The Ghost Station(옥수역 귀신) Korean Film Thoughts

 

   The Ghost Station is a 2023 film that is based on of the manhwa of the same name. The film was a success due to the connection to the online comic series and Korea's horror doom in popularity. Reviews for the film have not been favorably online. 

   A reporter and a subway station staff worker come together to find out the cause of mysterious deaths that have happened in a subway station. As they come closer to the truth, they uncover a curse that may be more terrifying than they know......

   A lot of viewers will be disappointed if they expect Ghost Station to be a strict horror thrill ride.  This film has horror elements, however, the plot isn't really scary. Most of the jump scares can be predicted and who hasn't had enough of black long haired female ghosts with demonic looking ghost kids? It's a concept that has been done multiple times.... maybe it could be done a couple more times if the script can breath new life into the idea. Ghost Station thrives more in the thriller mystery department. One solid conclusion really makes all the filler content worth wild. I just wish that the overall story could have connected the horror in a more cohesive way. 

    The best kill was in the opening scene. The director should have done more with the idea of a haunted subway station where the machines can kill people. Other films have done the haunted train theme before but, they have never expanded to the whole subway station. A great opportunity was missed big time in my opinion. 

    I enjoyed Ghost station for all the things shown outside of the horror. There was revenge, abuse, and betrayal shown in this film. One might be too distracted by how bad the horror is to notice though. 

The Childe(귀공자) South Korean Film Thoughts

 

    The Childe is a South Korean film  released in 2023. The film stars Kim Seon Ho, Kang Tae Joo, and Kim Kang Woo while being directed by Park Hoon Jung. Most reviews for the film have been positive since the film managed to be a break out hit despite the rated R rating world wide. 

    A half Filipino Korean man travels to South Korea to search for his father.  The man's mother needs an expensive surgery and the man's father is wealthy. Soon the guy, is swept up in a family drama over the father's estate. An assassin is the guy's only ally in this war...... Or is he?  

    The Childe is a family gangster drama that brings a new aspect to mobster genre. Some of the plot deals with the issues of being mix heritage and multicultural in South Korean society. Then another side of the plot is an all out bloody brawl that disturbed me in a thrilling way. I liked how the different genres are balanced really well with a hint of a comedic vibe to the story. There's a mystery to what character connects where or also who is who? I'm not going to give away any spoilers however, the reveal is common Korean cinema at it's finest. This film is in two languages.... unfortunately. 

    Kim Seon Ho shines in his role as the wacky killer who has a mysterious personality. He has great chemistry with Kang Tae Joo from the beginning. There's first scene together was so funny. The english in this movie is bad- some lines are decent but, you won't understand a lot of the lines. Kim Kang Woo is in another stereotypical gangster role. I've seen him play diverse roles though. He's a good villain here. Even though you don't really know who the true villain is. 

    I really enjoyed The Childe. This was the first Korean thriller that I felt satisfied with in a long time. Make sure you watch past the final scene.