When a horror freak such as myself sets out to watch yet another Asian horror film (especially one from the Ghost sub-genre), it always involves being a little prepared for a disappointment. For after The Grudge and The Ring (even the American remakes) what ghost could possibly scare us?Enter Phone, a pleasantly bone chilling surprise of unnerving terror. Starting off with clues hinting that it's going to be no more than another stalker/killer/slasher/cat-mouse-chase flick, Phone continues with a compellingly interesting story that has kept me curious and worried till the very end.It takes some time for the events to unfold and for a spectator to fully absorb and comprehend them, and many of the clues are off-throwing and deceiving, making the plot twists all the better. I've seen many Horror films of all sub-genres, so I'm not easily thrown off or surprised. I'm happy to say this film got the best of me in any way possible :)For a change, it's not the ghost that's the terrifying part (unlike the above mentioned The Grudge and The Ring). The brightly shining star of this feature is young actress Seo-woo Eun, who plays Yeong-ju. No make up, no digital editing and no visual effects - this kid's acting is in my opinion Oscar material. Her face expressions, her voice intonations, her body language - all are simply phenomenal! Watch out for this one, if the directors in Korea know their job, she's going to have an elaborate and impressive career.The twists weren't all that creepy, but well thought of and well presented. The story is original and compelling. One of the better films I've seen, highly recommended!

Korean chiller that initially appears to poach elements from better known J-horrors 'Ringu' and 'One Missed Call', amongst many others. Fortunately, with the very important advantage of having a decent plot, 'Phone' is clearly far better than the latter, and perhaps even as good as the former.Ji-won is a journalist who receives menacing phone calls after exposing a paedophile ring. She decides to lie low in an empty house belonging her best friend Ho-Jeong and her husband Chang-hoon, and their young daughter Yeong-ju.All's well, until her new cell phone starts ringing, and all that can be heard down the line are disturbing noises and disembodied voices. Worse still, when little Yeung-ju accidentally answers the phone, she's possessed by a malevolent spirit that turns her from cutie-pie to scowling devil child. Ji-won desperately seeks the reason behind the possession, but will she be prepared to find the source of the evil is so close to home? Refreshingly edgy horror, delivered with atmosphere and style, a little welcome humour, and perfect timing. Too many recent horror flicks seem to rely too heavily on their concept, and forget to tell a good story. In Phone, the twists keep coming, and every time you think you've got the film pegged, it pulls the rug out from under you - right up to its freaky, memorable climax.The adults are perfectly fine actors, but all their thunder is stolen by See-woo Eun, who plays the little girl. A large part of the unease and sinister atmosphere the film generates is from how uncomfortable you feel seeing such a very young actress in such a role. I was watching the Tartan DVD, and felt much better after watching the behind-the-scenes footage included - which showed little See-woo clearly loving being the centre of attention, and the more intense scenes being filmed in small doses and in a light-hearted fashion.

Phone begins as a horror movie about a mysterious phone number, that seems to kill people. A reporter, Ji-Won (ji-Won Ha) gets a new number, after she begins to get telephone calls she suspects to be connected on a underage sex scandal she has revealed. But the calls continue.But then somewhere in the middle the plot turns into more of a thriller mystery with supernatural themes in it and the whole ghost thing gets a form of "who did it".The script is okay, but the direction jumps a bit too much from one place to another and lot of things happen very suddenly and unexplained. Other than that the film is okay and manages to give a scare or a two, but it really depends a bit too much to a viewer to make a leap of faith a couple of times too many .

This is the kind of horror film that is based around a story and not just a string of scares. It's like What Lies Beneath, Stir of Echoes, and The Grudge combined, with traces of The Ring. The acting is very good, especially from the little girl. There's good build-up, dread, and atmosphere, as well as disturbing and creepy images. It's also got its soap opera elements - there is heartbreak, deceit, and tragedy. The cruelty of some of the characters' actions was truly depressing and it made me angry and sad. With that said, it's derivative and had me rolling my eyes at times. The editing is confusing at times, too, and the pace is slow.If you want something original, try something else. If you want to be scared or want to feel like crap, watch this movie.