Estación Fantasma

"The Ghost Station" (2022), also known as "Oksu Station Ghost," is a South Korean horror film that delves into the eerie and unsettling mysteries lurking beneath the surface of an ordinary subway station. It effectively blends urban legends with classic horror tropes, creating a chilling atmosphere that resonates with viewers. Here's a deeper look into the film: Core Narrative and Themes: * Urban Horror: * The film taps into the inherent anxieties associated with urban environments, particularly the often-crowded and anonymous spaces of public transportation. Subway stations, with their underground depths and constant flow of people, become breeding grounds for fear and speculation.

* It utilizes the concept of a haunted location, a staple of horror, and places it within a modern, relatable setting. This makes the horror feel more immediate and plausible.

* Investigative Mystery: * The narrative follows a reporter and a public service worker who are drawn into investigating strange occurrences at Oksu Station.

* Their pursuit of the truth unravels a dark history and a sinister presence, driving the suspense and revealing the film's deeper layers.

* Supernatural Elements: * The film incorporates supernatural elements, including ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena, to create a sense of dread.

* It draws inspiration from J-horror, with its emphasis on unsettling imagery and psychological horror, contributing to the film's overall effectiveness.

Key Aspects: * Atmosphere and Tension: * "The Ghost Station" excels at building a tense and unsettling atmosphere. The film uses lighting, sound design, and camera work to create a sense of unease and dread.

* The confined spaces of the subway station contribute to the feeling of claustrophobia and vulnerability.

* Story Origins: * The movie is adapted from a webtoon, which is a popular form of digital comic in South Korea. This gives the movie a good foundation in a pre existing story.

* Influences: * It is noted that the movie has strong influences from Japanese horror films. This is something that many viewers pick up on, and can be seen in the style of the ghostly apparitions, and the general feeling of dread.

Overall Impact: * "The Ghost Station" provides a solid and entertaining horror experience. Its ability to blend urban legends with classic horror elements makes it appealing to a wide audience.

* It is a good representation of modern south korean horror.

* While it may not break new ground in the horror genre, it delivers a satisfying dose of scares and suspense.

In essence, "The Ghost Station" is a well-crafted horror film that effectively utilizes its setting and narrative to create a chilling and memorable experience.

I guess the best I can say about this film is that it isn't too bad a way to spend the time. As I mention in the title, there honestly isn't anything special that really stands out about the story or the way it's done.

I mean, it's not awful, but basically just middle of the road. The overall story is mildly interesting, the point of what is actually happening and why is not a bad concept. It's just my lowly and wretched opinion that it probably could have been done with a bit more style and a deeper, more effective atmosphere.

The acting and everything is okay, nothing terrible. And yes, there are the usual jump scares, but that is honestly just about all there is to the actual mechanics of how the story is told.

It's kind of too bad too because like I mentioned before, the overall idea is actually pretty good, and rather creepy, really. But, I almost get the impression that the filmmakers, although probably somewhat talented, didn't really seem to spend a whole lot of time or thought in putting the film together.

So, not a terrible time waster, but nothing truly deserving a glowing recommendation either...

I wanted to really like this film and if it has been released a good decade or so earlier I probably would have, but as it stands, this is a by-the-numbers ghost story that's not at all shocking or surprising (unless of course you've just missed out on most Japanese and Korean ghost story films). This being said, the film does look great with the strong cinematography and the performances are quite good, but doesn't always save the film. With a short runtime it is an easy time waster, but you'll have easily forgotten it once the end credits roll. This film is really for the Asian ghost story fans.

Trying to cover herself, a reporter tasked to come up with a new story after getting her magazine in trouble comes across the strange series of events surrounding a local train station, but the more she looks into it finds a powerful curse at play and band together to stop the events from spreading.

For the most part, there's a lot to like with this one. One of the more likable aspects here is the solid setup that brings about some rather intriguing elements. The opening here with the reporter getting into trouble for her report and must now find a new article to keep her job intact serves as a decent enough way to allow for the series of accidents at the specific train station to come into her life. Learning about the mysterious deaths involved at the station and the various supernatural means that get brought up as a result of the investigation causes a rather chilling sense of dread to emerge as the revelations give way to genuine supernatural beings and curses involved, making the setup here quite likable and intriguing. This interweaving storyline comes off rather well as the layers unearthed during the investigation are logically integrated with each other to provide a strong starting point. As a result, the film generates a solid series of ghostly action and encounters. The gradually unraveling mystery in the first half involving the accidents at the station, the generally unnerving repeating of unknown numbers by the afflicted workers, and the strange markings that are found on them just before their deaths offer a wholly engrossing means of integrating into the mystery to come. With the misshapen appearance resulting in deformed facial marks, glowing eyes, and a generally inhuman demeanor alerting to the fact that something is wrong with them. It gets even more obvious when this features a series of creepy and genuinely chilling encounters with the ghost children who live inside the well which offers up a fine selection of imagery to go along with the solid storyline that had been built-up. These are all enough to generate a lot of likable points here even if there are some factors with this one that drag it down. One of the main issues here is the rather messy ending that has some convoluted ideas at play that leave some gaping logic holes. The reveal of the one party involved in the conspiracy to keep the story of the ghost kids and the connection to the local orphanage a secret makes no sense when the whole film had been a chance to uncover everything from the very start. The relationships between everyone at this point in the film would've made it next to impossible to rationalize how the story gets out in the first place knowing what the end result is. Moreover, some of the reasoning makes little sense and the whole transfer of the curse is glossed over to the point of appearing to be a shock explanation for the sake of it. This is the main part of the film that's underwhelming and holds it down the most, and along with the familiar storyline and presentation to numerous other genre efforts are what generate the flaws here.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by this little thriller. No, it's not great and the quality of the acting leaves much to be desired, but the story is quite intriguing for a while. "Na-yeong" ((Bo-ra Kim) is an aspiring journalist who receives a curious tip from her friend at a nearby train station. "U-won" ((Jae Hyun Kim) is convinced that the body of a child that was found between the tracks died in very mysterious circumstances. Despite the obvious reservations of her boss, she talks to the child's family and discovers that the the site of the station might have many old and horrific secrets to keep. The two friends decide to delve into that past and reveal those secrets - regardless of those whom it may effect! It's quite a quickly paced little drama this that really could have been doing with a little better, stronger, casting. The visual and audio effects are adequate and the story is solid in a creepy sort of fashion providing a few twists and turns to a plot that easily puts this in the range of the average Blumhouse horror-lite offering. You almost certainly won't remember it after you've seen it, but it isn't terrible by any means.