This is a found footage film. It's not much different than others out there but it did a great job of building tension once it got going. I think that it should have moved a bit faster at the beginning.
I was disappointed that there wasn't much of a story about the hauntings. It seemed like it only gave enough information to imply that it might have been haunted. I wanted more details.
I thought it had a couple of creepy moments and overall, I enjoyed it.
Plot summary
An internet broadcaster recruits a handful of people for their 'experience the horror' show at Gonjiam. They are to explore the haunted asylum and stream it live on the show. To attract more viewers, the show hosts play tricks on the guests, but things start to get out of hand when they are inside the place, where tortured souls could really be lurking in the shadows.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Top cast
Movie Reviews
Builds A Lot Of Suspense
Nothing new, but effective nonetheless.
How much you get out of this Korean found footage horror will depend on your mindset for this particular sub-genre. There's really nothing new here - think along the lines of "Grave Encounters", but better executed with the use of upgraded technology to stream live any paranormal encounters. The premise is run-of-the-mill; a small crew from a horror web series "Horror Time" grab cameras to explore an abandoned and isolated asylum late one night for a live broadcast. However they get a lot more than what they initially bargained for.
No surprises in how the situation plays out, however the atmosphere is laid on thick. Pure dread, looming shadows and creaking sounds engulf a dank, colourless location that will simply swallow you up. It very much reminded me of the tone/ambiance found in Session 9, maybe even creepier. One thing though, no way would you get me in there after midnight.
After a slow beginning introducing the characters, chemistry dynamics and a little history of the asylum including other thrill-seekers that have disappeared after entering the building. It all works up quite nicely to the obligatory jump scares and equipment failure. What seemed simple at first showed the plot had a surprise or two up its sleeve in its paranormal loophole, which is all centred around the cursed room 402. There were a couple rather effective set-pieces, yet probably not enough incidents in what feels kind of drawn out. Still those moments we do get, and there are a good 3 or 4, are well-shot hair-raising thrills.
Super creepy horror film that means business
The crew of a horror web series get a whole lot more than they bargained for when they decide to do a live broadcast inside of an old abandoned asylum that's rumored to be haunted.
Director/co-writer Beong-sik Jeong relates the familiar, but still engrossing and effective story at a constant pace, takes time to develop the mostly likeable characters, makes excellent use of the rundown sanitarium main location, and ably crafts a supremely spooky and unsettling gloom-doom atmosphere. Moreover, Jeong warrants further praise not only for adroitly maintaining a dark serious tone that gets more progressively grim and upsetting as the plot unfolds towards a devastating downbeat conclusion, but also for providing a nice underlying theme on greed versus rationality with the team of paranormal investigators deciding to stay in the asylum even when things start to get hairy because they will make more money if a larger number of people watch their live broadcast on the internet. The sometimes deliberately rough cinematography and the notable absence of a score add a strong sense of chilling verisimilitude. An on the money supernatural shocker.