Go-hyang-i: Jook-eum-eul bo-neun doo gae-eui noon

Dark Water is one of my favourite movies, and as far as I know it was the first of these "ghost with a grudge that randomly kills people" films that have been pouring out of Asia. The Cat is a pretty unashamed ripoff of Dark Water which should probably have annoyed me, but it was done well and managed to carry the same dark atmosphere.

The main girl is pretty, likable, and somewhat sympathetic. Her father has been institutionalised, she suffers from claustrophobia, and she works in a pet shop with a rather dysfunctional and mean owner. Yet she pushes on and still manages to find things that make her smile. The ghost is a little girl with green cat eyes who periodically launches herself at the screen making you scream out "ARGH! STOP DOING THAT!" Her story doesn't unfold quite as smoothly as it does in other films of this genre, but as always it is slow, sad, thoughtful, and perfect for a gloomy Sunday night. This is a Horror as it should be. Do not expect much cheer.

If someone copies your favourite album and the songs are good chances are you're still going to listen to it. If you liked some of the other Asian ghost stories that have come out you'll probably like this too.

With a bland title like The Cat (with a Korean subtitle as funky as "Two Eyes See Death" according to Google Translate), it just about signals how blasé horror films can be these days especially when they dip into the generic bag of scary tricks to assemble a horror feature film by stringing together a series of cheap jump scares, and then finding an excuse to weave a narrative around the usual mystery cum unfinished business cum body to be found and exorcised type of storyline.

Granted the premise and set up is something begging to be done, and done it is with this Korean film, otherwise we can make a film called The Dog and have the dog howl at every suspenseful instance to signal some supernatural presence, which doesn't really work that well. Cats usually have this connotation to witchcraft and its eyes being quite creepy to look at especially in some form of darkness, so in the animal itself you have a ready made plot device in which to weave a narrative around. Here the chief pussycat called Silky belongs to a plump woman who was found dead in the lift to her apartment, and for reasons only cat lovers can identify with, So-Yeon (Park Min-Young to wide-eyed perfection) who worked on and groomed the animal before its owner's demise, got stuck with the feline.

As if one warning isn't enough, expect to see a whole slew of bodies turning up, usually accompanied by the shadowy appearance of a little girl, played by Kim Ye-Ron, whose sister Kim Sae-Ron had in recent years become a child acting force to be reckoned with in films like A Brand New Life and The Man From Nowhere. I'd wonder what made her sister take this path early in her career being decked out in face paint and acting all creepy, but herein lies the expected back story as to why and how this little girl and her cat, are out there trying to spook and become avenging angels against all cat abusers, which in a way seemed noble enough a reason to do what they did.

Ultimately writer-director Byun Seung-Wook does little except to showcase that he's as capable as other directors before him who have executed the usual suspense build up, and the typical jump scares to make audiences squeal, complete with sudden loud noises, light and shadow play, and tapping upon the expertise of makeup artists who applied the feline face of death look which is inspiration for anyone wondering just how to dress up during this year's Halloween. And to make matters worse, without the numerical advantage in getting characters bumped off, or have random bodies appear just to spook, The Cat would betray that it's actually all of a short film only, being extrapolated just because of its repetitive scare tactics to introduce another dead body under extraordinary circumstances.

The Cat will thrill anyone who hasn't seen his or her fair share of Asian horror films, otherwise to horror fanatics, this is yet another film exercise for the fimmaker to chalk up a genre film under his belt. This is one weak pussy after all.

Why do I rate The Cat so highly? In no way is this the scariest film I have ever watched, nor is it the greatest. But the acting, coupled with the feature's ability to blend great emotional depth, alongside developed characterization, a mesmerizing plot and a spooky atmosphere, make this a film that certainly ought to be experienced.

Slightly similar to the Grudge and Dark Water, the title of the film should have been pluralized, because there sure are a lot of puddy cats that occupy the feature. So-yeon (Min-Young Park) works at Kitty N Puppy, a pet store that not only sells animals, but is dedicated to the grooming and cleaning of our four legged friends.

Suffering the affects of claustrophobia after experiencing a childhood trauma, So-yeon goes out of her way to ensure her life is free of the obstacles that heighten her condition. The fear she often feels is well articulated on screen, and is further accentuated through the terror that begins to haunt her so.

After Silky, a cat So-yeon recently pampered inexplicably dies, the cat finds herself temporarily without a home. Her friend, Jun-seok (Dong-wook Kim), a police officer investigating the peculiar death, asks her to take Silky in for the time being. Immediately after So-yeon agrees, she finds herself plagued by nightmares, and whilst awake sees images of a little girl.

Unlike stereotypical Asian horror, the ghost of the young girl is not equipped with a head of hair in need of immediate trimming. Rather, what separates her from other ghosts are her unique cat eyes, and even when she is hiding in the darkness, those eyes of hers, so bright and haunting, are clearly visible, and add to the feeling of being watched. This is further implied by the camera, which is occasionally from the perspective of the girl herself. The way the ghost is portrayed, and how she can unexpectedly jump out at the audience is excellently developed, providing a good number of jump scares.

When So-yeon's friend Bo-hee (Da-eun Sin), alongside other people who encounter cats they bring into their lives, begin to witness the ghost as well, it becomes clear that she is no illusion. When people's lives begin to be put in jeopardy, So-yeon discovers she is going to have to combat her own fears if it means uncovering the truth behind the ghost, and the connection with the cats.

Unlike other horror films, where deaths are often the same, though there is more than one occasion when a body is contorted in terrifying fear, other times the deaths are quite surprising, with some combined originality. Though it becomes predictable to know when a character will die, it is how, that will always keep your interest.

Though the Cat is not the most terrifying feature ever encountered, despite the effective ambiance, what audiences will occasionally find most shocking is the treatment cats receive when in the care of animal shelters and other such accommodations. The lacking dignity and humility provided to the cats really hits home about the cruelty that takes place behind closed doors, and one scene, when a cat is put to sleep, the look of terror upon the poor animal's face is wretchedly heartbreaking. In this sense, The Cat is a film that requires viewing, if not for the story or character relationships, then for the brutal honesty of the environments cats are often forced to endure.

The Cat is bound to keep you on edge from the opening credits, through to the final scene, the tension and mystery surrounding the plot been pivotal to the success of the movie. The emotional depth is as equally satisfactory, and by the film's conclusion, you will want to curl up next to your kitten and give them a great big hug.

Ummm.....most of the people who die in this movie deserved to die. I was too afraid of what I would find if I searched animal abuse in Asian movies so I didn't bother but eff man... This movie is not for cat/animal lovers. I would have given it a better rating if I wasn't so thrown off with how they used the animals.

To be perfectly honest, this feels like a hard sell. I love cats more than my own life; that's what drew me in to 'The cat,' or 'Goyang-i: Jug-eum-eulboneun dugaeuinun' - and when all is said and done it may be the best thing the movie has going for it. At the same time, there's a lot of imagery of dead animals, or animal cruelty or neglect, and there's a lingering question in my mind as to how some scenes were filmed. Cats don't growl, hiss, or pin their ears back out of fear or agitation without provocation; I can only hope instances of cats in this state were simply very advanced CGI, and not the result of abuse to capture a shot. The line of text "no cats were harmed in the making of this film," that begins the end credits, isn't sufficiently reassuring.

Equally troubling, and arguably more substantially, much more so than not this feels like a very conventional and unremarkable horror flick. We get jump scares, grotesque makeup work, creepy and unnatural presences or movement, sometimes questionable special effects, and a protagonist with a troubled past and a personality trait that puts her at a disadvantage. As I watched I kept hoping for something to leap out and be more grabbing and deserving of my attention, but I'm sad to say this just doesn't really make a big impression.

Sure, 'The cat' is well made. The direction is fine, and lighting, cinematography, sound design, shot composition, acting (in purely common genre roles), sound design, blood and gore, and so on. The writing is broadly serviceable. Only - excise the further feline factor, and there's nothing about this to let it stand out in a crowd. There's no meaningful suspense, or thrills, or fright, and the best this feature can actually inspire is mild unease. Love them or hate them, horror movies should elicit a visceral reaction from audiences, or heightened feelings. 'The cat' does not. So what, then, is its worth?

There may be one thing: I do quite like the core of the plot, the underpinnings of the course of events that are revealed in the last third or so of the runtime. While protagonist So-yeon's anxieties fit too neatly into the course of events, feeling contrived, there are some good ideas here. Why, though played off with a very different tone, there's a similar theme to outstanding 1977 horror anthology 'The uncanny.' 'The cat' could have been a suitably compelling horror-thriller as it presents, with a terribly sad, tragic beat at its center. But it's clear that from every angle the production was geared toward being a straightforward fear factory, and in that capacity it's just too ordinary to work.

This isn't outright bad. There was definite potential. Yet as a horror film it's just too common to be noteworthy, let alone frightful as is intended, and though it's the emphasis of the story, the animal cruelty on display is far too prevalent and graphic to sit well with me. I don't altogether dislike 'The cat,' but it doesn't succeed in its goal, and is too unsavory to otherwise enjoy.

Not truly bad. Not really recommendable.