Nightmare (2000)

Seven friends will die one by one for protecting a terrible secret. Can a vengeful spirit be stopped?

Director:

Byeong-ki Ahn

Writer:

Byeong-ki Ahn

Stars:

Gyu-ri Kim, Ji-Won Ha, Jeong-yun Choi

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Gyu-ri Kim	...	Hye-jin
Ji-Won Ha	...	Eun-ju
Jeong-yun Choi	...	Seon-ae
Ji-Tae Yoo	...	Hyun-jun
Joon-Sang Yoo	...	Jeong-ok
Jun Jeong	...	Se-hun
Hye-yeong Jo	...	Mi-ryeong
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Su-jin Jang

Storyline

Hye-jin's homecoming should have been a joyous occasion. She was especially happy to see her childhood friend again, the shy Eun-ju. However, when a secret is revealed, harsh words are exchanged. These words deeply affect Eun-ju and,in the next scene, we see her plummeting from a 30-story building. In a flashback provided by Seon-ae, we learn that the ghost of Eun-ju is hunting down all of Hye-jin's friends and killing them. Is this possible or is a more worldly force at work? What is this mysterious tape that everyone is asking about?

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Plot Keywords:

serial murder | psychotronic film | ghost | haunting | videotape | 

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Taglines:

Everyone is going to die

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violent content, language and brief sexuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Connections

References Inferno (1980)

User Reviews

Nightmare in Seoul

This South Korean thriller can't claim much originality in its basic story. A group of young adults are linked by a guilty secret from their college days. They start being haunted by visions of someone who was killed accidentally several years before, and begin dying violently themselves. The idea dates back to at least 1980 (PROM NIGHT), and more recently formed the basis for I SAW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. But writer-director An Byung-ki, evidently familiar with Italian gialli, maintains interest by giving the plot a quite convoluted structure plus several bizarre twists and turns as the film progresses. The influence of Dario Argento is specially noticeable. Mr. An also invests the story with enough ambiguity that, until the last scene, we're not sure whether the vengeful ghost seen by the characters is for real or simply a projection of their guilt.

The young cast generally furnish convincing and underplayed performances. Particularly noteworthy are Kim Kyu-ri as a psychology major and Ha Ji-won as the film's enigmatic nemesis. The picture's mood of unease is greatly enhanced by imaginative lighting, smoothly gliding camerawork, sharp editing, and a varied but never intrusive score. KAWEE successfully continues South Korea's recent emergence as a new force in the psychological horror film sub-genre.

Westerners can catch this movie on VCD or DVD under the titles NIGHTMARE and HORROR GAME MOVIE. It's highly recommended.

Details

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

29 July 2000 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Scissors

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$101,411

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mythos Film, Tube Entertainment, Tube Investment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1