This is one of the best horror films I have seen in a long time. Really creepy right from the start and with excellent imagery and cinematography throughout. This is one to be seen. And after watching JU ON: THE GRUDGE 2 today I wasn’t expecting much, but this is an excellent and scary film. Interesting to learn that this is based on a Korean folk tale that has been filmed no less than 5 times previously. Now I haven’t seen any of the others, but I thought this was an excellent and scary horror film.

The film starts with 2 sisters, Su mi (Im Soo Jung) and Su Yeon (Moon Geun Young) returning home after an unspecified illness has kept them away for a long period of time. They are the closest of sisters, and Su mi is always trying to protect Su Yeon from their wicked step mother (Yeom Jeong Ah), and the father who never does anything to help. Of course things are not as they appear and it seems we are seeing the film from indivuals completely distorted viewpoints, mostly from Su mi, but also for a short while from the Stepmother. And slowly the whole story of what has happened begins to come out, until at the very end you are able to understand the whole horrible tale of what really happened, and how it has affected the lives of those in the film.

The whole film has an impressive sense of unease, from the opening shots and the push ins used throughout that really create a heightened tension. Kim is an impressive director, and it seems he has learned his horror lessons well. It actually made me think of Kubrick and The Shining in the mastery of the craft that is shown in this horror film.

I have seen Kim Jee Woon’s amazing comedy THE FOUL KING previously and loved it, and also enjoyed his part in the pan asian horror film Three.

And of course Hollywood liked it since Dreamworks has bought the remake rights. I recommend you see the original