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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
3,875
602
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
    3,875
    602
    • 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

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    Shutter
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    Shutter

    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)

    User reviews315

    Featured review
    9/10

    You MUST see this!!!

    I love horror films, but I think they work way better when they hide a dramatic impact behind (The Devil's Backbone, The Exorcist, for example). This is that kind of film, and it's not only eerie and terrifying when it has to be, it is also really beautiful. A Tale of Two Sisters starts really slow, so if you're in a hurry to see ghosts in the first 20 minutes you will be disappointed. Actually this is not a ghost story –though there are some. It's something more complex, and it's done in such a way that it beats Ringu and The Grudge out of the ring no sweat. A Tale… is a way more clever film than those huge cultural hits, because it really cares for its characters, and the direction is flawless. Every detail in this film will leave you breathless if you're the kind of person who loves to pay attention to details while watching a movie. The acting is superb, specially from the stepmother and the main girl. Those two are worth the price of the ticket alone. Do yourself a favor and watch this awesome film.
    • afdiazr
    • Dec 4, 2005
    • Permalink

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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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