Director: Byeon Seung Wook,
Starring: Park Min Young, Kim Dong Wook, Sin Da Eun, Kim Min Jae, Kim Ye Ron,
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Asian horror was one of the genres that really drew attention to a new generation of filmmaking from the continent. Obvious leader of the pack was Japan’s RINGU, and it’s a film that influences to this very day. This can notably be seen in THE CAT, a Korean horror that takes on the aesthetic style of RINGU as well as some other similar plot elements, including one that seems straight of RINGU director Hideo Nakata’s other fantastic horror film, DARK WATER.
What it lacks in originality is easily made up for with a number of worthwhile and well executed scares. Cats are pretty freaky when you think about it, and director Byeon does a great job of gradually transforming the adorable pets into sinister omens of death. It’s the kind of film that will have you being a bit wary when around your pet in the future.
Lead actress Park Min Young has a face built for horror, in that she has so many different variations on wide-eyed shock, that her reactions never get old. She also handles her screams with different degrees of ear-splitting and blood-curdling frequencies, but is also able to grab hold and dominate the emotional scenes when need be.
The design of the ghost/cat girl antagonist is very freaky and unsettling, and Byeon also does well to introduce such a character in a number of ways. She appears at windows one minute, is completely invisible the next, and then goes for full on physical attacks. Byeon also makes certain shots last longer than you’d usually expect, removing power from the audience in terms of their expectations.
This offers nothing new to the genre, but is a well-made addition to it. If you’ve seen plenty of these types of films that incorporate ghostly murder and investigations, then it could possibly bore you. But if you’ve neglected the genre of late, it comes across as a familiar and welcome old friend.
[usr=3]THE CAT is out now on DVD via Matchbox Films
