South Korea (2003)
Length: 115 minutes
Directed by: Kim Jee-Woon
Genre: Horror
Starring: Yeom Jeong-A, Im Soo-Jung, Moon Geu-Young and Kim Kab-Su

Something strange is happening when Su-Mi and her younger sister, Su-Yeon, come home to their father's large but dark and somewhat foreboding house after a stay in the hospital. Their dad is taciturn and burdened, and their stepmother, Eun-Joo, greets them with forced enthusiasm and more than a little sense of irritation. But that's nothing compared to what happens when bedtime rolls around.

Nowadays, many moviegoers regard the horror genre mostly as an alternative for entertainment. In my opinion, we must not forget that most of the time, modern horror movies are merely copying the classics, hence the lack of effect on our innocent mind. Besides, it must not be forgotten that the complete absence of characters' development mars those kind of movies that are obviously meant to quench the teenagers' thirst for strong sensation. Hopefully, A Tale of Two Sisters is a movie that smartly combines creepiness and characters' development.

Unlike numerous Hollywood movies made by amateur movie directors who try very hard to give you the shivers with special effects that almost make you laugh, director Kim Jee-Woon manages successfully to write a remarkable and confusing screenplay that combines both creepiness and characters' development. This Korean movie director tries to maintain our interest by presenting the depth of the characters' thought without slowing down the movie's pace dramatically. I should also add that the movie didn't only stay in my mind just because of the brillancy of the screenplay, but also for the directing style that surely doesn't lack personality. I should also mind you that unlike so many horror films, there's so many way to interepret the story, hence the ambiguity.

Unlike what one might think, A Tale of Two Sisters is also a worth watching movie not only because of the shivers that it will give you, but also because of the cast's solid performance. Im Soo-Jung and Moon Geu-Young, both respectively as Su-Mi and Su-Yeon, are the center of attention because they deliver a very nuanced performance. Yeom Jeong-A, as the stepmother, plays very well the role of the stepmother that the audience is supposed to hate without falling into the clichés. Kim Kab-Su, as the father, although he doesn't have the occasion to show us the vastness of his skills still show us that he's a very good supporting actor.

All that being said, A Tale of Two Sisters will obviously be a good start for you if you are willing to discover Asian horror movies. The movie itself is the kind of movie that is worth watching over and over again not only because of the script or the acting skills, but also because of the gorgeous camera movements that will certainly impress you.

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