Check out my updated review! http://thevagrantrises.blogspot.com/2014/04/updated-review-3-white-melody-of-curse.html
Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: Korean pop group, Pink Dolls, are struggling to find an audience until they stumble upon a forgotten song at their new studio. Now they will discover the curse of White.
Review: In a lot of ways, this is two movies in one. The first half focuses on the hardships of fame and an inside look into the music industry of Korea while the scares build slowly; there is emphasis on how hard it is to succeed and how everyone gets used. This is especially interesting considering how big K-pop has grown internationally in the last decade. I would say it also serves to show how different people can become once fame hits which is important in this mindlessly, obsessed with celebrities world we live in. The second half deals more directly with the white-haired ghost that haunts the pop group for using her song, White, to gain success. I should note, White, is an extremely catchy song that gets stuck in your head easily and long after the film is over. They definitely chose a great tune considering the film's premise is that the song makes the girls famous. There are a lot of standard Asian horror themes and cliches here, but this film plays out more straightfoward and makes a lot more sense than your typical K-horror; this is of note because I have grown quite jaded by the nonsensical endings to most K-horror films. Likewise, the approach to the scares is unique and they manage to set themselves a part from the pack quite nicely with many original setups and genuinely frightening moments beyond jump scares. The Pink Dolls provide for an interesting center to the story with each girl having their own quirks making it feel more real and natural. The lead, Eun-joo, played by real life K-pop star Eun-jeong Ham, is especially beautiful and sexy and does a great job trying to lead the group while being a sympathetic and likable character. Considering this was only her second major role, she does an impressive job carrying the film with decent acting. The ghost is also very unique looking with the white hair and exceptional makeup effects. Actually, I thought the look of the ghost was so creepy I was very much disappointed she did not have even more screen time. I liked that there was an intricate backstory about how the song came into being and how the ghost came to haunt the song; maybe we will get the full story in a prequel/sequel, because there's a lot of room to explore, and I'd love to see more! The scares are solid, the girls are cute, the main song is awesome, the ending is satisfying and unexpected, and the plot has a lot more going on than typical horror with a lot of creativity. Honestly, this is one of the best K-horror films out there while also being way overlooked; this film deserves considerably more attention than it has received, and I rank it amongst the legends like "One Missed Call" and "The Grudge." This is most certainly required viewing in the Asian horror genre so check this one out on youtube if you can't find it!
Notable Moment: When the ghost attacks Eun-joo at the final concert and surprisingly Eun-joo actually bites the big one. This was surprising and disappointing at the same time.
Final Rating: 8/10
Eun-jeong Ham looking oh so sexy!
No comments:
Post a Comment