This film surprised me, as I've always heard mixed reviews of the Pang brothers, but all of my usual streaming services have been giving me problems lately (stupid college wifi) and I noticed that this and the 2008 remake were free on Hulu right now, so I decided: If this video ever loads, why not watch it? Turns out Hulu loads more effectively on my Wifi network than Netflix or Screambox, so I watched this late last night, and I was actually very impressed! The film does have a couple of frightening moments but it functions more as a thriller and drama, led by a nuanced and passionate performance by Angelica Lee, with a solid supporting cast at her side. This film also contains a lot of beautiful imagery, showing the Pang Brothers' eye (HA! yes, pun intended) for visual language. What I was most impressed by was the ending-- figuring out how to end a film of this kind is so difficult, but the Pangs do so with grace and style.All in all, if you're a fan of Asian cinema and haven't seen this yet, check this one out. Now, watch as I prepare to roast the American remake...

Ghosts are perfect fodder for horror movies, but they are rarely depicted as chilling or creepy. Most ghost movies are filled with stingers, CGI, and are neutered by a PG-13 rating. The Eye, however, creeps up on you (pun intended) and will make the hairs on your arms stand on end.A young girl, blind from the age of 2, is given a cornea transplant and slowly adjusts to being able to see again. But she sees beyond our world and is haunted by the spirits of the dead in her Hong Kong neighborhood. The movement, behavior, and appearances of the ghosts are just mesmerizing. THIS is how you do ghost movies. I also liked the shadow people, moving as blurs, guiding the recently dead into the afterlife. Twin writer/directors Danny and Oxide Pang have pulled off one of the best horror films in the past decade and have done it with more integrity than M. Night Shyamalan.The Eye is not a slick, high-key film. It is shot in a rough, gritty texture that reminds me of late-80s horror such as Hellraiser and Paperhouse. It's a far more appropriate and engaging aesthetic than anything offered by Platinum Dunes or Dark Castle. There is a Hollywood remake, made in 200 but I couldn't care less about it. The 2002 HK version is the way to go.

The main issue with this is its ending. Its last third makes it into a mystery rather than a thriller, and though the backstory is great and "works", the resolve feels awkward... and it is. Maybe they didn't have any solid ideas for how to close it. Once it does reach its conclusion, it uncomfortably transforms into Final Destination and tries to wow us, becoming bombastic and out of touch with everything that precedes this portion. Still interested? I'm relieved to hear that. You see, that's really the only outright negative thing I can say about this. It's immensely creepy, beginning so right from the start(seriously, that credits sequence... if I'd watched this at the cinema, it would have sent severe chills down my spine). Lee portrays a blind person extremely convincingly, and this puts us inside her head some, through the editing and cinematography(which is all really well-done and fits, with carefully chosen angles, selective distortion, etc.). I have not caught a lot of Asian horror, because I'm not big on ghosts(and they are; their films about them are, thankfully, sophisticated and not crude, the way the mainstream Western ones tend to be), and, well, there are cultural differences, and I find that it distracts me from taking in the picture. Subtitles don't bother me(I vastly prefer them to dubbing). Anyway, they are growing on me, and what I have noted is the strong focus on the senses, and on the ability to "see" the other side, where spirits and demons are believed(in Japan) to live. The approach to terrifying us is subtle(as are most of the FX, and those are excellent, other than the handful that are somewhat crappy), building up gradually, using atmosphere and mood, seldom going for jump-scares. The sound-side is quite important, and it is skillfully done. There are a few clichés(and brief shameless product placement), but on the whole, the writing is good. The characters are credible, and the main one is affable, and her relationship with Ying Ying sweet. This also fits in what too many in the genre neglect... genuine emotion, impact that does not have to do with the monsters. It is actually partially a drama, and it provides food for thought(as well as cheese and corn). This was on sale with its direct sequel and the American remake. I'll be reviewing those two, in that order, the next two days. This one sets the bar fairly high. There is a bit of disturbing content and brief violence in this. I recommend this to any fan of this type of movie. 7/10

I picked up this release from Asia due to claims, that this can be considered as Psychological Horror. I already had Kansen which I liked (good story) and thus I decided to get my hands on this film.I do have a reasonable dose of fear from supernatural and this movie was just my cup of ectoplasm, because that's what I like in Horror - to fear. I really enjoyed the work of writer and actors, and cinematography in general, as well as music, which were some kind of unusual for a horror title, and that is good, in my opinion (enhances the weirdness of Asian horror). The story is with some kind of used aroma (seen before here and there), but the cinematography really enhanced this story and the creatures/characters gave a pretty BIG dose of horror to me - great!I do not categorize this movie to be a Psychological Horror in general, but there are some pieces in this title, that may lead to such classification, and these scenes were done just beautifully and very nicely scary.A surprisingly nice and BIG slice of horror and chills for all fans of Asian horror (J-Horror), which reminded me some Silent Hill and Fatal Frame concepts. Good movie, really good, I loved it from start to finish.