2 Sœurs

Two things you should understand before you see this movie.

1. While it was the highest grossing film in South Korea the year of it's release, this is by no means a reflection of it's ability to appeal to a mainstream western audience, especially a modern American audience. Simply put, this film requires not only a proper attention span, but the mood to really dive into the characters minds.

I've heard many people complain that the movie starts out boring, but that never crossed my mind because i was genuinely charmed by the friendship of the two sisters.

2.This is not a horror movie, it's a psychological ghost story, with a heart, and if you let yourself in, it will make you feel happy then shred your nerves to pieces. There is little blood/gore. The movie slowly builds up suspense and dread and brings you into the protagonists psyche by never revealing too much.

The best thing about this movie is that it delivers an equally beautiful opening and ending sequence. And while ultimately answering your questions, leaves you with the same uncertainties you had going into the film.

Do not expect a 'thrill ride' or a lot of jump scares. This movie is atmospheric, beautiful, complicated and despite what others may say against this statement, i truly believe this is a masterpiece of modern cinema.

My advice: Watch it alone, be attentive, turn off the lights and let yourself be immersed.

'A Tale of Two Sisters', or 'Janghwa, Hongryeon', is a true masterpiece. Brilliant psychological thriller, heart-wrenching drama, and gripping horror all wrapped up in one beautifully orchestrated package. From the intricate plot, to the beautiful cinematography, to the absolutely perfect casting, every aspect of this film is extraordinary.

For fear of revealing too much concerning the plot, I will just say it is very satisfying. While it may appear to be a little difficult to understand at first, it does a good job of explaining things in the end. And whether you prefer psychological thriller, drama, or horror, I promise you will not be disappointed.

From a technical standpoint, its nearly flawless. The set, the cinematography, lighting, and especially the soundtrack, all are captivating. The waltz seemed an odd choice at first, but proved to be an ingenious choice.

As for the casting, we're talking absolute perfection. I'm Su-jeong is totally convincing as the defiant, yet troubled Su-mi. Mun Keun- yeong is equally convincing as her emotionally traumatized sister Su-yeon. These two girls were magical on the screen. I will certainly be looking into their other films. Yeom Jeong-ah is deceitfully cheerful and hauntingly evil as the stepmother. Finally, Kap-su Kim gives an excellent performance as the weary, broken father.

I truly love this film. If you have yet to see 'A Tale Of Two Sisters', I strongly recommend locating a copy. It is a real gem, worthy of anyone's collection.

(10/10)

I dont really know what to say. I didnt enjoyed the movie but i didnt hate it too so im quite balanced in my opinion because sometimes i didnt understand some of the moments of the movie but i need to say that the movie have a complex story maybe too much and can confused the audience in my opinion. Some interesting characters, some tense moments and an intriguing plot. A good experience of Asian horror but i need to say that the plot is too much complex in my opinion.

I watch many movies, but presently my genre number one is Asian horror. I have just bought this DVD and I initially found "Janghwa, Hongryeon" an intriguing but confused film, since I had not understood many parts of the story. But I saw in IMDb Board a message titled "Explanation of a Masterpiece (all your questions answered) Faster load", written by opiemar, and I was really impressed with the high quality of the explanations this user provided to viewers like me that missed points of the story. I would like to congratulate opiemar for his excellent work and suggest him to write a correct summary of this movie in IMDb to help and guide other viewers.

In the end, I agree that "Janghwa, Hongryeon" is a great Korean film, but I do not give ten in my vote because very few people can afford to see the same movie more than once, like this film demands, and without the great support of opiemar, I would not be able to understand the story as a whole. I intend to see this movie again in a near future. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Medo" ("Fear")

I love horror films, but I think they work way better when they hide a dramatic impact behind (The Devil's Backbone, The Exorcist, for example). This is that kind of film, and it's not only eerie and terrifying when it has to be, it is also really beautiful. A Tale of Two Sisters starts really slow, so if you're in a hurry to see ghosts in the first 20 minutes you will be disappointed. Actually this is not a ghost story –though there are some. It's something more complex, and it's done in such a way that it beats Ringu and The Grudge out of the ring no sweat. A Tale… is a way more clever film than those huge cultural hits, because it really cares for its characters, and the direction is flawless. Every detail in this film will leave you breathless if you're the kind of person who loves to pay attention to details while watching a movie. The acting is superb, specially from the stepmother and the main girl. Those two are worth the price of the ticket alone. Do yourself a favor and watch this awesome film.