User reviews

Bunshinsaba is not a name that will roll off of your tongues. Comes in the wake of other far eastern horror movies, and generally follows similar traits to them. Story surrounds the horrific "suicides" of girls at a school in a Korean village, whilst bringing back memories of dark chapters in the communities past.

As is the norm for Korean movies, probably the best in the world at the moment, the film is set in beautiful scenery whilst the direction and acting is surprisingly great also taking in the age of a number of the actors. Really puts to shame the teen horror films from the US.

On the other hand, the film's main weaknesses are two fold. The story meanders and doesn't seem coherent, whilst the film also takes too much from others in the genre, e.g. the teenage girl with long hair who is the outsider (e.g. Ringu, Phone), broken families, ghosts, revenge etc... At points it appeared to go for frights above all else, trying to outdo it peers, but really its the storyline that is usually the most important point of the Far Eastern horror films. Regardless, original it really isn't, but its still not bad. I enjoyed it, but I still wouldn't push anyone to go watch it. A good viewing but no classic.

Another "ghost seeking revenge" story set in a small Korean town.

This movie has low ratings but the fact is, I managed to watch the entire thing through without getting bored.

I don't really think this movie is all that scary. It takes a lot to give me the shivers and I wasn't even once scared. I've been conditioned/used to Asian horror like Ringu and Ju-on so it might be scarier for those who aren't so used to this kind of horror.

However, this movie was entertaining. Its fast paced compared to most of the Asian horror out there and the story is somewhat interesting. I thought the ending was too predictable.

7/10 Not scary but entertaining

Vengeful ghosts return to haunt and destroy the people that caused their death. You might recognize a little of The Ring, as the mother had special mental powers. The ghosts, of course, have that hair effect with the eyes looking ... ghastly.

A nice plot element is that the ghosts in this film really do have purpose, other than just killing and avenging. They do that beautifully, of course, but as a hobby not as a full time job :)

The problem with the film is that it is not scary. The good ideas in the script are not fully capitalized. When people from a small isolated village see their children die inexplicably one would expect great turmoil and a lot of interesting things happening. Alas it was too low a budget to cover for this. Therefore everything in the movie seems shrunk, detached, to fit the budget.

So, it's a nice film to watch for cultists and horror fans, but not a great movie, almost not a good one.

Yoo Jin was transferred back to a high school in her parents' hometown.Having a tough time dealing with her new surroundings,she puts a curse on four girls that tormented her.As each of them mysteriously burns to death,the school is thrown into a chaos.The mayor of the village throws fear into the entire town when he announced that Yoo Jin has called upon the spirits of a mother and daughter who were brutally killed in the village some thirty years back.He suggests that they drive Yoo Jin and her family out of the town.However mysterious deaths still occur...Admittedly the story of "Bunshinsaba" is highly unoriginal as it borrows heavily from "Ringu","Whispering Corridors" and "Into the Mirror",but there is enough creepiness to keep fans of Asian horror on the edge of their seats.The girls in high school uniforms are cute and the acting is decent.Se-eun Lee is stunningly beautiful with her big expressive eyes and soulful looks.The sequence which takes place on a barren highway at night is truly eerie."Bunshinsaba" is definitely quite derivative and uninspired,but if you like Asian spooky flicks give it a look.7 out of 10.

My girlfriend and I were staying in Utah for the Sundance Festival, and one night back at home, we found this movie on the On Demand digital cable. We dig the Asian horror genre, so we went for it. And I was thinking it would have the potential to be really crappy, but to my delight, it was actually pretty good. It kept me entertained, and it was pretty creepy. So if you like Asian horror, and you don't demand that every movie be Citizen Kane or whatever, then you should like this. Unfortunately, it's probably a moot point for anyone here in the US, because it doesn't appear to be for sale? But you could try one of those Asian-DVD places like Red Sun or something. I had a difficult time finding this on here, because the alternate titles were a mess... the cable company listed it as one thing, and the English translation in the opening credits had something else. But good ol' powersearch eventually brought me home.

Being a big fan of Korean horror (Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, Hansel & Gretel etc.) I decided to look at a few lists of people's 'top 10 Korean horror movies' and found that a little obscure film, that I'd never heard of, called, "Bunshinsaba" was number 1 a lot of the time (or at least near the top). However, I was disheartened to find that it had a low average score on IMDb, so I found it on Youtube (didn't want to risk buying it), hoping that IMDb was going to be proved wrong, but unfortunately it wasn't.

Bunshinsaba was extremely disappointing. I liked the creepy opening which immediately set the atmosphere and had me feeling for the main character, but after that it seemed to be incredibly rushed through so I found it hard to get into. There are a lot of ideas pushed into Bunshinsaba that are skimmed over in a flash and not allowing for any sort of character development, thus detaching you from the story. There's also no discourse markers to let you know that the film is going to move on to a different idea, it just goes onto a different scene and it's as if a whole chunk has been cropped out.

The ideas are also not wholly original. It relies on the long-haired white-face ghost were creepy in The Grudge and The Ring, but have become over-used in Japanese horror films, and now it seems the Korean's have started copying them. Although, at least they had a go at constructing a fresh story instead of remaking one! There are also a range of recycled and over-used ideas in ghost films, you could count the clichés on your fingers: We've got the vengeful spirit, possession, exorcism, a secluded town etc. All that have been done to death, and Bunshinsaba doesn't even try doing them in any new or exciting ways.

However, that's not to say that Bunshinsaba is a terrible film, because it's not. Its strongest moments lay in the flash-back sequences, which take upon a slower pace which is much better suited for the film. The back-story is also genuinely interesting, and I found myself gripped to those scenes. There is also some exciting moments dotted around the film, I just wished it had been more original and had taken a slower and more meaningful approach.

It also got a little too confusing at the end and I found myself, just leaning back and watching what unfolds without really knowing what's going on, because the film doesn't allow any time for the viewer to work it out. Bunshinsaba is an OK film and does pass the time on a rainy Friday night, but it should not be the main aim of your life to see this film. It's nothing we haven't seen before and haven't seen done more effectively.

Bunshinsaba is your typical long-haired ghost-girl trope horror movie, that runs out of steam really fast. It has a very good first act, and is well directed, well lit, and does not rely on special effects. It also has an original premise, and is well acted. I especially liked the opening, which wasted no time to get right to the premise of the movie. The problem is, that the movie quickly turns into a paint-by-numbers of The Ring. A lot of the foreshadowing (if you can even call it that) is so obvious, that if there were any surprises or twists in the second act, they are long gone before you even get there. The movie also over-indulges in dramatic lightning strikes during close ups, and shows the ghosts way too much. This sucks the suspense right out of the movie. Halfway through the film, it started to drag, and I just wanted the movie to end. One of the movie's main problems, is that there are no stakes in the third act. The main characters have no means of stopping the ghost, and thus there is no tension. We're basically just watching the ghost kill a lot of characters that we don't like any way, with no means for the main characters of stopping her. No stakes or likable victims, means no suspense. It's a shame, because the movie is well directed, well shot, and has great use of scene lighting. I even liked the music that played over the ending credits, before it was interrupted by a standard Asian pop song. But I can't really recommend this movie. It's not bad, it's just sub par.

Well is there anything we haven't seen before? The answer is simple 'NO'. As the plot suggests, the whole movie revolves in the consequences. As any other Asian movie you'll find the same girl with long hair coming over and over on the screen to frighten you with some acoustic bass and creepy sounds. Here the problem is that it repeats again and again with very low scare scale. The story is pretty simple and there's nothing much to expect. Still it manages to keep us awake with the screenplay. They should have modified the story and presented with some surprises as the basic idea of horror i.e. the woman with long hair fails here. The atmosphere which builds is definitely creepy to some extent but not up to the mark. The theme is also the old lame revenge of ghost type which makes it just an average movie who might be able to frighten amateurs.

Much like Ringu, Ju-on, Ryong, A Tale of two Sisters and about a thousand other Asian horror films, we have a female ghost with with thick-black hair pulled over her face exacting some kind of hellish retribution on hapless victims.

What keeps this from simply disappearing underneath the mounds of similar films is a greater focus on story (specifically the who and why) and a couple creative death scenes.

All around the filming is solid and most of the scare set-ups work pretty well. Some of the characters are a little over-written/acted and the film looses focus moving toward the end, as if the movie is trying to cover too much ground to fast.

A mostly enjoyable, if wholly forgettable, supernatural yarn.

6/10

This was the 1st film I saw at Frightfest as part of the Glasgow film festival last week and it shows how un-original and uninspiring Asian horror films have become.

The story is basically about 3 girls at school who are getting bullied and one of them has the bright idea to invoke the spirit of bunshinsaba from a ouija board, now there are no prizes for guessing what this bunshinsaba thing does to terrify people, you guessed it, yep - it's the old long dark hair, scary eyes routine again.

It worked in Ju-on and also Ringu but I think we're all getting a bit tired of it now.

I'd love to see an Asian horror film about killer dolls or something cause to be quite frank little girls with long dark hair don't scare me anymore.

Avoid.

Totally thought this would be a garbage throwaway movie, but was pleasantly surprised. If you like Ringu or Ju-on you will love this movie. The number of times that the people in the theater gasped or shrieked was surprising. The row of young people (was this in Singapore) next to me watched the whole movie through their hands or with the collars of their shirts ready to cover their eyes. Excellent. Creepy and atmospheric, with enough twists to make you follow it to the end. Heathers meets Freddy.

Top Notch.

Who knows what's the trademark of almost all of the Asian horror movies? Yes, you're right: a ghost or a spirit shaped as a girl(or a woman) with her long, dark hair over the face. In small doses, at the right moment, usually associated with creepy sounds or eerie score, moving suddenly or with broken movements, those out-of-this-world presences have the power to scare to death the poor characters unfortunate enough to be in their path. Now, ladies and gentlemen, in "Bunshinsaba" you have the longest presence on-screen of the aforementioned long-haired female ghosts in the entire Asian horror history. If you have a better example, please let me know.

Now you think that will make this movie the scariest of them all? Errr...no. "Bunshinsaba" is a horror movie, no doubt about it. But, it's scare factor is average or even low. Despite some (very short) disturbing images, it's hard to be really terrified. No unsupportable tension from "Shutter", no gruesome-deformed faces from "The Ring". The last three-quarters of the film we're dealing with the ghost, who-as usually-seek revenge. The main problem is that we have real difficulties to know who's the real person, who's the real person possessed by the vengeful spirit, who's the real spirit, what's real and what's imagination and who's the reincarnation of the spirit. It's not easy to follow. Once invoked(at the beginning) the spirit move from person to person, determining the subsequent behavior. Some commit suicide by putting a plastic bag over the head, spilling flammable liquid over and set it on fire. Other girl throw herself out of window.

About the standard, mandatory, long-haired girl(notice that I didn't said "ghost"): As I said, you will see a LOT of standard stuff. A face looking down and then slightly starting to rise the sight. Don't expect demoniacal expressions, sudden scares in sync with loud sounds. Once is the real girl-school, next time the ghost, next another girl possessed by the ghost. Hmmm, pretty twisted, maybe a second viewing is necessary.

Otherwise, even the plot is relatively clear, it is also pretty twisted. There's a lot of talk. All the girls are beautiful and in general the cast consist in pleasant-looking people. Unfortunately, if you want to be really scared, this is not the right movie.

With a storyline not too riveting but able to keep you from falling asleep, this Korean horror film is in serious lack of a terrifying element of which any qualified horrow films should dispose.

Seriously, I don't know why they even bother. This film basically transplants every single cliché of the genre and throws it into one big melting pot, slap on a big budget and glossy look, and expect people to fall for it. If you're a clueless schmuck you'll be scared.

If you've seen even ONE little Asian horror in the last 10 years, you'll liable to roll your eyes and think to yourself, "Geez, can't they even try to be a little more original? Oh, look, the ghost has her long hair drooping over her head again. And oh look, she's doing the 'slow look up to reveal her ghostly eyes' gag again."

In fact, the whole movie consists of the ghost appearing with her hair over her face then slowly looking up to reveal her eyes while the director throws some "scary" music at you. Seriously, folks, it's almost insulting just how unoriginal and cliché this movie is.

If Ringu and Juon were J-Horror, then I guess this is K-Horror. A high school girl and one of her teachers become possessed by the angry spirits of a mother and daughter killed by villagers 30 years before. The usual Ringu/Juon clichés are put through their paces here. The movie is handsomely produced and stylishly directed, but because this genre is getting so played out, there are few real scares and only a handful of effective scenes. Gorehounds will like the climax. Mainly it's just a case of "been there done that." Worth seeing only if you're a completist on a mission to see anything in the horror genre that Asia produces.

The movie is great, it has haunting, it has murder, and it has... real Witchcraft! I was amazed by seeing a movie portraying what may actually happen when you deal with very angry spirits... The image is very beautiful, and the outside sets are stunning. I really recommend it to people who like that feeling that something wrong is going on, and hate those "so called" horror movies with psychopaths running after teenagers.

For those who like this film I also recommend Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness. Its also on a school, and its also about witchcraft and some black magic.

I don't understand how some people can compare this to Ju-On and Ringu, because, Ju-On makes no sense to me, and the little kid with a cats voice just makes me want to kill all Asian kids, it's simply annoying, and Ringu, although good, was only enjoyable by the fact that i was curious to know what was the tape all about... So, Bushinsaba is, by far, better then the other two...

I recently saw Bunshinsaba, and I'm less than impressed. I think the story wasn't very good, if even a bit stereotypical. Vengeful spirit, horrible curse, etc etc. (I suppose, though, after being quite used to movies like Ringu, Ju-on, Phone, and the like, things like that really aren't scary. So maybe some people would find it frightening.) I've seen both Phone and Nightmare, directed by Ahn as well, and I liked those better than Bunshinsaba- I wouldn't say Nightmare was very notable either, but Phone was very very good. So I was expecting Bunshinsaba to be pretty decent. Not scary at all, but it did manage to keep me somewhat interested for the most part.

(And I gotta say, it really amused me that there was a Dollmore doll in the movie.)

This Korean ghost revenge movie started off quickly and ended up with a solid, mysterious and intriguing first act.

It was all down hill after that.

The problem was the subject matter: ghost revenge. Virtually nine out of ten Asian horror films have this same element as its foundation. And in the end, it's the same movie over and over again. I understand a little of Asian ghost traditions, but when will something new rise to the surface for theatre goers? And why does every ghost have to have long hair that hides their face? It's become cliché, trite and completely boring.

"Ringu" was a major ghost revenge success, but when are screenwriters in Asia going to stop with trying to better that one film?

In fact, if you really want to enjoy the best ghost revenge film, don't watch the dull and hokey "Ringu" - watch the American version "The Ring". I know, the original foreign film is supposed to be better, but not this time - not by a long shot.

Arriving at a new boarding school, a schoolgirl becomes fed up with the bullying inflicted upon her by a group of classmates and plays with a spirit board hoping for revenge only to unleash the ravenous spirit of a long-dead student upon them and must save them before it's too late.

This was an exceptionally enjoyable effort that really has a lot going for it. One of it's best features is the fact that it manages to contain plenty of strong and somewhat chilling ghostly encounters throughout here. From the opening boardgame where they play with the board in the brightly-lit red light where the ghost is released to the numerous scenes of the ghost appearing around the school to the tormentors resulting in not only the fantastic scene of the ghost encouraging the one victim to commit suicide in front of the rest of the school but also getting to see the various flashbacks to the past that show how the original girl was tormented and killed the bullies seeking revenge. That is the rather fun part of this one as the various scenes showing the girl carrying out not only her revenge on the classmates as well as the several flashbacks that feature how the actions of the village affected the outcome of the future and set the curse into motion. With some brutal and enjoyable elements popping up in the finale to exact this retribution, it has a lot to like with the ghost here. Likewise, alongside the fantastic ghost action is the exceptionally chilling atmosphere that's nearly better than the ghost itself. The idea of the boardgame causing the curse itself isn't all too original but the fact that there's plenty of stellar sequences here showing the atmosphere around the classroom which is handled rather nicely. Not only does the events in the film's current time shown to interact with the events of the school-bound ghost legend from the past but the reaction of the students which furthers that connection quite nicely. Even the scenes of her being bullied and tormented by the gang both in their one-on-one confrontations as well as their attempt to kill her in the classroom which is one of the finer scenes in the film as a whole and all ties together to give this one the feeling of the curse coming together with the other storylines. Otherwise, there isn't much else wrong here. Among the few problems to be had here is the fact that the film really makes it quite hard to invest itself in this story based on the languid and unnecessarily slow pacing. Although it makes out the cause of the problem early on and gets in some great ghostly activity in the first half, this one still takes quite a while to reveal it's true purpose with the initial feeling of this one taking the route of a released entity preying on the classmates after their turn with the board-game. It's not until late in the film that the full extent of the ghosts' actions are revealed which is due to the second minor issue here with the film relying more on flashbacks to fulfill the story more than anything. It's sometimes hard to keep track of everything because it's all revealed there rather than mentioned to everyone and then expanding on it in the flashback and the film is slightly disjointed in terms of pacing due to that. Its other flaw is the rather convoluted manner in which it plays out, as it ranges from several possible storylines that could've worked separately without being forced into a singular film so it's a bit of an issue here with this scattershot approach. As these aren't that detrimental, overall the work is quite enjoyable.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

I saw this movie recently on Sundance and can't wait for the next airing.

I read a review on this site which referred to the women in this movie as "hot",

I find that term "hot" degrading to art.

Instead, I would say beautiful and mesmerizing, The women are sexually beautiful, but it's MUCH more than that. There are very few or special effects in this production.

I would say (knowing little about the world-wide movie business), that it is the most visual stunning movie I have ever seen!

While I admit, I found the movie a bit hard (I only speak English) with just the subtitles to follow, I look forward to seeing it again!