchant for self-reflection and irritating zooms, these changes might as well be signs of a whole new artist.

In particular, this new decade seems to have brought with it a more aged nuance to this contemplative stance – one that acknowledges the inner flaws that Hong began to examine in the previous decade, but with a newfound understanding…