Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Woo-cheol Lee
Starring: Hyeon-a Seong, Da-an Park, Ho-bin Jeong, Jin Woo and Na-woon Kim
On DVD: July 25, 2006
Studio: Tartan
From AMAZON.com
Standard Edition
|
|
If you've come to the conclusion that watching any Asian Horror film means that you must endure two-hours of long black hair and subtitles, then I have found a film that may surprise you. Cello, a creepy little horror out of South Korea, blends an interesting mystery with the expected scares and vengeful spirits...
The movie begins as we meet a pretty college music teacher named Mi-ju (Hyeon-a Seong). This young lady has a couple of problems; a student that is threatening her because of a bad grade, a violent car-crash that has left her body and mind scarred and a quiet but mentally-disabled daughter.
As the movie moves along, it becomes increasing tense for the viewer; we know Mi-ju is in danger, but we are not sure where it's coming from. It begins with her seeing ghosts and getting frightening text messages; but then the family hires a suspicious maid and the family dog is killed. Something is coming for this poor woman and we realize that it cannot end well.
As Mi-ju tries to unravel the mystery, her loved ones begin to die in horrific ways... Is someone out to kill her or is her past coming back to haunt her?
I won't give it away for you, dear viewer, but as is often the case in Asian Horror, the vengeful-spirit-theme is alive and well in this film. But, as there are so many possibilities and suspicious characters, we are kept guessing until the end.
There are a few children-in-danger moments that may be upsetting to some viewers/parents, but I found them a integral part of the tale and necessary to its ending. Nicely Written and Directed by Woo-cheol Lee, Cello kept me huddled on my couch for the entire length of the film. I must say that the beautiful and haunting musical score is such a dramatic part of the film; it really makes Cello unique; it added a level of emotion and elegance not normally found in horror movies. All in all, Cello was a real treat; a creepy mystery with plenty of blood and scares to be had!
Recommended as a rental and/or purchase.
Overall Rating: 3 1/2
|
|
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 November 2009 10:12 )
|
