Review of A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) by Michael G — 06 Mar 2011

8.2/10.

"A Tale of Two Sisters" is a film that will most likely evoke many different emotions out of the audience. It may confuse you, and then again it may absorb you. Some people do not like being captured and forcefully taken for a ride when it comes to a horror film like this, but when the stops are as well-done as they are here, I can't complain about my lack of control. This film reminded me ever-so much about why horror movies aren't that great nowadays. Not only are they not scary; but they're also ugly both visually and imaginatively. "A Tale of Two Sisters" kind of stops every genre cliché in its path; and in its self, it is an imaginative and smart horror movie. As a horror movie built around extreme craft, it's a masterpiece. And it's also one of the best horror movies of the 2000's. And those are rare to come across. If I could recommend this film for one thing- which if frankly, hard as hell to do- it would be the sheer uniqueness of it all. From the visual detail to the smartly played scares, "A Tale of Two Sisters" is a force to be reckoned with. It's a masterpiece on a stylistic level; having a not-so-perfect story, but also possessing a good sense of direction and destination. It knows where it's going; and it's not afraid to go where it wants to go. Some say it's restrained. I say it's not. I say it goes all out and shows us real horror. The thing works so hard to be scary, that in fact, the scariest scenes didn't so much as let me breathe. But I was both relieved and sad when these moments were over; since these are by far the richest moments that this little Korean master-work has to offer. The story is pretty good; but I wouldn't call it perfect. The third act is virtually the only flaw of this film, and everything else runs almost too smoothly. And if you know me, that's far from a complaint. So I suppose I applaud this film for its craft, its visual mastery, and its scare factor. This is definitely a "scary horror movie"; the kind that doesn't come along often for its genre. It's kind of sad to see that America already remade this little gem into their own dud; that is to say, if it really was as much of a dud as I'd expect it to be. But I'm sure it just can't compare to the near-perfection that is displayed here. This is the movie to see. It's a must-see for horror fanatics as well as anyone who likes a drop of emotion in their horror miracle-work. I admired it. And I was also very entertained by it. It felt convenient, fresh, and inventive; just what I wanted out of a horror film with such a good premise.

Warning: "A Tale of Two Sisters" can be confusing as hell. Sometimes this adds to its beauty; and sometimes it makes it less appealing to the general public. But all in all, it's consistently creepy, entertaining, and true to its genre. It's never insulting and in fact, it's quite respectable towards the little genre that we like to call "horror". But what's horror. Us Americans don't seem to know. But while we're out remaking stuff, Korea is making some seriously awesome shit such as this little film. I admittedly admire "A Tale of Two Sisters". It tells the tale of two sisters (bet you didn't know that one) who move in with their creepy-ass step-mother for a while. The step-mother lives in a nice home; but she is far from content. She's demeaning, and possibly supernatural in her intimidation. The sisters, however, are much different. Each has had their share of mental problems in the past, and they dislike their step-mom very much. They fear that she stalks them; and they also suspect that she's abusive towards both of them. But one always knows while the other doesn't; and this is what makes "A Tale of Two Sisters" such a fascinating watch. The complication of the story is that there seems to be a ghost in the house, and yet the film never turns into the sort of "haunted house" type movie that we're all so tired of watching. However, I do have some serious beef with the "big twist". It doesn't suck, and it doesn't disappoint; but it was confusing. I did some research into where the story went from there, and I think I understand the thing better now. But you've been warned. Otherwise, this is a damn fine ghost story. It's nearly powerful; and even has a hint of drama thrown in for a little solid, extra effect. It's not for everyone, but it's just about as disturbing and riveting as you'd expect the thing to be. So look forward to that.

Im Soo Jung and Moon Geun Young play the sisters. I must say; this is a pair of fine performances. The two actresses work so well on-screen, and it's almost scary to think that they're daring enough to be in a film this creepy. But to me, they're but the icing on the cake. The real star here is Yeom Jeong-ah plays a very, very convincing "scary step-mother". There was just something so seductive about the performance, and in fact, I found it intoxicating whenever this bold woman was on-screen. I appreciate the performance; and I also appreciate how this film has good characters. Yes, good characters. How many horror movies have them? I'll wait until you're done counting.

Now look; visual effects have become what horror films are all about these days. Ghosts and Ghouls are now fully compressed of CG, skeletons are now fully animated, and just about anything else is the product of pure technology. This usually takes away from any imagination, and I can seriously get into a horror movie when it fails to use effects to its advantage. But here we have a horror film that uses a lot of CG; but it uses it all so well that in fact, it's one of the better horror movies out there. Kim Ji-woon is a talented director who always seems to have a damn good vision going on. He wanted to make this film because he admires the horror genre a great deal; and he wanted to tell the story as well. Well, to my surprise; this movie is really scary. A lot of the time, it even borders on being scary and being creepy; but it almost always makes you jump. Yes, that's good enough for me. A good jump a day keeps the average horror fan alive. I may not be a hardcore horror fan, as some have said, but I feel good when I watch a movie that can consistently strike fear into my heart. It's quite awesome what an entertaining film Kim Ji-Woon has made here. Is it flawless? Not quite. But the visuals are seductive, the atmosphere is perfect, and the thing is still pretty freaking awesome in spite of its confusing plot. If you can decode it; then this film is as great as I've made it out to be. The film doesn't really care how or when you want to be scared; and that's what I love about it.

The ugly truth is; few horror films that come out nowadays are actually good. They started genuinely sucking in the 70's and 80's, and started getting really bad in the 90's. Now, nearly everything out of that genre is crap. Why choose stuff like "Hostel", which was a pornographic excess in the exploitation of violence, when you can have something as beautifully done as "A Tale of Two Sisters"? This film is actually scary, and it's also very fun to watch, believe it or not. It is perhaps better known as the "highest grossing Korean horror movie of all time", but you should also know it by how good it is. Please, take the time to watch it. It's ingenious and entertaining, and moves at just the right pace. It's one of 2003's best; a surprisingly engaging horror movie from Korea that never lets go of its genuine nature. It felt honest. It felt great. I adored it, admired it, and in the end of the day; I kind of loved it. The thing just looks and feels too good to skip. It's a film that will take you, immerse you, and will only let go when you want it do; which will more than likely be never. The thing is smart, and has good characters. It's loving towards the horror genre; never a homage, as a lot of horror movies are, but always something completely new. It's not the best Korean film out there; but its good horror anyways. And that's good enough for me.