I am a big fan of Korean thrillers. They have this vibe which one won't get to see in a Hollywood flick. This movie is worth a watch. It is a gripping thriller and the title is apt.The plot follows a wealthy man living with his family. The family is living in a posh locality and luxurious apartments. Our lead character here is hiding his past from the family which comes haunting both for him and his family. His brother is back from jail and is looking for him. When our lead finds this out, strange and dangerous things start happening to him and his family.Lead decides to check out the place where his brother resides, those apartments are the most interesting thing I have seen in a movie. Them apartments are run down with each apartment having secret passages connecting to other apartments. In those secret passages a serial killer is hiding. The scenes in those apartments are very gripping and full of suspense. Each passage is opening into a new world of mystery.The only thing which destroys the plot is the very essence of the plot, the secret killer and the missing people. There are people missing in those apartments and looks like police is not doing there job or maybe the police don't exist. What our lead finds out in those apartments could have been found by police in a day or two.Nonetheless the movie still checks out as a nice thriller you would wanna watch and get lost in those secret passages.
... View MoreKorean writer/director Jung Huh made this fascinating film in 2013 to great critical acclaim. It is a well-sculpted movie and surprisingly is more understated than the usual fare from these films.Seong-soo (Heyeon-ju Son)), a successful businessman who lives with the perfect family in a luxury apartment, has secrets and mysophobia (pathological fear of contamination and germs) about his one and only brother. One day, he goes to see his brother after a phone call about him being missing and sees weird symbols all over the house and he meets Joo-hee (Jung-Hee Moon) who knows his brother. "Please tell him to stop looking at my daughter. Joo-hee lives alone with her daughter but lives in fear of someone watching them. Seong-soo looks around carefully at the old apartment and realizes the symbols mean gender and numbers of people. Seong-soo returns to his home from his brother's and notices a familiar symbol written next to the doorbell of his house, too. And the mystery thriller sails to a strange conclusion.In Korean with English subtitles, this is a bizarre little jewel of a film, well worth watching.
... View MoreKorean Cinema has been consistently making one of the best thrillers; "Hide and Seek" is an addition to that list. Huh Jung's debut feature as a Writer/Director has every ingredient of a classy and creepy thriller and has been executed with precision. It keeps us at the razor edge for the entire run time; every scene will leave you contemplating with the supreme suspense. It leaves behind the clichés of slasher/horror movies and gives a new tone within the genre. At the very start, a woman is chased by person dressed in all black, sporting a black motor cycle helmet, following young woman and you will instantaneously feel that it is going to be a sensational ride. Sung-soo (Son Hyun-joo) is a wealthy entrepreneur, suffering from excessive cleaning and anxiety, living a mundane life with hidden secrets. With his wife and two children, he lives in an affluent life in a very high society and trying to keep the family happy. Until one day, when Sung-soo receives a call informing him his estranged brother has gone missing. This starts his hunt to find him and he is engulfed into the mysterious world. He is chasing the enigmatic black figure thinking that it is his brother. The revelations and symbols keep you startled as frames pass.The screenplay has perfect timing of revelations, flashbacks and strikes an entertaining chase sequences. The character development and the subplots add values and sometime it jumps the genres. The editing has been done with utmost skill with sustaining the intensity through 107 minutes of decent run time."Hide and Seek" is a well-made and satisfying thriller, with good performances. Finally , we get an astonishing thriller with terror and horror. A must watch for Thriller Genre. MY Vote - 7.5/10.
... View MoreIf you have seen Michael's Haneke "Cache" you will first regard this as Korean rip-off. There's adopted brother, injustice and a some unpleasant mystery in the air. First part was quite entertaining but as soon as I found elements common to both movies it kind of spoiled the whole surprise. Do not worry though. Actually, this one focuses more on the thriller angle and gives totally different solution: slasher violence included and deep insight into upper middle class life omitted.Anyway it has a lot of thrill and may be entertaining. Provided you know (and now you do) that this is not Asian "Cache".
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