Last night the two of us ventured out to Revere again to see...
Du saram-yida (Voices)
It was refreshing that ADH once again decided to bring a foreign film into the mix (ADH I, after all was the vehicle for 2005's gem
Rinne).
Voices is directed by amateur Korean director Ki-hwan Oh. The story centers around a high school girl whose life takes a turn for the worse when her Aunt is almost murdered on her wedding day and then all of a sudden her friends, family, and confidants seem to want her dead.
Not your typical Asian ghost movie,
Voices examines the human monster in all of us: jealousy. How often do you say to yourself, "I could KILL them!" either in rage or in irony - There's a point where the phrase "I'll KILL you/him/her" has become an expression of speech and, incidentally, has lost all meaning.
Voices considers the concept: What if that urge became
real? What if you couldn't control that urge? What if
those around you couldn't control that urge? A base, everyday emotion (usually ignored and taken for granted) suddenly becomes a legitimate threat. I thought that concept in and of itself was brilliant.
There are also some well-done supernatural aspects to the film. Ki-hwan Oh creates some truly haunting imagery and suspense that literally caused me to jump in my seat. I felt true horror and threat for the plight of our heroine; what would you do if your friends and family suddenly tried to kill you?
Perhaps what is most striking about
Voices is Ki-hwan Oh's ability to truly put the audience in the shoes of our heroine; when she's in love at the beginning of the movie, you're surrounded by cheesy stereotypical Asian flourishes while, when she's haunted in the end you are caught up in a truly suspenseful and atmospheric film.
An innovative addition to Asian horror,
Voices has been a true highlight of the festival. I highly recommend.
4.5/5