The Uninvited

I should make it clear at the outset that this DVD of The Uninvited is not The Guard Brothers' remake of the brilliant 2003 Korean horror Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters), but, is in fact, another Korean film (also from 2003) by first time director  Lee Su-Yeon called 4 Inyong shiktak.
 
Put upon interior designer, Jung-won is travelling home on the tube one day, dozing as he goes, when a woman enters with two young girls.  Looking around for spare seats, she puts one opposite him and the other next to him.  When he wakes, Jung-won gets out at the last stop as he's missed his and watches the train set off, empty apart from the two girls.  The next day he hears the news on the radio that the bodies of two young girls aged 6 and 7 were found on a train.
 
Jung-won's dominating fiancée is very set as to what she wants for their matrimonial home, picking out modern furniture and fittings.  When the workmen are having difficulty locating the mains electric as it doesn't match the plans, Jung-won instinctively knows where it is, much to the surprise of both him and the workmen.  If this new-found ability weren't enough, he can now see the two young girls sitting at his kitchen table.
 

A chance encounter with a narcoleptic woman, and fellow Christian, Yun, further complicates things as she makes a casual remark that he should put his daughters to bed.  Realising that they both can see spirits, Yun helps him dive into his past as she, like her mother, has the ability to unlock deep hidden memories.  As they become closer, Jung-won discovers that Yun is a frequent visitor to court where her best friend is on trial for murder after dropping both her and Yun's daughter off her apartment balcony.
 
The Uninvited is not a film that relies on cheap scares and things that go bump in the night, but uses a twin narrative that shows how Yun gained her ability with a truly horrific event (that will traumatise anyone with young children, especially babies) and current events where Jung-won's relationship with his fiancée is put under increasing strain.  There is an overriding sense of dread and unease throughout the two hour running time and you know that there isn't going to be a 'happily ever after' - there rarely are in Asian horror films.
 
A very well acted film, this is minimalist stuff with no chases or screaming - the characters are all very reserved, almost in the Asian cliché of people being polite and detached.  Even when there is an argument between Jung-won and his fiancée, there are no raised voices and it ends with her calmly stepping out of the car and walking away.
 
This isn't going to be a film that will suit an ardent gorehound as it relies on complex storytelling, tension and a pervading sense of unease to unsettle and disturb.  Lee Su-Yeon has done extremely well to break into the horror market with such a challenging film in which there are no easy answers.  He is a fine storyteller and his minimalist direction suits the tale perfectly. 
 

The Disc

 
Extra Features
Sadly just a trailer.  The Korean release has a making of, an interview and various other extras and it's a shame that these didn't make the transition to the British release.
 
The Picture
The transfer is excellent with good definition giving a clear suitably muted picture.  The drab colours and mise-en-scène perfectly reflect the tone and mood; when there is a bright scene it seems completely incongruous yet fits into the narrative.  The costumes and set design are excellent and reflect the different places very well.
 
The Sound
You have the option of DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital Stereo, all Korean, and both of the surround tracks are superb, deeply oppressive with clear dialogue and subtle use of the surround speakers for the ambient sounds.  The stereo track is clear and presents the dialogue well but it doesn't have the immersive quality of the surround options.  The subtitles are perfectly legible.
 
Adding to the bleak visuals is the haunting score by Yeong-gyu Jang which conveys the emotions very well and complements the visuals.
 
Final Thoughts
The Uninvited is an impressive and involving horror film that demonstrates the range in the genre and how much talent there is in Asia.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Hollywood remaking this as there is much to like in the story and it could be transplanted to the US fairly easily.  Lee Su-Yeon is clearly a talented filmmaker and this DVD from Palisades Tartan is very good despite the paucity of extra features.