Sorum translates roughly as gooseflesh, and if given half a chance, that’s exactly what this award-winning slow burn of a movie delivers. Yong-hyun moves into a dilapidated, old apartment building called the Migum. We know something is up immediately because he has a sense that this place seems familiar.
Yong-hyun is a taxi driver who also happens to be an orphan. He finds out through the film that his apartment has a dark history of people dying there. One man burned to death and another woman was brutally murdered there 30 years before. To our surprise, none of this seems to phase Yong-hyun.
It’s here that I realized I was dealing with a modern GOTHIC story. All the elements were there. The creepy castle, in this case the Migum whose lights flicker on and off, voices are overheard, it’s dark and rundown, many rooms are abandoned, the hallways a labyrinthine, there are secret rooms, creepy stairways, etc. The atmosphere is always stormy and when they are getting rid of bodies, it’s always raining. There’s an atmosphere of mystery and suspense crafted superbly. Often times, throw away lines give out crucial information. And man oh man are there secrets in this story!
There are visions of the past as well as dreams that chill us. There’s a woman in distress. There’s a woman threatened by a powerful male figure. It’s ALL here. This film has all the trappings of a haunted house/ vengeful ghost film, yet as it unfolds, it’s more a revelation of character and the cruelties of fate. Yong-hyun discovers the dark history of this place is tied into his own history.
This is a story of how we can be driven by desperation and hopelessness. It also posits the question: Are our problems caused by our pasts or disadvantaged lives? Or do evil spirits really exist to manipulate us.
This is a story of how we can be driven by desperation and hopelessness. It also posits the question: Are our problems caused by our pasts or disadvantaged lives? Or do evil spirits really exist to manipulate us.
This film is set apart from the usual vengeful-ghost-girl-with-her-hair-in-her-eyes offerings of the genre. It’s a brooding look at the depravity of desperate people and the extent they will go to for a glimpse of stability.
Yong-hyun, having been the victim of bullying, probably due to his orphan status, has vowed never to be used or bullied again. He’s looking for unconditional acceptance. Sun-yeong, having been the victim of spousal abuse and having suffered the loss of a child has given up on life and people. She is numb. As viewers, it’s easy to see from the get go that this coupling is doomed.
Yong-hyun, having been the victim of bullying, probably due to his orphan status, has vowed never to be used or bullied again. He’s looking for unconditional acceptance. Sun-yeong, having been the victim of spousal abuse and having suffered the loss of a child has given up on life and people. She is numb. As viewers, it’s easy to see from the get go that this coupling is doomed.
Many fans of the horror genre will find this slowly developing character study a snooze, after all the ghosts of this film are personifications of past traumas. But…if given the chance, this film’s subtleties add up to a very disturbing revelation at the end. It’s a well-crafted, well-acted film that deserves attention and a great example of how GOTHIC conventions can be used in a modern setting.
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