Review: What starts like an intriguing ride turns out to be some kind of déjà vu. When we talk about serial killer movies, there are two that usually pop into people’s minds. Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, which are both now references for the genre. H shares some similar elements of course. Some of them are obvious such as the theme of asking the help of a serial killer to find another one. Others are just typical for the genre, great gruesome moments, dark atmosphere and a punchy ending. H masters most of these elements and manages to be entertaining from start to finish, however the movie doesn’t leave any lasting impression in our minds, only a bad stain that will disappear after a few hours.

What starts like a good idea for a story doesn’t turn out to be so great. First, the investigation is not so interesting to follow. The scenes when they discover the bodies are excellent and very bloody and will satisfy any gore fans for sure. However, the in between moments with the development of the story is very poorly built. As for the ending, it won’t completely fill your appetite. I won’t tell any details but I can say that this idea has already been used several times, especially in Japanese cinema. The clues of the investigation could have been a bit more obvious for the viewer, as it leaves a lot of holes in the logic of the story.

One of the most annoying things was the character of Shin Hyun, the convicted serial killer played by Cho Seong-woo. The reference to Dr. Hannibal Lecter is quite obvious here but unlike Lecter, Shin Hyun just comes off like a pathetic crazy intellectual speaking with pretentious dialogue and annoying metaphors that deserve a slap in the face more than great respect. That character should have been played by an older actor or simply played in a totally different way.

At least the two main characters played by Ji Jin-hee and Yeom Jeong-ah are great and don’t have too much trouble giving believable performances. Their respective backgrounds are not very clear and this is sometimes a bit confusing as the story shows that some element of their pasts is clearly connected with their current investigation. Some of these points are also left with no clear answers whatsoever which is a bit frustrating by the end.

Though the story and characters are not so surprising, one of the strongest elements of the movie is the visual aspect and the atmosphere in which the character and the story blend so well together. Dark with a mist of mystery and well shot the movie looks impressive indeed. Another strong visual point is how gruesome the murder scenes are. They are not scared at all to show the body and how bloody these killings are. This will satisfy those who like their movies with a big dose of tomato sauce for sure.