Jang-san-beom
2017 / 100m - South Korea
Horror, Drama
3.5*/5.0*
The Mimic poster

Watches

November 10, 2020

3.5*/5.0*

A pretty traditional South-Korean horror film that balances drama and horror. It's nice to see they used a bit of local folklore for the film's premise, that makes things a little less predictable, but people familiar with South-Korean horror should have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

The Jangsan tiger is a mythological creature that roams the woods around Busan. He can mimic humans in order to lure its prey. Hee-yeon and her family moves to the area to get away from past trauma, but when her husband finds a dead body in a nearby cave, she becomes the target of the demon.

Performances are solid, the cinematography is clean and polished, sound design is good and the mix of drama and horror is just right. The folklore gives it a little edge, but it's not quite enough to make it a true masterpiece. Very nice horror filler though, though don't expect too many scares and gore, it's mostly about mood and atmosphere.