A Tale of Two Sisters

Name: Janghwa, Hongryeon (Korea)
A Tale of Two Sisters (Intl)

Director: Ji-woon Kim

Release Date: June 13 2003

Tagline: Our sorrow is conceived long before we are born…

Introduction:

This film is loosely based off of a Korean folktale centered on the relationship between two sisters and their wicked stepmother. A couple had two daughters, but the mother died. Afterwards, the father weds another woman in order to give his daughters a mother. This stepmother is cruel and makes her new stepchildren’s lives a living hell.

Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janghwa_Hongreyon-jon

Synopsis:

A Tale of Two Sisters begins in a mental asylum. A doctor is questioning a girl about the details of a day in the past while she merely sits silently. Later, in what is assumed to be a flashback, you see the same girl, Su-mi, arriving at a house with her younger sister, Su-yeon. With them come their father and their stepmother, Eun-joo. Things seem strange in the house; for instance, inside their rooms, they find completely identical clothing and accessories. Later that night at dinner, things are tense and strange. Their father leaves early after giving Eun-joo two pills to take. When the girls go to bed, the house turns eerie, filled with disturbing dreams.

During the next few days, things become even stranger. Eun-joo abuses Su-yeon, and fights constantly with Su-mi. Through the course of these events, they father seems completely oblivious. Mingled in these troubled events, there seems to be something haunting the family, something that none of them has yet to come to terms with…

Review:

This movie is probably my favorite, as far as Korean horror films go. Throughout the entire movie, there is an undeniable sense of dread and foreboding, and while there is of course a dramatic reveal at the end, it still leaves a bit of room for open interpretation. This movie looks beautiful; the colors are stunning, and the acting, especially that of the Su-mi and Eun-joo, is utterly enthralling.

The suspense is well maintained in the movie; I had to watch the climax behind my fingers! The storyline was great, and the ending was not at all obvious to the normal viewer. It takes at least two views (or the help of a wikipedia article) to pick up on most things in the this movie, so it’s a good one to watch over and over again. All in all, A Tale of Two Sisters was a wonderful movie, and a must-see of anyone remotely interested in Asian horror films

Ratings:

Entertainment: 10
Scares: 8
Gore: 1

*Highly Recommended! Watch it!*

Video:

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