Face

The very well acted South Korean supernatural thriller tells the story of Hyun-min an expert in facial reconstruction. His expertise is used by the police to help give faces to murder victims who have long reverted to skeletons. He reluctantly helps with a case that seems to be the work of a serial killer but how and why does it tie into his daughter, who is sick after having a heart transplant? What is an apparition trying to steer him to? Can Hyun-min solve the murder and save his daughter…

A slick drama with supernatural overtones is at the heart of this thriller. A bit of a twist in the end too, which I must say I wasn't expecting when it came out of left field. Excellent acting and an interesting story are punctuated by a good sound design that helps to creep you out when the time is right.

Face a solid and engaging thriller with a few creepy moments. The overall atmosphere is a bit weak since the scares are a little bit sparse and far apart.

A killer is kidnapping, mutilating, and melting young women. The police are baffled. Forensic sculptor Hyeon-Min (Hyeon-Jun Shin) is expected to add a face to the skull of the latest victim.

The trouble is that Hyeon-Min has had enough. With his wife dead, and his daughter in the hospital, he just wants to retire. Unfortunately for him, his latest partner won't stop pushing him. Then, there's also the ghost that haunts Hyeon-Min, and the nightmares, and the strange sounds in his head!

FACE is another wonderfully creepy ghost story from South Korea. It's filled with mystery, suspense, and supernatural terror. Highly recommended...

This is just another Asian horror where white painted ghosts are seen from "scary" angles with their heads bent down. There aren't any frightening scenes whatsoever, only clichés and repetitions from earlier (and better) films. The story isn't that bad really, but this would have been a lot better film without the supernatural bits. I mean, what is it with the Koreans and ghosts when it comes to horror? The Japanese and the Chinese have made a lot of good, creepy and gory movies without using ghosts in their stories. However, "Bloody Beach" is one good example of a Korean horror film sans ghosts. "Face" on the other hand is a typically dull example of just how one-note the Asian horror industry of today has become.

I found this movie quite entertaining. The story at first seems like the usual Asia horror, yet it has an interesting twist. I don't want to tell too much though. More and more good horror movies are coming from Korea these days and I rank this as one of the better efforts.

It is not your typical haunting ghost story, it's more of a thriller with some supernatural elements thrown in, so it is not very scary (from a Westerner point of view).

Wondering where all of those beautiful korean lead actresses are coming from, it gets me every time ;)

I give this an 8 out of 10.

Face is a dramatic supernatural thriller from South Korea released by legendary Tartan Asia Extreme label.

The plot revolves around quiet forensic facial reconstructor Lee Hyun-min who had some sinister strokes of fate to endure. His wife died much too soon and his daughter had a complicated heart surgery from which she hasn't fully recovered. Lee Hyu-min decides to quit his job to spend more time with his daughter and he brings her to the countryside to stay with her grandmother in a secluded area. As he returns home to grab some things for his departure, Lee Hyu-min is met by Jung Sun-young who is a new researcher at the institute where Lee Hyun-min worked before. She asks for his help with facial reconstruction of the victim of a serial killer who melts the bodies of his victims with acid. Lee Hyu-min initially refuses to collaborate but Jung Sun-young insists and explains her desire to learn from him. He is further convinced to collaborate when he feels haunted by the spirit of the victim and starts to feel guilty for not helping investigations in an ongoing case against a brutal serial killer. Just as he decides to accept the case, his daughter's medical condition worsens once again. Lee Hyu-min asks Doctor Yoon to give him more information about the organ donor but the doctor refuses due to confidentiality issues. As the desperate Lee Hyun-min barely sleeps as he spends time by his daughter's side at the hospital and tries to complete the facial reconstruction, he starts to discover unexpected connections between the serial killer case and the organ donor issue. Lee Hyun-min starts to collaborate directly with the police and also grows fond of his resilient assistant Jung Sun-young. However, nothing is as it appears as Lee Hyu-min is about to uncover more than one surprising twist.

This dramatic supernatural thriller convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the plot is quite clever as every single scene in the movie is meaningful and leads to a whole something that is even greater than its different parts. Up next, Face oozes with atmosphere. Especially the scenes when Lee Hyun-min is haunted by the spirit of the murder victim or when the lair of the criminal is discovered are particularly memorable. The characters are also very intriguing as it's easy for viewers to empathize with the lead characters and his numerous challenges while his colleague is a fascinating, mysterious and unpredictable woman who has more than one secret to hide. The acting performances match the excellent characters and especially child actress Han Ye-rin leaves a stunning impression. The directing effort is also highly commendable as the light and sound effects increase the film's gripping atmosphere. These excellent elements will make you keep watching this film until its surprising ending.

At the end of the day, Face is a movie that should please fans of romantic dramas, supernatural thrillers and East Asian cinema of the early years of the new millennium. This release by Tartan Asia Extreme includes some interesting featurettes such as the one on facial modeling employed for this film. Fans of this legendary label should certainy try to get their hands on a copy of this underrated dramatic supernatural thriller.