Businessman Dae-su has been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. When his friend, Joo-hwan picks him up at the police station they stop at a payphone to call Dae-su’s wife. When Joo-hwan turns around, Dae-su has disappeared. He wakes up in a sealed room where he is kept for 15 years.
I’ve just learned that this movie is part of what is known as the Vengeance Trilogy. This is the second instalment. Apparently they’re not connected by anything except their similar themes, so none of the characters are in more than one of the films, meaning they can be watched independent of each other. They’re done by the same director, Park Chan-wook, and this one is based on a Japanese manga. Another fact I’ve just learned.
This was the first Korean movie I saw (and admittedly the only one so far) and I absolutely loved it. I’d heard about it on Bravo’s 30 Even Scarier Movie Moments from 2006, thought it looked good so I got it on DVD. It didn’t disappoint. I totally get the praise from James Wan and James Gunn.
I really don’t want to give much away. The explanation is quite the doozy, though. There are a lot of tense scenes and some really well executed fights. The hallway scene is particularly memorable. This is such a stylish movie.
The characters are well written, as is the dialogue. The pacing is almost perfect, which is why its 2 hour runtime doesn’t drag on. It’s so engrossing that the time just flies by. Of course it may seem long if you’re not used to subtitles, but it becomes easier to get used to as the story unfolds.
I give this movie two very enthusiastic thumbs up and all credit goes to two of my favourite James’s (alongside Rolfe and A. Janisse). It really puts the thrill into thriller, but it gets quite intense and disturbing at times. The opening scene is funny, though.
Linsey Loves Horror 