Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
Gonjiam Asylum is listed by CNN as one of the seven freakiest places on the planet as well as the creepiest place in Korea. Which makes it a natural attraction for thrill seekers and attention seekers. Especially what is said to be the most haunted place in the asylum - Room 402. So far, no one has gained entry to that room. And some have disappeared in the attempt...
Ha-joon (Wi Ha-joon) is the driving force behind the Horror Times, a web-based horror series. He has a
goal in mind - one million views - not just for the accomplishment but, of course, for the revenue such numbers will generate. And what better place to do this than in the notorious asylum of Gonjian? He assembles a team and makes his plans. While they sneak inside the asylum, he operates the control center and live streams it to his hungry audience.
Everything is ready for a most profitable evening. However not everything is as it seems, as Ha-joon doesn't believe in leaving things to change. So just maybe everything is not on the up-and-up. Everything is wonderfully scripted with moments of sheer genius when the team genuinely freaks out at what they experience. But just when has everything changed?
I have to say that this is a most creepy and spectacularly horrifying film in every sense of the word. Even when you begin to doubt the reality of what you are seeing, you can sense that the line between what is fake and what is real is thinning all the time until you have no idea what might happen next, or what has actually already happened... and why. The atmosphere is off the charts, the scares are genuine, and yes, I did jump, although most of the scares are far from predictable jump scares. Be prepared for the unexpected because this movie really delivers. You may recognize Ha-joon, as he played the young detective in the Squid Game. Very well done and very genuinely terrifying. I give this film 5 Stars.
Unfriended: Dark Web
Matias (Colin Woodell) is working on an app that will make communication between himself and his deaf girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nougueras) better. He seems to be getting nowhere, however, and she is becoming more and more frustrated with him. It doesn't help that his laptop is crappy, which makes both communication and working on the app difficult. So when he notices a laptop in the lost-and-found for three weeks at the cafe where he works, he seizes the opportunity as well as the laptop.
Of course, he has to figure out how to get into it, since it's locked. But the answer is surprisingly easy.
He skypes with Amaya to show her the app and what he has done for her, but she remonstrates with him, tells him he's making it easy for her to understand him but not him to understand her. She leaves the chat and he logs into his friend's group for a game of Cards Against Humanity. But there's something odd about the laptop. He asks his friend AJ (Connor Del Rio)who suggests that it's full. And maybe there are secret files. So Matias does some digging, and what he finds will change their lives forever...
Although the sequel to Unfriended, which I reviewed previously, this is a stand-alone film and doesn't involve any of the characters from the other movie. I confess to being a little confused at first, not understanding what was happening. It doesn't help that I found the texting hard to read at times and a little fast. But then everything began to come together, and I found myself fascinated as I watched everything unfold. This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of film. You never know what is real, what isn't, and what might happen next. Terrible decisions have to be made, ones I would never want to have to make. I enjoyed the acting of everyone, they were all believable, as was the script and the direction. Be aware that there are four alternate endings. I watched them all. Well done. I'll give this film 4.5 Stars.
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