The Movie: Ghost Mask: Scar (ゴーストマスク-傷- )
The Director: Takeshi Sone
The Cast: Akane Yurika, Lee Yuha, Yurisa, Yona Choi, Sakimoto Miya, Katayama Ryo, Lee Eun-woo, Hirosawa Sou
The Story: A Japanese woman travels to Seoul to search for her sister who has been missing for two years but what she finds is something completely unexpected.
The Review:
For a good portion of this movie, it is a slow burning drama that focuses on the dynamics between sisters and how misunderstandings, jealousy, cultural expectations, and female objectification all create undue pressures for everyone involved. Director Takeshi Sone, who was also recently the cinematographer for the brilliantly entertaining One Cut of the Dead, takes a very deliberate approach to dissecting each of these topics before unleashing a blood soaked third act on the audience.
Seriously, the payoff for your patience is definitely worth the ride and that's not to say the whole movie isn't entertaining, it just caught me by surprise after being hypnotized by the leisurely pace of the first two acts. The performances are all spot on for each character as they draw you into the intermingling relationships and keep you guessing about certain aspects of who they are. Sô Hirosawa is especially good as Hyo Shin although I can't really explain fully because of the mysteries of the story.
There are many reasons to like this movie, especially if you are a fan of the horror genre. The exploration of how beauty is viewed within both Japanese and Korean culture is very eye opening and adds layers of depth to the story that make it that much more of an interesting watch. Just be prepared for the over the top finale, it is quite the shock to the system and I mean that in a very good way.
Ghost Mask: Scar is an official selection of the 2018 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
TwoOhSix.com coverage of the 2018 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
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