Apateu

Even though the theme is same as most other Asian horror movies since "The Ring", this film keeps the adrenaline up! I watched this movie with a bunch of pals during the midnight through early morning and I must say, judging by my reaction and that of my buddies that this one was a one heck of a freaky experience.

Great cinematography & sound effects. The first half was a nail biting experience but then the last twenty minutes or so is sad and horrific/tragic. Though one kind of tends to guess the movie right as it progresses, it still is a very good flick because of the its technical aspects. About the woman in red well I think her character is open for discussion probably the director wanted us to have some food for thought. I personally think her suicide instigates the protagonist to find the reason behind the other suicides(so that she could stop them from dying).

Well perceptions vary and I really liked this movie!

Why this movie is being compared to "Ringu" is a mystery to me! The only element that can be compared is the woman with the long black hair that walks funny. Personally I think this movie is much more like "Ju-On: the Grudge". Does this mean that "APT" is not worth your time? Well, that depends. If you like these kind of horror movies than I would recommend this one. If you can't stand to see these long haired Asian chicks than you should not bother to see this movie. I think that "APT" does a good job in creating a creepy atmosphere and sometimes even scare you. The first 70 minutes are quite thrilling. Even the back story is compelling and touching. Only the last twenty minutes were predictable and a major letdown. Also it never gets clear what the connection is between the main character and the woman from the subway. (Although I know why they put it in. It is used as motivation to get the main character interested in the suicides happening in the apartment building across her own.) It is a real shame that they did not follow up on this part of the story since it's buildup was as scary as the main mystery. It could have provided more depth and it's solution could have made a much better ending. Some reviewers complain that this movie isn't original enough. And to some degree I can agree on that. But to be honest there aren't many horror movies out there that are truly original. Most themes are used over and over again. I think that as long as the movie is entertaining and scary enough, being original should not be an issue. "APT" is pretty creepy and scary and will entertain you as long as you can ignore the forced ending!

Se-jin Oh(So-young Ko),a lonely,single career woman who hasn't much of a social life.One day,while walking home from work Se-jin encounters a creepy woman in red who throws herself in front of an oncoming train— while trying to drag Se-jin along with her.She survives,but the ghost of the woman come back to haunt her.It seems that people are dying in the apartment complex across from Se-jin's,all of the deaths coming precisely at 9:56 p.m.Admittedly "9:56" is highly derivative.It borrows heavily from "Ringu","A Tale of Two Sisters" and "Phone" and references Hitchcockian "Rear Window" many times.Fortunately the underlying theme of the film is surprisingly dark as it revolves around the physical and emotional abuse of beautiful crippled girl(Hie-jin Jang).The film is impressive to look at and offers a few genuine scares.Oh,and Korean actresses are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.I'd love to visit South Korea one day.;)

Ahn Byeong-ki, the person who's brought us Nightmare, Phone and Bunshinsaba, is back in 2006 with A.P.T. Based on a comic by Gangfull, Mr. Ahn's A.P.T. is still rely on his previous effort and trick.

Sejin (Ko So-young) is a new tenant in an old apartment in a Seoul suburb. She befriend with a wheel-chair bound girl, Yu-yeon (Jang Hee-jin), an orphan who's take care by neighborhood volunteers. Sejin has a unique hobby, observing the apartment units on the other side. One day, she notice something, these apartments are turn off their light at the very same time, exactly on 9:56 PM. Next thing happen is someone is found dead. This thing keeps happening and Sejin start to suspect something weird is occurring. And then she' decide to start an investigation.

It seems Mr. Ahn still believe with the power of the long-haired-ghost, while nowadays it's kind of tired. We need a breath of new tale into the horror genre, especially the Asian Horror. But by watching this movie, I think Mr. Ahn is not that kind of innovative person. The movie is also full with routines that this genre be familiar with. Nothing new here. The good point is A.P.T. is more enjoyable than Bunshinsaba or even Phone. But due the release time, it's not appealing anymore.

It says that Ko So-young is a 4 year absent before return to movie scene with A.P.T. Alas, she more like a clone of Ha Ji-won (Nightmare, Phone) rather than a solid performance, while the débutant Jang Hee-jin, who's stunningly beautiful, is also act well.

So if you still fond by this kind of movie, A.P.T. could still amuse. But if you need something new or different, you better skip this.

Needless to say that given my fascination with horror movies and Asian cinema, then of course I sat down to watch the 2006 South Korean horror movie "Apeteu" (aka "APT.") as I had the opportunity to watch it in 2021.

Initially then the movie started out alright, but oddly enough then writers Byeong-ki Ahn, Pool Kang and Soyoung Lee quickly let the story spiral out of control and it turned to a somewhat befuddled mess of a storyline. Sure, towards the end, once the cause behind the supernatural events were made clear and brought into the light, then the movie was actually starting to get back on track, but by then it was just a little bit too late.

I wanted to like this movie, but it ultimately never managed to become more than a mediocre horror movie. And not one of the finest or more memorable moments in South Korean horror cinema. There are far better choices of horror movies from the South Korean cinema in comparison to "APT.".

Director Byeong-ki Ahn was settling on a somewhat safe formula to shape the movie by, and it made for only a generic result, that wasn't particularly scary.

Visually then there were some nice enough moments throughout the course of "APT.", though hardly anything noteworthy or memorable. Again, there are far better horror movies in the South Korean cinema.

The best thing about "APT." was the cast, because they definitely had managed to get together a good ensemble of actors and actresses for the movie. Most noteworthy was So-Young Ko (playing Se-Jin).

While I managed to sit through the entire movie, I can't claim to have been more than adequately entertained. As such, then my rating of "APT." lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars.