IMDb RATING
5.7/10
1.7K
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An engaged interior designer sees two small girls on the subway train that die there. He sees them again in his apartment. A woman he meets can also see them. He talks to her about his forgo... Read allAn engaged interior designer sees two small girls on the subway train that die there. He sees them again in his apartment. A woman he meets can also see them. He talks to her about his forgotten childhood.An engaged interior designer sees two small girls on the subway train that die there. He sees them again in his apartment. A woman he meets can also see them. He talks to her about his forgotten childhood.
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Uninvited isn't your typical ghost story though it has familiar South Korean horror themes like suicide and infanticide.
Honestly I found it to be a bit too slow at times, and it is a whole two full hours long. However, this subtle slowness eventually winds around you like some malicious seaweed dragging you slowly under the water.
The ending is heavy and bleak rather than shocking or horrifying. In some ways this film is more of a supernatural drama that draws upon subjects like childhood trauma and its impact on adult phobias and mental illness. I highly recommend it but don't expect the usual Korean horror flick.
Honestly I found it to be a bit too slow at times, and it is a whole two full hours long. However, this subtle slowness eventually winds around you like some malicious seaweed dragging you slowly under the water.
The ending is heavy and bleak rather than shocking or horrifying. In some ways this film is more of a supernatural drama that draws upon subjects like childhood trauma and its impact on adult phobias and mental illness. I highly recommend it but don't expect the usual Korean horror flick.
I'd been disappointed in Korean cinema as of late. After the wonderful "Shiri," I found myself annoyed with "Tell Me Something," confused by "A Tale of Two Sisters," and outright bored with "Ring Virus." So I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this film, whose Korean title translates literally to "4 Doll Table."
First off, it's not a straight horror film. It incorporates elements of the genre, but is principally dramatic. And it's a doozy.
It's impossible to properly articulate the plot. The plot is easy enough to follow, but it's intricate and deep, and just giving out details and summaries recklessly ignores all of the context these details have.
What I will say is that this is the most masterfully written and directed Korean film I have ever seen, and the acting for it is absolutely stellar. Admittedly it's very long and glacially paced, but it's rewarding. Scenes have purpose and even though this isn't totally a horror film, it does feature scenes that are downright disturbing and very chilling.
This is a strong, original, intelligent film that art-house fans would do well to pick up off of eBay. I impulse bought it and it wound up paying off in a big way.
Absolutely outstanding. Must see.
First off, it's not a straight horror film. It incorporates elements of the genre, but is principally dramatic. And it's a doozy.
It's impossible to properly articulate the plot. The plot is easy enough to follow, but it's intricate and deep, and just giving out details and summaries recklessly ignores all of the context these details have.
What I will say is that this is the most masterfully written and directed Korean film I have ever seen, and the acting for it is absolutely stellar. Admittedly it's very long and glacially paced, but it's rewarding. Scenes have purpose and even though this isn't totally a horror film, it does feature scenes that are downright disturbing and very chilling.
This is a strong, original, intelligent film that art-house fans would do well to pick up off of eBay. I impulse bought it and it wound up paying off in a big way.
Absolutely outstanding. Must see.
Like other IMDb'ers who have commented on The Uninvited, I expected the film to be a supernatural tale along the lines of The Eye. Instead, the movie turns out to be a rather depressing (and somewhat overlong) study of fractured psyches, depression and dealing with death. This movie is more about people who are haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, rather than by real spooks.
Whilst travelling home from work, Jeong-won, a man with no memory of his childhood, witnesses the death of two small children (poisoned by their mother and abandoned on a train). Soon after, he begins to see the dead kids in his apartment and leaves in a panic.
He meets Yeon, a narcoleptic who is a witness in an infant murder case and who is also able to see the ghosts. Together they unravel the shocking secrets of his past.
An extremely slow moving movie with a sometimes confusing plot, The Uninvited is certainly hard going. Replete with suicides, accidental deaths and murder, and with some genuinely shocking scenes that will sear themselves into your memory, this isn't exactly a feel-good movie. With absolutely no lighter moments to lift the mood, be prepared to feel 'down' after the credits have rolled.
And if you think I'm exaggerating, see if you can watch the scene with the 'truck/child interface' without wincing!
The look of the film is amazing and there are some lovely sweeping camera movements which are technically superb. The cast give excellent performances given the difficult subject matter. Unfortunately, the dreadful pacing of the film spoils what may have been a really great film. The tale meanders aimlessly in parts and really drags, making it almost as difficult for the viewer to stay awake as it was for poor old Yeon.
Not exactly essential viewing then, but still worth having a look if this kind of thing floats your boat.
Whilst travelling home from work, Jeong-won, a man with no memory of his childhood, witnesses the death of two small children (poisoned by their mother and abandoned on a train). Soon after, he begins to see the dead kids in his apartment and leaves in a panic.
He meets Yeon, a narcoleptic who is a witness in an infant murder case and who is also able to see the ghosts. Together they unravel the shocking secrets of his past.
An extremely slow moving movie with a sometimes confusing plot, The Uninvited is certainly hard going. Replete with suicides, accidental deaths and murder, and with some genuinely shocking scenes that will sear themselves into your memory, this isn't exactly a feel-good movie. With absolutely no lighter moments to lift the mood, be prepared to feel 'down' after the credits have rolled.
And if you think I'm exaggerating, see if you can watch the scene with the 'truck/child interface' without wincing!
The look of the film is amazing and there are some lovely sweeping camera movements which are technically superb. The cast give excellent performances given the difficult subject matter. Unfortunately, the dreadful pacing of the film spoils what may have been a really great film. The tale meanders aimlessly in parts and really drags, making it almost as difficult for the viewer to stay awake as it was for poor old Yeon.
Not exactly essential viewing then, but still worth having a look if this kind of thing floats your boat.
10sain11
The recent New Wave of Asian Horror has seen quite a few mediocre films released, however there have also been some true masterpieces amongst them, and The Uninvited is definitely one of the masterpieces.This is a genuinely dark, violent, disturbing, artistic horror film.
The key ingredient missing from most horror films these days is an emotionally charged story with characters that you can relate to and care for. In the case of the Univited, the true horror is based in human behaviour and the realities the characters have to deal with. While there is a supernatural element, the real nastiness is based in the humanity and psychology of the characters.
The Univited has possibly been mis-represented by it's own marketing, as they have promoted it as a supernatural horror, when in reality the film is more art-house and intellectual than it is horror. This probably accounts for some of the negative reviews, particularly in relation to the films slow pacing.
This is not a film that will make you jump in your seat a few times and leave the theatre laughing, but rather one that will chill you to the bone and leave you thinking.
I highly recommended The Univited if you have a darkly artistic streak, and are looking for a character driven film that abounds with atmosphere and chills.
The key ingredient missing from most horror films these days is an emotionally charged story with characters that you can relate to and care for. In the case of the Univited, the true horror is based in human behaviour and the realities the characters have to deal with. While there is a supernatural element, the real nastiness is based in the humanity and psychology of the characters.
The Univited has possibly been mis-represented by it's own marketing, as they have promoted it as a supernatural horror, when in reality the film is more art-house and intellectual than it is horror. This probably accounts for some of the negative reviews, particularly in relation to the films slow pacing.
This is not a film that will make you jump in your seat a few times and leave the theatre laughing, but rather one that will chill you to the bone and leave you thinking.
I highly recommended The Univited if you have a darkly artistic streak, and are looking for a character driven film that abounds with atmosphere and chills.
this movie will disappoint a lot of people. it is tagged as horror, but - although there are ghosts in it - there are no scary moments or any gore to be found. if you watched this movie because of Ji-hyun Jun (understandable if you ever saw 'my sassy girl') then be warned - this film is definitely neither romantic nor a comedy.
to tell what the film is really about would spoil your experience watching it, the ghosts and other supernatural occurences are only there to highlight the message of the film, to show the feelings and inner problems of the main character. at its core this film is a drama - wonderfully played, directed and executed - concentrating on the inner world of the humans mind. slowly - like a lot of other asian pictures - giving the key scenes a lot more surprise. there are two points in the movie i had to rewind, because i just couldn't believe what i had just saw.
the feeling i got while watching it is similar to 'kairo' - a study in depression and loneliness. definitely no film you should watch alone - it is not frightening, but you will feel better with someone to hug.
one of the most unusual films i ever saw - earning a well-deserved 9 of 10.
to tell what the film is really about would spoil your experience watching it, the ghosts and other supernatural occurences are only there to highlight the message of the film, to show the feelings and inner problems of the main character. at its core this film is a drama - wonderfully played, directed and executed - concentrating on the inner world of the humans mind. slowly - like a lot of other asian pictures - giving the key scenes a lot more surprise. there are two points in the movie i had to rewind, because i just couldn't believe what i had just saw.
the feeling i got while watching it is similar to 'kairo' - a study in depression and loneliness. definitely no film you should watch alone - it is not frightening, but you will feel better with someone to hug.
one of the most unusual films i ever saw - earning a well-deserved 9 of 10.
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- The Uninvited
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- $90,638
- Runtime
- 2h 7m(127 min)
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- 2.35 : 1
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