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A Tale of Two Sisters

Original title: Janghwa, Hongryun
  • 2003
  • R
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
71K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,872
332
Kim Kap-su, Yum Jung-ah, Lim Soo-jung, and Moon Geun-young in A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Psychological HorrorSupernatural HorrorSuspense MysteryTragedyDramaHorrorMysteryThriller

After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to su... Read allAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.

  • Director
    • Kim Jee-woon
  • Writer
    • Kim Jee-woon
  • Stars
    • Lim Soo-jung
    • Yum Jung-ah
    • Kim Kap-su
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    71K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,872
    332
    • Director
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • Writer
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • Stars
      • Lim Soo-jung
      • Yum Jung-ah
      • Kim Kap-su
    • 315User reviews
    • 255Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 23 wins & 10 nominations total

    Photos73

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    Top cast18

    Edit
    Lim Soo-jung
    Lim Soo-jung
    • Soo-mi Bae - Janghwa
    Yum Jung-ah
    Yum Jung-ah
    • Eun-joo Heo - Stepmother
    Kim Kap-su
    Kim Kap-su
    • Moo-hyeon Bae - Father
    Moon Geun-young
    Moon Geun-young
    • Soo-yeon Bae - Hongryeon
    Park Mi-hyeon
    Park Mi-hyeon
    • Mrs. Bae - Soo-mi's and Soo-yeon's Mother
    • (as Park Mi-hyun)
    Gi-hong Woo
    • Sun-kyu
    Lee Seung-bi
    • Mi-hee
    Lee Dae-yeon
    Lee Dae-yeon
    • Soo-mi's Doctor
    No Seung-Jin
    • Director Hwang
    Song In-hyeok
    • Mr. Jang
    Yeong-sil Lee
    • Middle-Aged Woman
    Ae-ri Won
    • Closet Ghost…
    Seong-Young Kim
    • Nurse 2
    Song-i Kim
    • Young Soo-mi
    Seo-in Park
    • Young Soo-yeon
    Eun-mi Park
    • Soo-yeon…
    Hyeon-gyeong Chu
    • Soo-yeon…
    Song In Hyuk
    • Mr. Jang
    • Director
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • Writer
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews315

    7.171.3K
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    Featured reviews

    BrianThibodeau

    So solid in construction, so consistent in tone and so beautifully disorienting

    A TALE OF TWO SISTERS goes the furthest of any Asian horror film in proving that Asian horror films are the only horror films you really need to watch. As someone whose grown to love Asian chillers, and as someone who lives for those precious moments when a film actually surprises with a twist ending that I didn't see coming (or at least suspect), I was totally blindsided by this film's intricate plotting.

    The set up is simple. Two girls return from the hospital after an extended illness with their father to an imposing, rural, Korean-Gothic house. Almost immediately, their snarky, vaguely condescending and suspiciously omnipresent stepmother (Yeom Jeong-ah, who played a pivotal character in TELL ME SOMETHING) is on them, welcoming them and criticizing them in equal measure (a not-unfamiliar Korean trait, though it deliberately borders on parody here). The tension between the three women only grows thicker from there, as the stronger sister (Im Su-jeong) protects - and increasingly, harmfully overprotects - the weaker sister (Mun Keun-yeong) from the stepmother, who may be a stronger threat than either of them can handle and who blithley informs them that life's a bitch sometimes and she ain't gonna go away!

    Obviously, relationships in the household have deteriorated to the point of open hostility and mindgames to which only the puzzlingly sedate father seems immune. Just when one wonders how much better - or worse - things were before the girls were sent away, the filmmakers drop the first of two twist-bombs that instantly provide clues to the pre-story, hints at a possible murder in the very recent past and makes the viewer replay the preceding hour in their mind from a whole new perspective. Absolutely brilliant, but it doesn't end there.

    The feud continues - and the hints at prior foul play multiply - until the father decides enough is enough and finally turns to outside help to smooth things over, at which point the puzzle starts to become diabolically clever.

    I can see where just about anyone reviewing this film has to remain frustratingly vague in regards to its psychological underpinnings, so solid is its construction, so consistent is its tone and so beautifully paranoid and disorienting is its atmosphere that upon a second viewing, you'd be hard-pressed not to stare at your companion's face (or the collective faces of an audience, preferably) instead of the screen as the realization sets in.

    Structurally, comparisons could be made to similar supernatural American thrillers (one in particular from recent vintage) where the ending forces you to reevaluate all that has gone before - and, of course, to rescreen the film to see if the director was sharp enough to include the visual cues you obviously missed. Only this time out, supernatural explanations are not required to understand the bizarre, seemingly paranormal goings-on inside the house. Quite the opposite, really, as suspension of the audience's belief in the supernatural is the film's ultimate goal (after gleefully, necessarily trading in spook show delights for the better part of two hours, no less), and a more clever mechanism by which to do it I've yet to see, even in the consistently intelligence-rewarding pantheon of Asian horror.

    Truly a fantastic, artistic piece of movie-making. Highly recommended. (Incidentally, if you purchase the Korean Special Edition DVD, there's a lengthy series of deleted scenes that, while fascinating and informative in their own right, ably demonstrate how tricky this film must have been for the director to pull off . Though several of the scenes clearly give away just a teensy bit too much information, once you've seen the film, it's nice to see how they actually further support the psychological intentions of the filmmakers yet, at the same time, had to go.)
    8Coventry

    Better than all the Ringu's, Ju-on's and Jian Gui's together!!

    Perhaps I'm one of the only avid horror fans who thinks that the recent overload of Asian shockers is so over-hyped! Films like "Ringu" or the "The Eye" – which are praised all over the world – simply didn't convince me and they looked more boring than frightening. Well, this blunt opinion doesn't go for the South Korean gem "A Tale of Two Sisters". This is a stylish and utterly complex psychological terror-tale that REALLY gets under your skin! The plot, based on a local folklore tale, might be a little too confusing to get this film listed among the all-time greatest genre achievements, but the atmosphere and tension-building surely provokes feelings of great respect. This is one of those few films that are impossible to label: the events in "Two Sisters" qualify as mind-bending horror as well as intense family drama and a deeply psychological portrait. Besides a mesmerizing story, "A tale of Two Sisters" also has all the great elements that I feel are usually missing in Asian horror films like compelling music, good acting and innovative camera-work. The mansion were the family events take place is brilliantly illustrated like a truly creepy place where secrets and danger lurk behind every door. Several sequences (like the dinner with relatives or the nightly appearance in the girls' room) are pretty much the ultimate in eeriness. They really made me feel uncomfortable and I do like to believe that I've seen my share of spooky horror. "A Tale of Two Sisters" is a terrific movie-adventure and a definite must see for Asian film fanatics. A little warning for people with a short attention-span, though: this movie forces you to have your eyes and ears focused at at all time. It's also a film that requires repeated viewing, even though no one will never really "get it" for a full 100%.
    8claudio_carvalho

    Guilt Complex

    I watch many movies, but presently my genre number one is Asian horror. I have just bought this DVD and I initially found "Janghwa, Hongryeon" an intriguing but confused film, since I had not understood many parts of the story. But I saw in IMDb Board a message titled "Explanation of a Masterpiece (all your questions answered) Faster load", written by opiemar, and I was really impressed with the high quality of the explanations this user provided to viewers like me that missed points of the story. I would like to congratulate opiemar for his excellent work and suggest him to write a correct summary of this movie in IMDb to help and guide other viewers.

    In the end, I agree that "Janghwa, Hongryeon" is a great Korean film, but I do not give ten in my vote because very few people can afford to see the same movie more than once, like this film demands, and without the great support of opiemar, I would not be able to understand the story as a whole. I intend to see this movie again in a near future. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): "Medo" ("Fear")
    7Sir_AmirSyarif

    An effective psychological horror drama

    Starts off really slow, but it gets weirder and creepier as it goes on. 'A Tale of Two Sisters' is an effective psychological horror drama that works due to its creepy atmosphere, good direction, eerie score, and a committed cast who delivers fabulous inputs in their respective roles.
    10opiemar

    Psychological Thriller, Horror, and Drama, all at their best

    'A Tale of Two Sisters', or 'Janghwa, Hongryeon', is a true masterpiece. Brilliant psychological thriller, heart-wrenching drama, and gripping horror all wrapped up in one beautifully orchestrated package. From the intricate plot, to the beautiful cinematography, to the absolutely perfect casting, every aspect of this film is extraordinary.

    For fear of revealing too much concerning the plot, I will just say it is very satisfying. While it may appear to be a little difficult to understand at first, it does a good job of explaining things in the end. And whether you prefer psychological thriller, drama, or horror, I promise you will not be disappointed.

    From a technical standpoint, its nearly flawless. The set, the cinematography, lighting, and especially the soundtrack, all are captivating. The waltz seemed an odd choice at first, but proved to be an ingenious choice.

    As for the casting, we're talking absolute perfection. I'm Su-jeong is totally convincing as the defiant, yet troubled Su-mi. Mun Keun- yeong is equally convincing as her emotionally traumatized sister Su-yeon. These two girls were magical on the screen. I will certainly be looking into their other films. Yeom Jeong-ah is deceitfully cheerful and hauntingly evil as the stepmother. Finally, Kap-su Kim gives an excellent performance as the weary, broken father.

    I truly love this film. If you have yet to see 'A Tale Of Two Sisters', I strongly recommend locating a copy. It is a real gem, worthy of anyone's collection.

    (10/10)

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When the film was originally released, It became both the highest-grossing Korean horror film of all time and the first one to be screened in American theatres.
    • Goofs
      The ghost that "Eun-ju" (Su-mi acting out a split personality) sees in the kitchen scene is revealed to be Su-yeon as contextualized by the visual clues present throughout the film. However, in this instance, Su-yeon's ghost has long hair reaching her waist, while the actual Su-yeon has a short haircut, which appears to be the movie cheating to avoid spoiling the reveal.
    • Quotes

      Mi-hee: There was a girl under the kitchen sink.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 "In Their Head" Characters in Movies (2016)

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    FAQ22

    • How long is A Tale of Two Sisters?Powered by Alexa
    • Is this based on a novel?
    • Who are the ghosts that keep appearing around the house? (I.E. from under the sink, the window, etc.) Also explain their presence in the film.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 13, 2003 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Câu Chuyện Hai Chị Em
    • Filming locations
      • Yusin-ri, Yureo-myeon, Boseong-gun, Jeollanamdo, South Korea(location)
    • Production companies
      • B.O.M. Film Productions Co.
      • Nova Media
      • iPictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $72,541
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,060
      • Dec 5, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,080,087
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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