A strong contender for horror film of the year, Kim Jee-woon's Grand Guignol fairytale about two sisters' battle against their evil stepmother is based on a traditional Korean folk story. There's nothing folksy about the telling, though, which swaps linear coherence for the frayed logic of a nightmare. Clarity eventually returns, but by then it's too late: the steady drip, drip of dread will have drilled into your brain.
DVD Extras:
Despite the apparent language hurdles, this raises the bar for future Asian horror releases with a second disc full of featurettes on the production design, CGI and poster art. A giggling subtitled commentary from Kim and his teen stars covers everything from female sexuality to the difficulties of whistling on cue. Meanwhile, an on-camera interview lets the helmer answer that age-old question: why are Asian horror movies obsessed with hair?
