Hwa-i-teu: Jeo-woo-eui mel-lo-di

I was pleasantly surprised by this one therefore I have to recommend it to all of you horror fans out there, looking for something nice. Here are some reasons why "White: Melody of the curse" manages to stand tall at its end:

I had my share of Asian horrors, not too many I must say but enough for an opinion to be formed. While they bring something new from your typical Hollywood scares they also kinda always circle around the same pattern, a female ghost, long hair, usually crawling in a scary way or walking on a ceiling, nonetheless you can say: you've seen one, you've seen them all. Well not really, this movie takes you outside the box a little, characters have solid builds, it shows the cruel reality of bands struggling to succeed and you get a inside look in the music industry.

Also, as many Asian Horrors accustomed us, this one also has a twist and quite impossible to figure it out, therefore if you're watching it alone or with friends, you'll get a blast trying to figure out who is behind all of it.

I guess there are more things to be said but I find it best to let you discover them for yourself, just have a little faith and patience, quite hard to be disappointed by it.

Many Asian horror films actually trying to depict a horrifying situation from different perspectives. This one, White, based on issues regarding harsh nature of Kpop idols. It's quite original, although I have to conclude both the plot and execution are mediocre at best.

The premise of the movie revolves on a struggling girl group, Pink Dolls who garnered attention when they sang a song titled 'White' from unknown performance that found in their new renovated studio after fire incident 15 years ago. When the management decides to promote the song with center (lead singer), the chosen member become terrorized by unknown force.

It's interesting, in fact that the movie told us many information behind what's actually happening off camera. I don't know if the movie is exaggerating, but many issues like center choice, performance and MR in music shows (it's hella debatable by Kpop fans), and surge of popularity, are quite staple in Kpop and to know that for a bit, is fun.

Unfortunately, those are trivial things because we mainly have to face the acting that is confusing. Probably it's not how the act, but how inconsistent the character is. While it's understandable that being Kpop idol is stressful, I recognized these characters changing their attitude heavily, that makes me wonder how the reading process ever finished? The characters seem to be at the pole of bully and Cinderella continuum quickly. It ruins the flow of the plot, since it makes me have to understand many things.

In terms of production design, the movie also seems to know that this movie ain't A-class movie. It's understandable, but I can't stand how the movie like to give trippy shots when the ghost is around. I guess it's a trend back then. Honestly, it cheapens the movie, because I feel that the executed horror scenes aren't good enough compared to the other scenes.

I also note some plot holes, but I let it slide. This movie seems like B-class horror that fun enough to watch without high expectation. It has original and creative story (also direction) that makes you stay through the movie, but it lacks execution to many details that I'd like to observe when watching a horror movie. To conclude, if you want a horror from unusual setting just for fun, it is a great movie.

This movie follows the trend of long-haired Asian ghost in a quest for revenge, but manages to spice things up by coming up with a story that is both refreshing and fun to watch. I thoroughly enjoyed this at first peculiar blend of music and horror.

Having an idol group as target for the spooky surroundings makes for an interesting insight into the conflicts and problems that arise between members. We get to see the characters cracking up under pressure and fighting with each other, giving the movie a realistic feel. The horror element is present throughout the movie, going from mild to full-on ghostly tension as the story progresses. The movie does a good job at developing the characters and building up the menacing atmosphere.

The actors all did a fine job, especially the lead actress, with some over-the-top acting from the other members of the group, albeit not very distracting. Although it was marketed as a horror, the movie takes a turn towards the mystery genre towards the end and tends to drag a bit in the unveiling of the final twist. The truly scary scenes are quite rare, but pretty effective and well-made, albeit not very original if you've seen your fair share of Asian horror. The cinematography is beautiful to look at and it even dabbles a bit into experimental territory towards the end.

While this isn't anything groundbreaking or original in terms of horror, the music aspect and the commentary directed at the life of idols gives an interesting spin. Overall, the movie does a good job at entertaining you, being a nice addition to the genre.

Not directly, but I watched this years ago when I was sick in bed and had called off from work, but the quest to find that song's owner and it's mysterious past made me remember this.

This is a respectable solid effort on a similar horror element to Ringu (which was remade into The Ring). The idea has been borrowed into stuff like The Stream, V/H/S etc. here they take the idea and instead mix it with the backdrop of the K-pop and music industry and it works really well in this case. The music segments are well filmed too. Whereas those movies often real "fake" because the premise is kind of ridiculous if you think about it setting it to a more real world scenario leaves it more fulfilling.

"White" or "White: The Melody of Curse" has a fairly familiar premise: a failing pop idol group finds an old, uncredited song, and use it to rise to the top. However this tale of fame and fortune becomes mixed in with the paranormal: the song is cursed, fueled by the wrath of a vengeful ghost.

The comparisons with Ringu/The Ring are obvious, from the ghost itself down to the fact the song is discovered on a videotape. The movie does give a respectable effort in ratcheting up suspense, and to be fair there are a couple of effective scares.

However the real strength of this film lies in two areas. First, the story is pretty well done. While the paranormal stuff is prominent, there's also a strong focus on the characters, who are as much affected by their shifting fortunes as they are any bumps in the night. You would think once the ghostly stuff showed up, it would take center stage. Instead it runs parallel to the sudden pressures, ego trips, and bouts of jealousy of their new found fame, meshing together very well and creating a greater emotional and psychological depth than one might expect from such a premise. The film is even fairly touching and somewhat sad at points, aided by pretty good performances.

The second main area is the visuals. There is a certain flare here. It's not Argento or Fulci by any stretch, but the film does look really good. Whether it's a dark room/hallway or the flashiness of the dance stage, the cinematography and imagery are strong. Even without caring for the plot and characters, one could sit back and appreciate the look.

Is the movie a masterpiece? No, I wouldn't go that far, but it is very enjoyable, and if you're a horror movie fan with nothing to do on some afternoon, you could do a lot worse than this.