Marui Video

A documentary crew start a project to uncover the authenticity and origins of a video depicting a murder that is also rumored to be cursed.

Let me just start by saying that the trailer for this was far better than the film. The film wasn't awful but the progression was super S-L-O-W and although it a couple creepy moments, it wasn't very scary.

A large part is spent researching the people and places associated with the film. It just seemed to drag out with a lot of wandering around buildings and trying to make connections between paperwork, places, and people. The more intense scenes were pretty sparse and at times, a bit confusing.

Once again, it's not awful and I can say I watched it but had the movie been as freaky as the trailer, it would've got higher marks from me.

A South Korean found footage/mockumentary horror film that is well made (only the first act) with all the ingredients to create something eerie and atmospheric. I enjoyed all the countryside locations and the occasional creepy, shocking and disturbing moments.

The ending was a letdown and an unsatisfying conclusion. Such a shame it had so much potential.

A South Korean found footage/mockumentary horror film that is well made (only the first act) with all the ingredients to create something eerie and atmospheric. I enjoyed all the countryside locations and the occasional creepy, shocking and disturbing moments.

The ending was a letdown and an unsatisfying conclusion. Such a shame it had so much potential.

This Korean found-footage horror follows a documentary crew investigating a mysterious murder.

Much like Japanese director Koji Shiraishi's engaging mockumentaries, Marui Video begins as a true-crime documentary before plunging into the paranormal realm. It's more polished than you might expect, with a lot of expository info dumping that might be hard to follow if you're not closely paying attention. Later on, it becomes something similar to Incantation or The Medium, introducing shamanism into the story but slowly losing its feet toward the conclusion. It does pick up a bit near the climax, but the place where it ends up is slightly more underwhelming than what preceded it.

Unlike Shiraishi's films, this one somehow feels too polished and fabricated. It doesn't leave a lasting impression even if it does manage to present a few pretty creepy moments. It's still a bit better than that average 5.0 suggests, and I think some found-footage enthusiasts will find it worthwhile.

This movie has it's own charm that I like. Part of me really think this was based on a real story due to it's real life likeness (don't worry, it's not).

I'll give credits to the director for taking a risk on completely changes found footage film landscape. Instead of just relying on the actors words to tell the audiences the context, the movie tells the context through lots of way (interviews, mockumentary and other things). This way, it can build up suspense throughout the movie without the audiences feeling bored.

However, there still a reason why I review it 8/10. Most notably, I want to single handedly blame the timeline. It can be quite confusing especially if you are first time found footage movie viewer. Another reason that is that the ending could be better. The ending has it's own chemistry mixes (seriously, it's like if you take The Ring movie script/mechanics and shove The Paranormal Activity ending on it).

In conclusion, it is a great movie if you are into found footage movie, especially if you are afraid of ghost (this movie has little jumpscare, so I suppose you can give it a shot). It's like this movie is the mixture of The Ring, The Paranormal Activity and possibly, Hell House.