Review: A Tale of Two Sisters is not your conventional supernatural horror movie. The scares maybe few, but the movie will haunt you long after the credits have passed. Not only will the clever story catch you off guard, but the tense atmosphere and beautiful cinematography will get you hooked for sure. Kim Jee-woon, director of two other KFCC favourites, The Quiet Family and Foul King, has surpassed his previous works without a doubt.

I hope you like movies that make your brain work as the story unfolds, as this one has had everyone interpreting key plot points in many different ways. That same aspect of varying possibilities insures that most viewers will have the desire to re-watch the film with hopes of unravelling the mystery even further. That rare aspect also makes this film special when one considers the present tendency of the “disposable film” where you watch the movie once and send it off to the DVD graveyard to rot.

This kind of movie is also perfect for multiple viewing as there are a lot of subtle hints and suggestions in the movie that you might not catch the first time. Don’t be too impatient as the answers wont come so fast during the development of the story, but don’t worry, you will find what you are asking for eventually, well at least most of the answers. In fact, not since Save The Green Planet and Ichi The killer do I remember so much thought provoking conversation occurring discussion occurring on the KFCC Message Board. People have had many different impressions on the story, and most of them can actually make sense, considering the clues the film makers leave in the movie. For those who already saw the movie, I included my personal analyse of the events in a chronological order at the end of the review. The story will not leave you indifferent, and the mix between the fantasy/supernatural element, and reality, is perfectly harmonized to create an atmosphere rarely achieved in cinema.

The performances of the actors are also up to the level of the story. It is really fascinating to discover the intricacies of the two sisters and their relationships with both themselves, and their parents. They both have a totally different personality and during the development, if you pay close attention, you will notice some key changes in their emotions and behaviour, which were marvellously played. Not only did the two young actresses perfectly fit their roles, but the character of the step mom is also frightenly well played by actress Yeom Jeong-A, who also appeared in other Korean thrillers such as Tell Me Something and H. However, this time her character was much more interesting than her previous roles and I’m sure that we can expect to see her more often in Korean thrillers, after the success of this one.

Even one week after the viewing, some elements were still floating in my mind. Trying to find the key elements is one of the best parts of experiencing this movie. Don’t expect a fountain of gore and guts, as everything is on the psychological level here. You have a few great scary moments here and there, but like most Asian ghost movies, certain traditional imagery is present, such as the involvement of spirits and frightening ghosts. This time the effect works very well, fortunately, and the great atmosphere will help you to feel like you are right in the movie. Fans of psychological horror will be delighted for sure.

It is not surprising to see that an American company has already bought the rights for a remake. Whether or not the remake will compete against the original, I don’t know, but A Tale of Two Sisters is with a doubt one of the best Korean movies of this year and I strongly recommend it for a great midnight viewing.

End of Review:

Chronological Explanation

*****WATCH OUT! SPOILERS*****

Take note that this is only my personal interpretation of the story. The following time line is not in the order in which the viewer originally perceives it, but instead, in a “reality based” chronological order. Also, bear in mind that parts of the following will make little or no sense to those who have not seen the film.

- Su-mi and Su-yeon’s mother is sick, perhaps with cancer, which is also causing her to experience severe depression.

-With the strain placed on the relationship between the father and the mother, the father presumably begins having an affair with a co-worker, who will later become the dying mother’s personal nurse.

-The mother decides to commit suicide as she probably suspects the relation between the nurse and her husband. Su-mi discovers her mother and tries to help her, but ends up trapped under the weight of a stand alone closet and her mother’s hanging corpse.

-After the shock of experiencing the aftermath of the dual death of both her sister and her mother (from crushing/suffocation and suicide respectively) Su-Mi suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted into a mental hospital where she proceeds with psychological treatment.

-One can assume that the father and the nurse marry sometime after the death of the mother. Upon Su-mi’s release, the nurse (who will now be referred to as the stepmother) and the father decide to take their distance for a while until Su-mi has some time to re-adjust.

- Su-mi gets released and comes back home (beginning of the movie). During that time only Su-mi and her father occupy the house.

- The ghost of Su-yeon and her mother come back to haunt the house. (The ghost were probably present the entire time, but we are given nothing to indicate their presence before Su-mi’s return).

-Add one maniacally schizophrenic episode after another and you have the majority of the rest of the film, until....

-The father finds Su-mi wandering around the house on her quest to kill a stepmother who doesn't exist.

-Father calls his friend (the nurse/step mother depending on whether they were married or not) and we find that Su-mi was indeed fabricating the presence of the stepmother all along.

-Su-mi returns to the hospital and reassumes her hallucinations from there. (The hospital scene at the beginning of the movie).

-The stepmother goes back home, probably feeling guilty for what has happened. She returns to Su-Yeon's room (the original place of the death of both Su-Yeon and her mother) and finding it cold, she is then killed by Su-yeon's ghost pouring out of the closet to avenge her death.

As I said, this is only my personal interpretation of the movie. In fact, there are so many different ways to interpret the movie that it is very easy to come up with different ideas on the matter and still have those views completely fit. That is why this movie works so well.