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Man, this film gave me the chills! Quite a few scenes might not make sense until the ending explains why and how it all fits together. One doesn't really understand the young girl's obsession towards her father at first, but it all makes sense with the big reveal. I did feel some details were mentioned over and over for the sake of the story, and did not make believable everyday conversation. The film also jumps backwards and forward in time and one has to understand this storytelling method to fully understand the story. The twist ending was unexpected and a great turn of events.

although not quite as good as Ringu or Dark Water - or even Oodhishon - this movie is very interesting and a good horror movie from Korea. The little girl plays enormously well - it is amazing that such a young girl can perform like that. The horror elements are quite good, and the story is pretty good. I wonder why all Asian horror movies contain classical music? Anyway, I really enjoyed watching this movie and I am hopeful that Asian horror will at least stay on this enormously high level which it has achieved in recent years. The ghost story in Phone blends well with the drama, and like in Oodishon, sometimes it is difficult to know what is real and what is not. The lead role is so beautiful. I thought she is very attractive and that might remove some of the horror. Anyway, this movie is not as scary as Ringu or Dark Water. It does contain a few chills though, and I actually had to watch it at daylight because when I saw some of the first scene in the elevator I thought we would see a re-run of the unbelievable terror and ghostly "realism" of "Dark Water". "Phone" is highly recommended! 7/10.

The biggest problem this film has is that everyone's first impression of it is "Ringu (1998) with a cell phone". While understandable, it's not really a fair assessment. While both deal with spirits using modern technology to exact their revenge, Phone is more a story about personal betrayal and revenge that uses the supernatural as a means of exposing the actions of the living characters. It's not really groundbreaking, but overall I found it to be a very enjoyable film.

Special recognition, in my opinion, should go to Seo-woo Eun, who played Yeong-ju. The kid has a definite talent for looking creepy.

Become a major fan of the Tartan video/Asia Extreme movies of late - from the more better known movies like Ring,Dark Water and Ju-On to the more obscure but equally satisfying films like A Tale of Two Sisters and this Korean movie is another fine example. Ji-Won-Hau plays Ji-Won whose story about several men indulging in under-age sex has resulted in them being sent for trial - she is being stalked by one of them so changes her mobile to avoid his abusive calls.As a consequence she begins to receive even weirder calls that she finds really distressing. One of her friends suggests she moves into the house they are renovating to get some peace which she does but all this does is intensify her fears. Her friend Ho-Jeong(Ju-Me-Kim) has a little girl Yeong-Ju(See-Woo Eun) who answers one of the calls and begins to act very strangely indeed.

At first this is put down to part of growing up but as begins to exhibit hostility to her Mother and an unhealthy obsession with her Father Ji-Won becomes increasingly concerned.Her anxieties are heightened when she discovers that several people who owned the phone before her have died in mysterious circumststances and this seems to be linked to the disappearance of a local schoolgirl - how this all works out I shall leave but its a very effective film. For obvious reasons it has been dubbed as Ring on a mobile ,but although it does share certain elements with that the way the plot works out makes it distinctive on its own. Some very creepy moments but what lifts it is See-Woo-Eun as the little girl who appears to be possessed - its a very disturbing performance - forget Linda Blair and the green vomit - this kid is genuinely scary in ways that kids her age shouldn't be....it takes the film into a new area.....and one that will haunt you for some time.....and you will never listen to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in the same way ever again. I can't put my finger on just what makes these Asian movies so effective but with so much dross coming out of mainstream Western cinema these are a haven for people who really appreciate first rate movies.

Highly recommended.

There is nothing subtle about ghost in the movie Phone. No slow build up of atmosphere or gradually letting its presence be known. This ghost is direct, purposeful and terrifying.

The first 40 minutes or so of this movie kept me at the edge of my seat and I was more frightened by this movie than I have been in a long time. Unfortunately, once we learn the identity of the ghost and we think we have discerned its motives, it takes some of the impact away. The movie cannot maintain the tension it set up at the beginning of the film and the ending seemed somehow tame compared to the scares of the first half..not to say that it isn't scary..just less so than what came before.

I don't want to give away too much before it has been seen by a wider audience, but if you enjoyed Ring or Gawi, you will like this movie as well. A special Kudos should be given to Seo-woo Eun, the little girl who plays Young-ju. While she is possessed by the ghost, this little girl will terrify you with the looks of pure hatred and the aura of menace she generates. She manages to be more frightening without an ounce of make-up than any CGI ghost or squib-soaked demon I have ever seen on screen. Linda Blair, eat your heart out.