Contrived at times yet narrated with such tenacity that the plot stays compelling throughout, Forgotten comes jam-packed with twists n turns and takes its viewers into unexpected alleys without giving away too much, thus making for a consistently engaging ride which keeps the tension & mystery alive for the most part before losing steam near the end and finishing on a sappy note.
Written & directed by Jang Hang-jun, the first act plays out like a haunted house horror with steady build-up, uneasy vibe & hints of supernatural before elements of mystery & paranoia take over the screen. The tone shifts around the halfway mark and the dots start to connect as new details surface & revelations pour in but the first half is much better & more effective than the next one.
What Jang does well here is keeping us intrigued & invested in where all of it is headed even when the film takes some wild detours. The twists however are a tad too many, which in turn hurt its credibility to an extent. Still, the characters are well-defined and the entire cast does a fabulous job in bringing their scripted roles to life. The ending is tragic & heartbreaking but also lacks that gut-punching quality.
Overall, Forgotten is competently crafted & confidently directed, and makes for a thoroughly gripping psychological horror. The narrative flow & momentum is disrupted by the exposition laden second half but the way its events unfold, the interest in the outcome is never lost. It may not end as strongly as it started but it is a solid example of its genre(s), and is yet another fine showcase of South Korea's mastery over twisted stories.
