Bilocation Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: An artist fears for her life as she realizes she and others have dangerous doppelgangers on the loose.

Review: If there's one thing this movie has taught me it's that all it takes to marry a Japanese girl is to knock on her door. That's it?! And maybe dropping a book in front of her too. Moving along...this is another instance where any plot synopsis you read online will, more than likely, make this movie sound much different than it truly is. That can be both disappointing and a pleasant surprise depending on your outlook. "Bilocation" is closer to a fantasy-thriller than a true horror and transforms into a drama by the end. At first this bothered me, but I tried to appreciate the film for what it presents rather than what I had hoped it would be. Lastly, I want to acknowledge the main girl, Shinobu, played by Asami Mizukawa. She does an incredible job as both herself and the double. More so, you may recognize her from "The Locker" 1 and 2 plus "Dark Water." I've covered her a few times now, and we will be seeing more movies from her in the future.

What "Bilocation" does best, and quite successfully, is toy with the audience's perception regarding who is a double and who is the original in any given scene. The characters refer to their doubles as "bilocations," but they really are closer to a doppelganger and bilocation is more of a phenomenon than the thing itself. Is that making any sense? Onward we go! The characters use codes and mirrors to figure out who's who which adds to a few clever and unpredictable twists by the end. I almost feel like there are two movies being intertwined as the first half is about survival, and the second half is more about revelations and understanding. While I have discussed other movies in the past that fail to blend ideas coherently, "Bilocation" is able to reconcile the plot evenly. The characters are in danger at first until we realize more about what created the doubles in the first place and their goals. It's somewhat difficult to explain, but we are introduced to the different doubles in an order that enhances the twists of the story. In other words, we are shown generic, killer doubles at first only to realize that not everything is what it seems with the doubles and their originals. Needless to say, there are plenty of twists and turns that can be shocking and even tragic. There are two endings, and I can't say which one is supposed to be the true one. I will go with the "happy" ending since it would explain the character with the scar as it's greatly implied he was born from a double but not the original.

The film does falter quite a bit which I will address. The origin of the doubles felt as if there was a greater meaning to them, yet, they're simply created from a powerful emotion--a detachment from the original self during a single moment. This explanation felt a bit flimsy as if we must accept things readily in order to enjoy the events; I was waiting for the "why" when it was not important to the writer apparently. As mentioned, the running time is longer than necessary and many story aspects are unnecessarily confusing. Plenty of the twists are only unpredictable because the movie shows you the opposite of what they later explain as the truth. That's cheating and didn't even need to happen. For example, when Shinobu is first shown in the puddle at the start they could have simply angled things better so the audience didn't realize she wasn't there. You wouldn't even notice at that point in the story, and this would greatly add to replay value to find all the clues. Instead, it is cool to uncover the truth about the film's events, but things feel unearned when the filmmakers did not design the shots to better demonstrate the reality at hand.

All things considered, "Bilocation" is a surprisingly emotional film well worth your time. Although it is important to realize this isn't a conventional horror, it doesn't take away from the entertainment value. The mystery and reveal surrounding each of the characters is captivating and structured remarkably well. Furthermore, Shinobu is an impressive character especially once you fully understand the dynamic between her and the double. More to the point, I thoroughly loved this notion that the doubles could be a magnification of what the originals wanted of themselves. Although I do think the filmmakers cheat due to a lack of proper editing, I can mostly overlook the shortcomings. I do recommend checking this one out, but go with the ending where Shinobu doesn't fade away so to speak.

Notable Moment: Only one thing's true. I love you.

Final Rating: 6.5/10

The Promise (Thai 2017) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Two girls make a pact to commit suicide but one backs out at the last second. Twenty years later the ghost of the girl who died wants to complete the pact with the survivor's daughter.

Review: Man, this movie wants so badly to stand alongside the Asian horror legends of the past but, ultimately, fails to deliver when it matters the most. Since the 2010s began we have only seen a handful of films that could have held their own against the greats of old, and it sucks to see the potential come and go yet again. "The Promise" presents the audience with gorgeous cinematography, a real-world setting that is as haunting as it is stunning, and an incredible premise complemented by edge-of-the-seat tension...but, somehow, this isn't enough. The filmmakers went with a less is more approach which works wonders in this classic, ghost story style. However, the filmmakers also went so overboard with this philosophy that they forgot you need a payoff--a Sadako coming out of the TV moment to finally satiate that tension.

So what makes "The Promise" worthwhile? Well, the story line about a suicide pact and a vengeful ghost is cool. Revolving the setting around the 1997 financial crash in Asia gives "The Promise" an added sense of realism that enhances the ghost story. Likewise, the incomplete skyscraper utilized for much of the setting is a fucking monument to architecture. Going back to what I said about less being more...the filmmakers mastered the fake-out. For the most part, I do appreciate these scares as the audience's expectations are being toyed with quite successfully. As such, many of the setups for the scares were original while staying true to the known formula. Connected to this is the way the story continually builds up its tension with a sense of urgency and dread. The main chick's daughter is about to turn 15, and the ghost wants to complete the suicide pact in a similar fashion since it was originally the mom's 15th birthday in 1997. Although counting down the days is certainly reminiscent of "Ring," it's a tried and true method that is simple yet effective. Another entertaining aspect is the nostalgia of the '90s. This wasn't even an aim of the film, but they pay a decent tribute to the '90s in the coolest of ways. Finally, I want to give credit to the main actresses since they bring it with their mother and daughter relationship.

With so many positives going for this movie, it was a bit shocking to see it fail to deliver by the ending. I can, essentially, break my issues down into three, glaring missteps. One: the ending is too melodramatic and not befitting of a horror. The semi-depressing yet hopeful fate of the characters was more along the lines of what I'd expect from a romance or family drama. Two: there is no goddamn payoff! Almost every scare becomes a tease where you see nothing or the ghost is only faintly in the background like once or twice. This is fine at the beginning, but, when you hint that the ghost is becoming more monstrous, you have to finally give a reveal at the climax. When we see the ghost under the sheet...that was the moment to finally deliver the goods. C'mon, dude. You can't come up with this many scary set-pieces only to show nothing every single time! Three: this is one of the most heartless and evil ghosts we've seen for no reason. I thought the ghost was supposed to be a friend? This ghost is really going to be this callous against an emotional 15 year old girl who was horrified by her best friend blowing her brains out in front of her? Really?! This ghost cannot be reasoned with whatsoever and wants to utterly destroy the main chick's life and child just because she was too scared to commit suicide? I thought maybe there would be some revelation fueling this overwhelming fury but nope. Furthermore, the ghost's efforts go unresolved with her--what--giving up? I feel like we needed a moment where the mom pleas with the ghost face to face or something. Oh well.

All things considered, "The Promise" is still a good film...it just could have been better. While it fails to deliver on a satisfying conclusion or payoff, it does present a compelling story full of tension and commendable acting from the players. Although I've discussed how we don't see much from the ghost physically, the scares are still effective. I know I was on edge multiple times since these scenes are presented so well. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, however, I think it's important to understand the dynamics of the film before giving it a view; some may better appreciate that the film avoids the long-haired, ghost girl tropes altogether.

Notable Moment: When the mom finds this kid that can see ghosts and they explore the building together. In particular, the ghostly shadow on the wall scene--eerily similar to "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum" that I just reviewed--was a fantastic concept and probably the closest we got to seeing what the ghost's face looked like. Why didn't they just make her walk out of that shadow?! Seriously, come on, people! Deliver!

Final Rating: 6/10

The Ghost Bride (2017) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: In need of money, a girl agrees to become the bride of a dead man only to discover she is getting more than she bargained for.

Review: "The Ghost Bride" is an unrefined mess that feels more like a first draft than a feature length film. While the core premise is cool, it has been tackled before and done better; for example, check out "The Maid." Don't get me wrong, there are positive aspects to "The Ghost Bride," but the overall presentation is blander than it should have been given the subject matter. Ghost Month has become the Halloween of Asia, but it still needs a true, legendary film to do the holiday justice. This is not that film sadly. On the bright side, that little cookie from "The Healing," Kim Chiu, serves as our lead chickadee which certainly helped me to slog through the overly long running time.

The story starts off interesting enough except that the main ghost looks like a rejected member of the Royal Flush Gang. People are getting their hearts ripped out and the ghosts appear to be running amok. However, the movie will have a ton of holes by the end with characters seeing supernatural occurrences yet shrugging them off like no big deal. Speaking of which--dear lord--there are way too many damn family members. I don't know who the fuck half these people are or what is their relationship to Mayen, Ms. Chiu's character. Mayen's drama with her boyfriend is also ludicrous and should have been cut entirely. And was her cousin trying to marry her? Who was that pink shirt-wearing jackass exactly? And if that weren't enough, Mayen's ex(?) pops up at the eleventh hour to save the day, and we only heard his character mentioned like twice.

The main problem here is a lack of focus. The story is too chaotic and is structured nonsensically. The reveal that Mayen married something akin to a demon was nice, but we are not given context about who or what the ghost is or why it wants Mayen specifically. There is essentially an entire international group of henchman working for this demon yet what is the point? If killing someone while wearing that dumb bracelet sends them to hell, why even bother with this ghost bride scheme? It was amusing when Mayen is suddenly an incredible swordswoman out of nowhere and can beat four bitches at once. Uh, okaaaay. What were the filmmakers actually trying to accomplish here?

Ultimately, there is a lack of vision and direction with "The Ghost Bride." The ghosts are CGI instead of makeup effects which looks atrocious. The movie is too long, has too many tangents, and is not told coherently. Still, I do like certain aspects and can appreciate the effort. Ms. Chiu is as cute as ever and was probably the best part. Underneath all the mistakes, the Ghost Month plot is intriguing and could have been done well. I can't really recommend this when you could get a better experience from "The Maid," but if you're slightly curious maybe go in with low expectations and hope to be surprised.

Notable Moment: When Clinton dies. I actually thought he looked scarier than the ghosts.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Zany antics ensue as a group of people broadcast their investigation into an allegedly haunted asylum.

Review: Considering the kind of horror Korea is known for, it was surprising that this movie was such a huge hit--opting for cookie-cutter scares instead of the psychological. Maybe it was the allure of the actual location, the Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, that aided in this movie's success. Forget a sequel though since the hospital has since been demolished; perhaps this was due to the film itself? Despite the questionable backstory on the real location, I can say with certainty that the movie is a huge letdown. Nothing happens for more than half the running time, and, when things finally pick up, it's lackluster and by-the-numbers for found-footage. The story presents a variety of angles for the filmmakers to approach the scares yet little is accomplished. I've read others liken this to a Korean "Grave Encounters," but I think that's an insult to "Grave Encounters" which had a payoff worth your time.

You might easily guess what happens. Surprise, the group doesn't think the asylum is really haunted, but then they find out it's all real and die. For the most part this could be acceptable if done properly, however, the film drags its feet with presenting any tension or sense of fear. It also doesn't help when the tone is lighthearted leading up to the group going to the asylum. There are story decisions that lead to nothing like the drone camera; why not have a rooftop ghost for example? The one chick, Charlotte, she's cute, speaks multiple languages, and has been to other haunted locations...they could have worked with that differently. Or the guy hanging out at the camp...lights flicker and stuff but so what? And even the ghost image on the their website...it comes to life at the end...why exactly? Perhaps the most egregious offense to me was the complete squandering of the ghost outline in the shower or whatever it was. Oh man, come the fuck on, the lighting would have been so easy to manipulate between shots to give the illusion of the shadow coming to life. You use the lighting to blend a character's shadow up against the wall's image, cut away, insert ghostly woman in black behind character, and then show the ghost grab the character from behind. This shit writes itself, people! Step up your game.

"Gonjiam" isn't a complete waste, as there are some scattered moments of entertainment, but there really isn't anything done here to stand out among a long list of found-footage tripe. Had the filmmakers fully utilized the material they were dealing with I think this could be better and wouldn't have needed so much padding at the beginning. In fact, I would have rated this a tad higher had the story simply picked up earlier on. Overall, this is just a mediocre time-waster with hints of good ideas that go nowhere.

Notable Moment: When that possessed chick does her noodle-slurping noise. I guess this was supposed to be scary, but I just laughed.

Final Rating: 5/10