Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: An amnesic woman realizes her former friends are being killed by a vengeful ghost over an incident she can no longer remember.
Review: This movie somewhat reminds me of "Forbidden Siren" in that it starts off great with an intriguing premise, but the ending completely drops the ball...HARD. Realistically, this revelation will either make or break the story for most audiences. I can somewhat forgive it since I already watched this film before, but I imagine more people hating it than liking it. Despite this ending--and a generic vibe to the events--things are handled remarkably well. The amnesia plot device surprisingly works wonders as you want to see what was so horrible that it must be forgotten. The ghost is stereotypical, and maybe a bit too Sadako-light, but they do try to utilize unique scares. These scares still come off as unoriginal, but they did try--you must admit that. Overall, the production is strong, and the story is competently assembled to captivate viewers.
Speaking of which, the story focuses on a girl, named Ji-won, who is a recovering amnesiac. She has these scars on her wrist that feel like they're right out of "Cello," but you'll have to overlook that facet. As Ji-won moves on with her life she is thrust into a conflict with a vengeful spirit that is picking off her old, flunky friends from high school. These chicks are essentially bitches and Ji-won was their leader. This creates an interesting dynamic whereby Ji-won has become a sweetheart after having her memories wiped away which contrasts with her former, bitchy self. This plot line isn't explored in quite the level of depth I'd prefer, but it's still a fun idea. Anyway, Ji-won and her crew were especially mean to a nice girl named Su-in. They imply that Ji-won and Su-in used to be close friends as kids, but, somehow, Su-in turned into her punching bag by high school; the whole childhood angle was another plot tangent I felt was completely wasted. With the flunky friends biting the dust, Ji-won remembers that Su-in drowned when they were playing a joke that got out of hand. Apparently Ji-won couldn't swim, and Su-in drowned while trying to save her. Likewise, the flunky friends left them both for dead since...well...they're bitches. During this drowning experience is when Ji-won was given the scars on her wrist.
Up to this point the film is totally solid--things make sense and the mystery has been thoroughly intriguing. Needing a lame twist, we come to learn that Su-in's soul transferred into Ji-won's body and that the only reason why Ji-won is such a sweetheart is because she is actually Su-in. So the ghost is the disembodied spirit of the real Ji-won, angry that she was left to die. But the icing on the cake has yet to come...Ji-won's ghost has also been possessing her own mother in order to reclaim her body from Su-in? Uhh, okay. Way to shit all over your own premise of philosophically pondering whether it's our experiences that shape the person or whether there is something more innate! Su-in, in Ji-won's body, tries to commit suicide and this stops the ghost of Ji-won...I guess. For the beloved fucking zinger, we see Ji-won's ghost now possessing Su-in's mother too. Oh god. What a disappointing conclusion. This is one of those endings that practically negates the point of the film itself. The other thing I want to mention is Ji-won/Su-in's love interest. My goodness, if you thought that bitch-boy in "Long Weekend" was friend zoned, you haven't seen anything yet! The guy here is utterly hopeless and just cannot take the hint. The funny thing with this tool is that he actually loved the original, bitch version of Ji-won. The hell?
Had the ending been where it needed to be, and the ghost given a tad more emphasis, that would have spiced things up considerably. I'm imagining the best case scenario could have presented a twist connected to Ji-won and Su-in's childhood--maybe a dark secret that made the betrayal run deeper. Regardless, if you can get over the ending, this is an entertaining flick. Sure, this is nowhere near being an Asian horror legend, but it's worth seeking out nonetheless. The mystery keeps you engaged, and I truly love the presentation of Ji-won contrasted with her former self. Plot lines are wasted, and there is nothing above and beyond what is par for the genre, but it still presents a compelling story. Check this out if you get the chance, but be wary of how the film resolves.
Notable Moment: When the ghost pops up at the movie theater. This was a cool scare, but, unfortunately, they end it far too fast. This scene could have been dragged out for a couple more minutes to truly make it memorably frightening.
Final Rating: 6/10
The open end, with the mom being possessed, seemed forced to me. I didn't mind the fact that Su-in took possession of Ju-won's body. Hadn't she drowned? I just didn't get why Ju-won was killing her friends.
ReplyDeleteThe friends left her for dead too so she wants revenge.
ReplyDeleteThis is an example of how bad my memory is. I forgot I wrote the above comment and asked you a few days ago if you had seen it. I do feel really dumb.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I watched it again a few weeks ago and I have to disagree with myself. I didn't like the fact that Su-in took possession of Ji-won's body. I would have preferred if Ji-won simply became a better person. Also, I didn't think Ji-won's love interest liked her before the amnesia. She sort of staked him. Maybe he tolerated her. After the amnesia he noticed her, fell in love with her. He says that in the movie. The fact that a ghost can possess people so easily gives to much power.
One last thing, me not getting why Ji-won's ghost was killing her friends shows that I wasn't paying enough attention.