Asian movies are known to be revolutionary in the horror genre; Japanese being the most predominantly recognized. As opposed to the darker and more graphic nature of Japanese horror, Korean horror is my favourite because of their focus on storytelling and character depth. They tend to lean more towards psychological horror, painting a colorful context with unique characters who are slowly distorted by the horrific events. These are my top five recommendations to get into the Korean horror phenomenon this Halloween.
The Wailing (2016)
Directed by Na Hong-Jin, this movie follows a policeman and his efforts to investigate a series of mysterious killings and illnesses in a remote Korean village. This movie could be described as a paranormal mystery, where the officers try to figure out what is causing the villagers to become infected and overwhelmed by murderous intentions. Contrary to a classic possession film, the audience gets to know the character’s clear motivations and family affairs, creating empathy towards their goals.
Train to Busan (2016)
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, this movie has received international attention for the highly emotional plot. It’s a dystopian kind of movie, where a mysterious virus develops in Korea, creating crowds of zombie-like civilians. The main character list includes a divorced dad and his daughter, a soon-to-be parents couple, a high schooler, a homeless man and a few secondary characters. As you follow their journey to get to the only safe place which is a Korean city called Busan, you get attached to the characters background and their communal efforts to survive a train ride filled with the infectious virus.
A tale of two sister (2003)
Out of all the other films in the list, Kim Jee-won’s movie is the most psychological of them all. The story follows two sisters recently released from a mental institution, only to find their stepmother dealing with disturbing ghosts haunting their house. The movie is filled with impeccable details inviting for multiple interpretations of the ongoing events; the two main characters ultimately being unreliable narrators as they suffer not only from the events happening externally, but also from internal psychological noise.
Thirst (2009)
Directed by Park Chan-wook, Thirst is a horror film which won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes film festival and it’s a personal favorite of mine. The story follows a priest who volunteered as a test subject to find a vaccine for a deadly virus. The experiment fails and he ends up adopting vampire-like abilities. The main focus is the priest’s efforts to deal with his moral dilemma of wanting to protect others, but ultimately needing human blood to survive. His personal affairs are also brought into the mix as he engages in adultery, abusive relationships, the loss of his faith, and sense of righteousness.
Bedevilled (2010)
A thriller film directed by Jang Cheol-soo, also featured at the 2010 Cannes festival as an official selection of International Critic’s week. The film follows the events following an abusive marriage, which leads the wife on a path of desperation where she engages in a series of murders around the desolate village. This story makes you reflect about the wife’s motivations, her family relations, and overall relationship with the villagers, who have always treated her as less than a slave.