Review of A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) by Erick F — 09 Jun 2011

This is a terrifying, twisty film which proves that in order to be scary a film doesn't have to be excessively gory. This tale is a slow-building, somewhat confusing one about a young girl with some...problems. The premise is set up in this way: two young sisters come back home from a 'hospital' after the death of their mother. Their father has married a woman who quickly turns out to be a nasty, hateful step-mother. At the same times, there seems to be some strange, terrifying, supernatural force in the house that wreaks terror on one of the sisters and the step-mother. Keep in mind, that is how the premise is set up at the beginning. But rest assured that by the end of the film the story is turned on its head and your mind will be reeling from the twists and turns the story takes at the end.

Ji-woon Kim (the director) is firing on all cylinders here. The atmosphere is perfect and the cinematography is spot on (specifically the lingering shots of seemingly insignificant objects and the odd camera angles). The film score is uniformly excellent. Enough could never be said of the terrific acting on display here. Everybody involved deserves an award.

Overall, you will be confused as I was by the end of the film, but this will not keep you from having a blast trying to figure things out while being creeped out. It's an excellent film with few true flaws. It is certainly not for everybody, and those unwilling to use their brains during a film will want to steer clear. I recommend this for horror fans who like a little intelligence infused into the scares every now and then.