Review of Arang

Arang (2006)
6/10
Copycat K-horror with a welcome twist
9 January 2011
An ex-convict fresh out of prison, devoid of any means of financing his livelihood, situates himself in an expensive apartment. Not soon after a black-eyed ghost with long black hair (hey... it's a K-horror, so what did you expect) appears and the man is soon found dead burnt to a crisp and strangled. Within days two of his former friends die in similar circumstances, whilst the fourth starts having similar deadly visions. Can two detectives Dong-min (Jong Su-Lee) and Hyun-ki (Dong-Wong Lee) solve this supernaturally flavoured series of murders? The movie starts out very disappointingly, as we are privy to watch yet another Asian ghost story, that initially seems to reek of repetitiveness. Additionally some of the initial acting, dialogue as well as pasting together of scenes seems amateurish and rashly done. The movie does however start to unravel into interesting directions and the cast + crew somehow start getting their act together to dispose of faults apparent in the opening sequences. The dialogue does seem unfinished and misused at times, but apart from that the story starts to involve.

Thanks largely to two key twists in the movie. One concerns the construction of the story, which intermingles your typical ghost story into a police procedural thriller. An idea so obvious and simple, but somehow I fail to remember anyone to have attempted this in the past. The second twist would unravel too many mysteries, so the less said the better.

I was however severely disappointed with the end scene of the movie. After starting to heap on the praise for the solid attempt at twisting expectations the movie falls down into its own trap and gives a very crappy, disappointing end scene, which really should be cut for the sake of the viewers.

Nonetheless a much more engaging movie than I was expecting. Maybe disappointingly repetitive in the horror itself, but finely makes up for it in the mystery/police department.
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