This eerie psychological suspense film from Park Ki-Yong (whose 1998 hit Whispering Corridors kicked off a new wave Korean horror movies) delivers its chills not with shock tactics or gore, but by sustaining an evocative atmosphere of metaphysical mystery. Influenced by the restrained, suggestive terror practiced by his Japanese contemporaries Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Hideo Nakata, Park effectively taps into the innate human fear of the unexplained. Mi-jo's steady, silent stare, telepathy, and strange powers over fire and water seem to be the result of real-world trauma. They are an otherworldly coping mechanism, which, in the context of the film, makes enough sense to keep the viewer involved. As in a lot of recent Korean films, there is a strong melodramatic streak which adds a layer of pathos to the underlying aura of creeping dread.
by Tom Vick
review
