Black House (2007)

Jun-oh, an insurance claims agent, faces off with a client who he suspects of committing murders with the intention of collecting insurance premiums.

Director:

Terra Shin

Writers:

Yûsuke Kishi (novel), Young-jong Lee (screenplay)

Stars:

Su-han Choi, Jung-min Hwang, In-gi Jeong

3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Su-han Choi
Jung-min Hwang	...	Jun-oh
In-gi Jeong
Shin-il Kang	...	Chung-bae
Seo-hyeong Kim	...	Mi-na
Ji-young Moon
Seung-mok Yoo
Seon Yu	...	Yi-hwa

Storyline

Juno, formerly a bank employee, gets a call on his first day at work from a woman seeking advice. She asks if insurance is paid out on suicides, and only after hanging up does he see the warning on the insurance agreement. A few days Juno receives a request for a meeting with an unknown policy holder. From the living room of a decrepit house Juno opens the door to the bedroom to see a seven-year-old hanging from the ceiling. Police start an investigation, but the autopsy and all the evidence points to suicide. But Juno can't shake his suspicions that the incident was actually a murder. Believing that insurance, which should protect lives, cannot be seen to promote murder, he withholds payment. There is evidence of other serial murders, and a secret lying inside company records in storage. Where is the truth? And what is the true nature of the Black House?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | foreign language adaptation | wound | dead children | train | 

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Taglines:

Where lies the darkest secret

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

South Korea Japan

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

21 June 2007 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Black House

Filming Locations:

South Korea

Company Credits

Production Co:

CJ Entertainment, Kadokawa Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Black House (1999)

User Reviews

Nice Twisted Tale of Murder and Thrills

An insurance agent, still fresh on the job, gets called to a home where he witnesses an apparent suicide. After the initial shock, though, he begins to suspect murder and sets his sights on investigating the boy's father. As the investigation continues, so does the creepy nature of the father. How far will both men go to achieve their ends, and what other secrets is this family hiding?

I'm relatively new to the Korean horror scene, but have liked much of what has come my way. "Black House" is no exception. While it isn't a perfect film, it certainly kept my interest, even during the hours where I would typically be asleep. The flaws are forgivable -- it carries on a bit longer than necessary, expects us to believe a killer capable of some extraordinary feats (considering the killer isn't in peak physical condition). But what horror film doesn't have us believe the unbelievable?

The lead characters/actors were great. Jeon Juno (Jeong-min Hwang) was a decent lead as a courageous everyman, and Park Chung-bae (Shin-il Kang) was a formidable opponent. He played up the "less is more" approach perfectly, allowing his stares to send chills. Park's wife (Seon Yu) was both beautiful and evil at the same time. The secondary characters were alright, too... though I wasn't overly impressed by Jeon's girlfriend Mina (Seo-hyeong Kim).

The visuals were well done. There was a darkness, but at the same time a crisp feel to the film, showing a sizable production. Many foreign films tend to have a lower budget feel, but this was not one of those. The blood and gore were superb, and I even felt they tended to mix violence and sexuality in a way that is sensually magnificent (particularly towards the end). Not least was the soundtrack, with very simple but effective piano melodies (presumably by Seung-hyun Choi). In some scenes they came off as repetitive, but there was one sad tune that was haunting and pulled me emotionally into the picture against my will.

I have no complaints with the writing, directing, acting, cinematography. This film came together nicely and was effective. All too often, Asian (particularly Japanese) films fall back on the "dream" and "ghost" subgenres of horror. This one stayed far away, giving us a mystery-thriller that was right up the alley of Italian giallo (though more horror than mystery). If you're looking for a good foreign flick, this one's worth a shot... see it before someone tries to remake it (again, since this is in itself a remake).