Salmokji: Whispering Water
This review contains spoilers
Some notes, and though it's labeled for spoilers, it's spoiler heavy.
There are two typical horror criticisms that don't apply here and yet I've seen people apply them:
1. "Why don't they just leave?"
They try. Numerous times. And in fact, the movie does an EXCELLENT job of capturing that. I don't know how some people missed it. The ending is literally more evidence of that. The guy thinks he's gone and then water appears and he's back to the forest standing in water. Fantastic ending by the way.
2. They're dumb characters.
How? I mean, outside of the fact that a lot of the time this is a lazy criticism (but sometimes apt, depending on how stupid the actions are), it isn't present here in any meaningful way. Shit going down? Let's get the fuck out of here, except for the one girl, but even she was like, "Let's get out of here for the night." Yes, they got lured in... by the ghost. I mean c'mon. And then they realized the gravity of it all and it became Leave Hard: With a Vengeance. But what do you know, supernatural shit is happening, messing with their minds.
Oh, and though they were a film crew (well, a mapping crew specifically), they didn't spend time running through the water with their cameras out instead of actively trying to avoid the situation. They looked through their cameras for certain things, but it was all practical. They were there to do a job but abandoned it once shit hit the fan. Smart.
The logic in this movie is great and yet people treated it like a typical c-tier horror movie.
- Also, the way it leans into the usage of technology is nice. For example, one of the best parts is when the GPS system starts going out of whack, trying to direct them back or just straight up telling them to go ahead 5km so they land back in the water. Plus, I just liked how the cameras picked up certain creepy images, and I enjoy watching characters evaluate footage.
I know this movie didn't catch fire in North America but it is South Korea's highest-grossing horror movie, made on a 2 million (roughly) budget, but there's a reason South Korea has reacted positively do it, despite a lull in horror generally speaking over there. And I understand: horror over here is usually different. Though with that said, this deserves to be seen more even by North American audience because it's not the massive slow-burn that some Asian horror movies are.
There are two typical horror criticisms that don't apply here and yet I've seen people apply them:
1. "Why don't they just leave?"
They try. Numerous times. And in fact, the movie does an EXCELLENT job of capturing that. I don't know how some people missed it. The ending is literally more evidence of that. The guy thinks he's gone and then water appears and he's back to the forest standing in water. Fantastic ending by the way.
2. They're dumb characters.
How? I mean, outside of the fact that a lot of the time this is a lazy criticism (but sometimes apt, depending on how stupid the actions are), it isn't present here in any meaningful way. Shit going down? Let's get the fuck out of here, except for the one girl, but even she was like, "Let's get out of here for the night." Yes, they got lured in... by the ghost. I mean c'mon. And then they realized the gravity of it all and it became Leave Hard: With a Vengeance. But what do you know, supernatural shit is happening, messing with their minds.
Oh, and though they were a film crew (well, a mapping crew specifically), they didn't spend time running through the water with their cameras out instead of actively trying to avoid the situation. They looked through their cameras for certain things, but it was all practical. They were there to do a job but abandoned it once shit hit the fan. Smart.
The logic in this movie is great and yet people treated it like a typical c-tier horror movie.
- Also, the way it leans into the usage of technology is nice. For example, one of the best parts is when the GPS system starts going out of whack, trying to direct them back or just straight up telling them to go ahead 5km so they land back in the water. Plus, I just liked how the cameras picked up certain creepy images, and I enjoy watching characters evaluate footage.
I know this movie didn't catch fire in North America but it is South Korea's highest-grossing horror movie, made on a 2 million (roughly) budget, but there's a reason South Korea has reacted positively do it, despite a lull in horror generally speaking over there. And I understand: horror over here is usually different. Though with that said, this deserves to be seen more even by North American audience because it's not the massive slow-burn that some Asian horror movies are.
Mini Review: Doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's awesome. This is a water ghost story where they're trapped in the woods. It has vague lore and a focus on atmosphere. With that said, I do think it punctuates this atmosphere quite well, with some truly scary moments (especially close-ups on the ghosts). Characters aren't dumb. Ending is a kicker. I also like the juxtaposition of water and the paranormal.
Watch the Trailer