Chelo - Notas de terror

"Cello" is one of the best Korean horror movies I have seen! It sure is very creepy! And it certainly has enough scary scenes to keep you satisfied! The brilliance of this movie is that you don't exactly know when something is going to happen! In most horror movies you can anticipate and predict a scene! Although some scenes seem similar to other Asian horror movies and you think you know what is going to happen the scene goes into another direction! And then out of nowhere something happens! It takes a while to fully comprehend the plot! But once you do you will be surprised even more! Twist after twist and it never seems to end! "Cello" won't be for everyone,since the pace is quite slow and there aren't that many scares compared to other similar horror movies! Personally I didn't mind much because overall the movie is very entertaining and it's conclusion very rewarding!

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this movie was scary, but it was sure as heck bizarre!!!

So basically this movie is about a woman (a former cellist) with a mysterious past, involving a car accident, and all of a sudden strange and terrifying things begin to happen to her much beloved family. She has a husband who seems to love her very much, a sister-in-law that lives with them until she is married to her fiancé, a mentally impaired older daughter, and another younger daughter. She also teaches as a part time instructor and one day is threatened by a young student who received a poor grade in her class. No spoilers, so to find out more you have to watch the movie.

This movie had TONS of twists and turns, just when you think you've figured it out something new pops up and it throws you entirely off guard. Especially about the main character's past... you have been warned.

One thing I love about these types of movies is the beautiful cinematography, it's just absolutely gorgeous even in such a twisted and creepy movie such as this one. Everything just seems to flow so elegantly, something rarely achieved in American movies. I definitely recommend this movie for someone who enjoys a good creep fest, but don't recommend it to someone who is really squeamish towards blood.

Despite the lukewarm reviews on Amazon and IMDb, I still decided to give "Cello" a chance. Why? Well, because it is a Korean horror movie, and I do enjoy Asian movies quite a lot. And I am glad enough that I did pick up this movie from Amazon.

The story in "Cello" is fairly straight forward for a horror movie, but it was refreshing not to have the stereotypical Asian ghosts lurk at every dark corner here in this movie - there is nothing particularly scary about an Asian girl in a white dress with long, black hair covering the face.

But back to the story at hand, Mi-Ju has survived a car crash, but she is haunted by her past. And things around her are starting to become strange and threatening as her past is catching up with her. With her secret hidden from her family, she has no one to turn to, and slowly, an encroaching darkness is creeping up on her family.

For an Asian horror movie, then "Cello" was rather unusual. That being said, I am not saying it is bad. It was a nice change of pace in the Asian horror genre to have a movie take this approach. But for a horror movie, then "Cello" was surprisingly devoid of scares and spooky moments. The movie isn't boring, but it trots along at a fairly level pace - a pace that some might find slow and dull. But it serves the story well, as it builds up suspense and it does reveal the storyline, one slice at a time.

The acting in the movie was quite good, not amongst the best I have seen in Asian horror movies, but it was good and served the movie well. People did good jobs with their given characters.

"Cello" is a good addition to any DVD collection that contains Asian horror movies. And if you are looking for an Asian horror movie that is not centered around the stereotypical Asian ghost, then "Cello" is a good choice.

A professor must contend with a vengeful student, a mysterious housekeeper, and the total annihilation of all he loves.

CELLO is a wickedly clever ghost story with more twists than a tangled slinky! The plot loops, and bends back on itself, creating a very disturbing / disorienting experience. Bloody and vicious, this is one creepy movie! Filled with "WTF?" moments, this film goes where -most- others fear to tread. Yep, there are kids in this one, and they're neither sacred nor safe! A superb South Korean shocker...

I am not really a fan of Asian horror cinema, most likely because my first impressions of the genre came from boring remakes like The Ring. I picked up Cello on sale at Wal-Mart (!) of all places, because the cover caught my eye.

Cello was a good horror movie with some quality chills and good direction. The story starts with a music teacher at a school who obviously plays a cello. She has difficulty with a certain student, who is a pretty important figure story wise. The plot really gets going when we are shown a pretty intense car wreck. From there many crazy things happen to build the story and make a good horror flick. Of course there are several staples of Asian horror such as creepy little girls etc.

The movie has some real gritty tension between two competitive characters and some good twists to keep the viewers interested. The acting is pretty top notch and the film looks good in terms of picture quality and the sound mix is good.

If you enjoy Asian horror movies and good creepy stories, check out this Korean import.