Gonjiam: Haunted asylum

It's definitely worth the watch if that's what you wanna know. The acting was great and funny! I felt like I actually cared for the characters. The premise is very interesting, but some scenes seem inspired by Grave Encounters. I was instantly hooked from the start but towards the end, things stopped making sense... I felt like they rushed it and didn't bother to explain anything... but it was a fun movie!

A terrifying found-footage horror from the South Korean film industry, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum travels a well-worn path, packs the expected genre tropes, and implements the same formula that other similar examples before it did. And yet, everything about it is surprisingly better & far more effective, possibly due to its genuinely tense build-up & excellent rapport between its committed cast.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) is one of the most effective found footage horror films in recent years. Hailing from South Korea, this film takes the familiar setup of a group of thrill-seekers livestreaming their exploration of an abandoned asylum and turns it into an absolute nightmare.

Initially, I was skeptical about the quality-many found footage films suffer from weak execution-but Gonjiam immediately proved me wrong. The film excels at creating an eerie atmosphere, gradually building suspense before unleashing full-blown terror. The use of sound design and immersive camerawork makes for an incredibly unsettling experience. Watching this film on a large screen with a surround sound system is highly recommended, as it amplifies the claustrophobic horror.

Having seen countless horror films, I rarely find myself truly unnerved, but Gonjiam managed to push me to my limits. The tension is so palpable that my friend and I had to pause at times because the atmosphere was too overwhelming. That's a testament to the film's brilliance-few horror films can achieve such a deeply visceral reaction.

If you're a fan of found footage horror, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is a must-watch. It stands alongside Grave Encounters and The Blair Witch Project as one of the best in the genre.

Normally I am critical of found-footage horror, as it usually is unnecessary and brings nothing more to the story. Usually found-footage movies would do better as a "regular" movie. This is not the case for Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. With new cutting-edge technology, and a reason as to why the actors know how to work a camera, it serves this movies purpose excellent. There is little shaky-cam and other "effects" that you would usually see in found-footage, which in my opinion ruins the movie.

The story itself is pretty standard, 7 young "ghost hunters" enter an old insane asylum, mainly for views and profit, which makes it more realistic than other similar movies. The pacing of the movie is pretty slow, and nothing really happens for the first half, but it's worth it!

I originally wanted to give this a 6, but considering this is a horror movie, and one of the scariest of it's sub-genre I've ever seen, I bumped it up to a 7. If you want a scary movie without too much plot, this is the movie for you.

How much you get out of this Korean found footage horror will depend on your mindset for this particular sub-genre. There's really nothing new here - think along the lines of "Grave Encounters", but better executed with the use of upgraded technology to stream live any paranormal encounters. The premise is run-of-the-mill; a small crew from a horror web series "Horror Time" grab cameras to explore an abandoned and isolated asylum late one night for a live broadcast. However they get a lot more than what they initially bargained for.

No surprises in how the situation plays out, however the atmosphere is laid on thick. Pure dread, looming shadows and creaking sounds engulf a dank, colourless location that will simply swallow you up. It very much reminded me of the tone/ambiance found in Session 9, maybe even creepier. One thing though, no way would you get me in there after midnight.

After a slow beginning introducing the characters, chemistry dynamics and a little history of the asylum including other thrill-seekers that have disappeared after entering the building. It all works up quite nicely to the obligatory jump scares and equipment failure. What seemed simple at first showed the plot had a surprise or two up its sleeve in its paranormal loophole, which is all centred around the cursed room 402. There were a couple rather effective set-pieces, yet probably not enough incidents in what feels kind of drawn out. Still those moments we do get, and there are a good 3 or 4, are well-shot hair-raising thrills.