Did you watch any of the South Korean films available on Netflix during out film festival? Here is Part Two of our reviews of the films. If you didn’t see any of them maybe this will have you heading over to Netflix to sample them!
THE GUARD POST – Review by Lore Walsh
Written, produced and directed by Kong Su Chang in 2008, ‘The Guard Post’ tells of guard post 506 that overlooks the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. South Korean soldiers investigate the guard post when communication stops and they find the entire platoon, save two survivors, inexplicably dead. The visiting soldiers have until sun-up to solve the mysteries of guard post 506.
The first survivor encountered, axe wielding Corporal Kang Jin Won (Lee Young Hoon – Traffickers/No Regret) is left unable to retell the events leading up to the deaths of his platoon mates. It is only when second survivor 1st Lieutenant Yoo Jeong Woo (Jo Hyun Jae – Fox With Nine Tails:Forbidden Love/49 Days) is found any information begins to slowly be revealed to investigating soldier Sergeant Major Noh Seong Gyu (Cheon Ho Jin – City Hunter/Blood Rain).
This film isn’t just a horror mystery. A virus has spread through the platoon, a key to the actions of the characters and the reason for the massacre in the opening scenes. This virus is a contemporary take on the Zombie genre of horror.
‘The Guard Post’ has been criticised for having a confusing plotline, and you will certainly understand why when watching.
However, Korean Horror has a way of drawing you in to the story, making you want to uncover the answers being searched for. As ‘The Guard Post’ plays through we rarely know more than Noh, we are able to experience the situation with him and learn the truth about 506 as he does.
Despite lacking the high quality production look of some horrors you shouldn’t avoid ‘The Guard Post’ if you’re interested in horror movies with added mystery. This is a very unique horror that will have you guessing the answers up until the last moment.
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BAD GUY no longer available on Netflix.com – reviewed by Lore Walsh
2001 feature ‘Bad Guy’ is one of the numerous films in which director Kim Ki Duk uses actor Cho Je Hyun as his lead man.
‘Bad Guy’ presents to the world the underbelly of Seoul through a somewhat compelling and definitely distressing tale of Korean gangsters and the sex workers they control in the capital.
A first encounter between main characters Han-gi (Cho) and Sun-hwa (Seo Won) leaves Han-gi wanting revenge, and revenge he gets in the most terrible way. Sun-hwa finds herself in a situation that forces her into the world of prostitution. Han-gi watches her from behind a mirror in her room and as time goes by the full extent of his emotions are revealed.
The ending will leave you questioning whether this film is an example of the psychological phenomenon Stockholm Syndrome, or simply a very disturbing tale of love.
The sex scenes in ‘Bad Guy’ could easily offend, and the film does portray rape, so those who are easily affronted by such topics may want to avoid ‘Bad Guy’.
However, if you’re interested in a shocking drama and the brilliantly turbulent performances of Cho Je Hyun and Seo Won this film is worth a viewing.
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Hansel & Gretel – reviewed by Lore Walsh
Yim Pil Sung’s 2007 film is a dark fantasy, horror and does draw some parallels with the old Brothers’ Grimm tale.
Lee Eun Soo (Chun Jung Myung) becomes lost in the woods and is lead to a beautiful house called the ‘House of Happy Children’ where three seemingly adorable children live. The Kim children: Man Bok (Eun Won Jae); Young Hee (Shim Eun Kyung); and Jeong Sun (Jin Ji Hee); welcome him into their home where he finds plenty of food, a warm fire, and a place to sleep. As Eun Soo finds the house too good to be true he also finds it impossible to leave the surrounding woods, always returning to the house. Soon the secrets of the house and the Kim children being to reveal themselves to Eun Soo.
The production quality of ‘Hansel & Gretel’ allows you to be drawn into the story completely. The art direction is wonderfully detailed, for example The House of Happy Children really does look straight out of a fairy tale with its décor in soft hues, masses of enticing toys, and plates of mouth-watering foods.
As far as Korean Horror goes ‘Hansel & Gretel’ possibly does have a very typical style of thriller story and message to it. What sets this movie apart from many others in the category is the fantasy that is created in the picture. The details you see on the screen are the ones that move the story and have you gripped.
If you’re interested in Korean Horror movies or adaptations of fairy tale ‘Hansel & Gretel’ is a must see film.
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Missing – Reviewed by Ashleigh Gregory
‘Missing’ is a survival thriller movie from 2009 which is based on a true story of a 70-year-old fisherman who killed four women in 2007. The events in the film are fictionalised, so it follows the life of Hyeon Jeong in the wake of her sisters disappearance. Hyeon Jeong fears the worst and manages to find out that her sister had been staying in a village in the countryside. She goes there hoping to find her sister but finds no help from the local police due to her lack of evidence.
Hyeong Jeong finds someone who thinks she saw her missing sister, Hyeon Ah, around the home of an elderly man called Pan Kon who owns a chicken restaurant in the village. When Hyeong Jeong eventually arrives at the elderly man’s home, her worst nightmares quickly become reality.
This film is all kinds of gruesome and has many components to it that make it the kind of horror film that I don’t enjoy; there are many sadistic and sexual elements in the plotline as women are being abducted not for ransom, but for sexual pleasure. This is definitely the film for you if you enjoy gore and real horror, but I wouldn’t say this is the kind of film most people would enjoy.
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More reviews coming up later today!
