Yeongasi

I wasn't expecting much from this Korean horror movie, but it turned out to be a little more entertaining. The movie starts comically with our protagonist Jaehyk who slaves on behalf of his failing pharmaceutical company and due to his bad choices the future looks bleak. We are introduced to his cute wife and two children for whom he no longer has much time or energy for. The horror aspect begins with people behaving abnormally and some ending up dead and floating in rivers. After that all hell breaks loose and Jaehyk has to start looking out for his family.

This movie is very similar to 2011 pandemic movie Contagion but with a lot more gore, much of the story dealing with how politicians and scientist deal with the disaster, posing a lot of dilemma decisions that has to be made. The other half is dealing with Jaehyk racing against time to save his family. I thought the acting and the chemistry of the family was superb and perhaps the main thing that saves this movie. But the plot seemed to me to be fresh and the pandemic is quite interesting. Unfortunately the movie doesn't seem to have the Hollywood budget and it shows, and it looks like a TV movie most of the time. There are not many movies that scare me and this certainly didn't but it was suspenseful with many race against time situations.

One thing that I absolutely hated about the movie is that they reveal what the pandemic is before even the half mark, after that it is pretty easy to predict why it is happening, even though the characters seem oblivious to it.

But despite its faults I can see a Hollywood remake happening, whether that's in your opinion good or bad. I actually think it would be nice, since I think one of the main downfalls of this movie is low budget.

Pros: Suspenseful, interesting pandemic, cute main actors, interesting difficult dilemma situations, deep moments, OK social commentary.

Cons: Too long, stupid main plot resolution, TV movie like, not scary.

Deranged (2012)

Suddenly people get affected from mysterious disease and starts to drink water so much... Meanwhile the protogonist's family suffered that same one and protogonist try to save his family by get medicine... Simple story and great screenplay.... Must watch thriller movie..!

Jae-hyuk is an ordinary man in his 40s. He works as a medical supplies salesman and is hassled by doctors all day. His brother Jae-pil is a detective that is not all that interested in public safety and spends most of his time moaning about the stock market. The discovery of a series of floating, gruesomely skeletal bodies around the country sparks hysteria. The police commissioner is disturbed to see CCTV footage of people jumping into water as if they were possessed, and drowning themselves. Time passes and hundreds of similar cases are reported, leaving officials stumped as to the cause of the deaths. The government declares a national emergency. Jae-pil joins the massive investigation and meets the mayor of a small town who claims he witnessed several men in work uniforms dumping infected dogs into the streams and realizes that there is a conspiracy behind the outbreak. Meanwhile, Jae-hyuk's wife and children are showing the same symptoms as the victims, leading to a frantic search for medicine. Through Jae-pil he learns of a warehouse containing a potential cure in thousands and thousands of doses and heads there with no idea of what he's heading into.

TDM

Jae-hyuk is an ordinary man in his 40s. He works as a medical supplies salesman and is hassled by doctors all day. His brother Jae-pil is a detective that is not all that interested in public safety and spends most of his time moaning about the stock market. The discovery of a series of floating, gruesomely skeletal bodies around the country sparks hysteria. The police commissioner is disturbed to see CCTV footage of people jumping into water as if they were possessed, and drowning themselves. Time passes and hundreds of similar cases are reported, leaving officials stumped as to the cause of the deaths. The government declares a national emergency. Jae-pil joins the massive investigation and meets the mayor of a small town who claims he witnessed several men in work uniforms dumping infected dogs into the streams and realizes that there is a conspiracy behind the outbreak. Meanwhile, Jae-hyuk's wife and children are showing the same symptoms as the victims, leading to a frantic search for medicine. Through Jae-pil he learns of a warehouse containing a potential cure in thousands and thousands of doses and heads there with no idea of what he's heading into.

Director Jeong-woo Park may not have an extensive bio, but he did a styling job with this environmental disaster film. The film provides a very in-depth explanation for the epidemic caused by horsehair worms, making it very believable. It was fast-paced and exciting with literally never a dull moment as the epidemic soon causes complete pandemonium. Towards the end, it is fantastic how everything goes wrong all at once and the characters become desperate, especially when a cure is announced and all hell breaks loose as they try to get their hands on the cure. The film became more intriguing as the truth unfolds as to how and why the epidemic started. This was incredible.

This picture was frustrating to watch. The chasing-around/in-pursuit-of element stretched itself thin as any episode of Looney Tunes. No gore, no frights, nothing eerie or atmospheric. Just the live action equivalent of a cartoon rife with ridiculous anxiety. I gave this a 4 instead of a 1 because of the high production value and solid acting all around.

The core story, while outlandish, is interesting, but the execution of this film just left me exhausted. It lacked grace.

Avoid until you've run out of contagion films to watch.

South Korea has been cranking out some real gems lately. This, however, isn't one of them.

In light and view of the Corona pandemic this was re-released (or released for the first time?) ... makes sense in a way but also doesn't. Because this is not even remotely comparable to the Covid insanity that went around the world. But you know, pandemic is pandemic, right? Well I'd say no, but let's leave it at that.

Also just enjoy this for the romp and hollywood style (with overdramatic plot points) take that it is ... cliche and predictability go hand in hand ... but the actors give it their all and the CGI works mostly (though for some it may be not even remotely convincing) ... the evil here is crazy though ... and I guess not as far fetched from reality as one may hope it would be ...