Over the years, many of the horror movies emerging from Korea and Japan continue to overwhelm the audiences into shocking and disturbed states! So much so, many of these films have been remade into American versions although never quite meeting the standards the Asian films had. The horror genre has grown into more than just being a genre in Korea and Japan, it has shaped certain aspects of the cultures! Korea and Japan are no longer known for their beautiful and romantic films or their outstanding animation but for much of the reknown horror films!
The term, K-Horror, is a term used to describe the horror films in Korea. Since these type of films have grown increasingly popular, they have captured the attention of thousands of people from a variety of places. These films emerging from Korea are not known for causing a disturbance amongst their audiance but are mostly known for their heart-stopping scenes and shocking storylines involving mostly ghosts and revenge. There are at least two major characters within these films–the protaganist, usually a young female and sometimes, a student and the ghost, mostly a female, bent on revenge and brought back from a curse she laid upon on a certain object. Most of the K-Horror films are usually based on myths and fairytales although twisted in certain aspects to show the audience the scary and frightening perspective of these stories. Compared to Japanese horror films, K-Horror centers around the suffering and torment of the ghosts and the spirits upon the protaganists but with the lack of gory elements.
Amongst the the films, the top five films of K-Horror:
- A Tale of Two Sisters
A film based on a Korean folklore of two sisters. This film follows the story of two sisters and their life with their father and their new cruel and harsh stepmother and with the new beginning of their life, frightening events with the sisters and their new stepmother unravel to reveal a secret within the family. I just recently discovered a way to watch this film and I’m simply excited to see what this has in store for me!
- The Phone
A film based on a popular myth in Korea about a student who committed suicide and haunts her school by playing the piano. This film revolves around a journalist who purchases a new phone with an unregistered number and beginst to recieve disturbing and strange calls. A young girl is suddenly involved as she answers one of the calls and begins to act in a strage and perturbing manner.
- The Quiet Family
A film that is both comedic and frightning! The story revolving around a family who owns a hunting lodge up in the mountains with customers disappearing and dying one after another!
- Whispering Corridors
The story revolves around three girls and their relationship with a student who recently killed herself in the school and was said to haunt the school. Just as a teacher discovered a shocking secret, the teacher was found hanging and dead on the courtyard of the school.
- Wishing Stairs
I watched this film already. Beautiful. A film based on a myth that if you count twenty eight steps aloud and a twenty ninth appear, a spirit will grant you a wish. Within this film, two students studying ballet are suddenly found battling one another to attend an academy of the arts overseas. When one student is no longer able to continue ballet after an accident with the other student, she commits suicide, leaving a scandal behind to her companion. One strange event after another leaves the student perplexed about her friend and the wish she made on the day she counted up the stairs
The term, J-Horror, is to decribe horror films from Japan. Storylines are usually based on Japanese folklore and urban myths, involving ghosts, demons and the paranormal world. Compared to K-Horror, J-Horror tends to lean more on the violent side as most horror films in Japan tend to revolve around gory themes. At times, the films tend to reveal more blood and body parts as to, not frighten the audience, but make the audience shudder and cringe in disgust. Sometimes, frightening but Japanese horror films usually shock and disturb their audience with psychological twists and perturbing revelations.
Amongst the films, the top five films of J-Horror
-
Ringu
The infamous movie which was remade into an American version which never caught the audience in such a fear the way the Japanese version did. A film that revolves around a cursed videotape which causes the person who watches the video to die within seven days. A reporter, Reiko, begins to investigate the videotape and the story behind it, only to discover secrets. This movie was especially known for the intense scene in which Sadako crawls out of the television–which did not cause fear but caused quite a nervous stir amongst the audience.
-
Ju-On: The Grudge
Another famous J-Horror film which was remade into an American version! Although similiary frightening and intense, Ju-on: The Grudge definitely scared the audiece more compared to the American remake. A film revolving around six different people as they encounter the ghosts which haunt the house they live in–a curse which comes from dying within intense sorrow and rage causing the spirits to wander and haunt those who touch the places where the spirits lurk.
-
Suicide Circle
A perturbing and complex J-Horror film. I watched this movie during the summer and left me completely shivering and shuddering in utter disgust and disturbance. It didn’t leave me frightened, it left me shocked and somewhat disturbed and completely puzzled. The storyline does not deal with ghosts and spirits but it deals with dark cults, secret messages and psychology. The film revolves around a detective investigating the deaths of multiple people after a group of students commited suicide, jumping in front of a train. Intense gore, somewhat fake but it still tends to get you cringing.
-
One Missed Call
I watched this film too. It tends to let the storyline flow in a slightly boring manner before it totally gets you off-guard which tends to freak you out then it pulls out another one on you and you begin to feel like you want to quit watching the movie. The film is about a cursed call which mimicks your last few words before your demise. When recieving the call, a certain ringtone plays out. We follow two girls, Yumi and Yoko, in a desperate attempt to live after recieving their calls and discovering dark secrets behind the calls.
-
Ichi, the Killer
A film that does not deal with ghosts but deals with psychological pain and a tinge of mentality is thrown in here too. A J-Horror film which caused such controversy due to the gore and the psychological and physical pain sighted upon the characters throughout the whole story. The film involves Ichi, a sadomasochist yakuza, and his story with his gang after a scandal caused a bit of money to disappear. I’ve never watched this film but knowing it caused such a controversy, I don’t think I ever will.
I’m not quite sure what makes these films make the audience somewhat more uneasy and uncomfortable in their seats compared to the American horror films. I mean, you see Saw or Texas Chainsaw Massacre and they’re popular films but compared to Ringu or Ju-On: The Grudge or even the Suicide Circle, you can see that these films are somewhat more mind-twisting, psychologically disturbing and simply body-shuddering films. I think it’s the storyline and the characters that truly make these films different compared to the American films. The characters within these films tend to involve females and females in Korea and Japan always maintained expressions of innocence and purity. It is the typical Asian face to look innocent and seeing the innocence to be more than what we see, it creates an ironic image against what we believe, what we grew up with. Seeing an innocent Japanese high school student or a young Korean lady, a childlike Asian face, either dying or killing–it creates an intense impression on us. The storylines are usually paranormal or strange. These are stories are stories which we battle to believe are true or not, these are stories which are believable and yet, out of this world. It is the possibility that these stories can be true, can be real, that makes us more disturbed than ever, more frightened of the things around. Thus, my perspective on these films tend to have more affect on the audience for those factors–the innocent female Asian image and the hesitance we have upon the belief of these stories.
What do you think? Check these films out yourself!
