Joyonghan gajok

The storyline: A Korean family bought a lodging hotel for bargain basement prices in a desolated location. Hotel guests were hard to come by but when the first guest finally arrived, he committed suicide. More guests started to show up... but things did not turn out the way they were hoping... A classic case of be careful what you wish for, because it may actually come true in unexpected ways...

Think of this as Korean version of the "Addams Family". This movie is a showcase of dark humor while several parallel subplots are going on. I especially like the acting of the youngest daughter Mi-na, her looks and mannerism epitomize the dark humor of the entire movie.

Not the funniest movie to come out from the Korea movie industry in recent years, but nonetheless quite enjoyable for those who like dark humor movies like Beetlejuice or Addams Family.

Years ago, I saw the Japanese horror-comedy THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS at a college screening, so color me shocked to learn all these years later that that movie was a remake of an earlier Korean picture called THE QUIET FAMILY. Compared to the remake, this is a far more sedate movie, though that is not to say it isn't odd. There is a great deal of comedy here, only it's played with a more comparatively deadpan style.

By and large, this movie feels quite episodic. I did think it started floundering a bit pacing-wise at the hour-mark, but never to the point where I was bored. The whole thing was funny and suspenseful, and I would highly recommend it to those who liked the premise of KATAKURIS but found the manic high energy a bit too much to handle.

A very amusing and very black comedy, that plays on the failings of different family members, all trying to run a lodge in the middle of nowhere. A good amount of suspense is combined with the laughs, the film mixing a comedy of errors with slapstick and (many) bloody corpses. Wicked fun definitely not for the whole family.

I can't account for the lackluster ratings for this on IMDB (though its primary domestic distribution right now is bootleg video, which might account for something.) I saw it at the movies, and it rates as one of the great South Korean black comedies. A bit like Hitchcock, this tells the story of a family that takes over an inn deep, deep in the country - only realizing when they get there it was a big mistake. For one thing, they're miles from any human being. Things take a turn for the macabre when their visitors and guests end up dying under ambiguous circumstances, and the family has to find some way of disposing of the bodies before the cops roll in. Of course, they eventually do come to investigate, making the tale even more twisted than it was before.

Don't let any prejudices against South Korean cinema keep you away; at its best, their film output is second to none, and attracts international favor from film festivals and critics. This film is one of the unequivocal winners.

A South Korean family (dad, mom, uncle, son, and two teen daughters) moves to the woods to open up a lodge in a hiking area. They find themselves restless, anxiously awaiting their first customer. When they finally get one, he is later found dead in his room. The family covers it up to avoid bad publicity. Soon the business finally starts booming--and so does the body count! This story probably sounds familiar to fans of Asian horror. That's because Takashi Miike remade this into "Happiness of the Katakuris," with song and dance sequences, zombies and claymation. "The Quiet Family" contains none of these elements, but it is almost as delightful with its wicked sense of humor. Each family member (my favorite being Mom) has their own amusing quirks, and I found myself chuckling out loud for the first half hour. Even when the story delves into morbid territory, the silly characters still manage to provide the laughs. Watching a "normal" family react to very abnormal situations proves to be very funny. The pace is excellent, though a few of the subplots almost push the story into a ridiculous place.

Ji-woon Kim is also the director of the instant classic "A Tale of Two Sisters." As with that film, the set design, use of rich colors, and innovative camera-work are spectacular and largely responsible for the eerie atmosphere.

"The Quiet Family" borders on absurd, but it never fails to entertain. Despite its over-the-top comedy and ridiculous scenarios, it has a serious overall tone that sets it apart from most other horror/comedies.

My Rating: 7/10.