“Gonjiam Haunted Asylum” is a Korean horror film from 2018. It was screened at the 20th Udine Far East Film Festival and has garnered praise in the indie horror community. It proves that fear is the same in any language.
Filmmaker Jung Bum-shik injects new life into the somewhat exhausted concept of found footage. And the result is a fun horror movie. It won’t break any records, but it is an enjoyable watch. An amateur YouTube channel seeking adventure and thrills sends its investigative team to the Gonjiam Asylum. The location exists in real life. And the team will be doing a live feed broadcast to determine if the rumors of it being haunted are legit. Spoiler alert – it is.
Good mix of technology
I enjoyed the variety of recording devices used to tell the story. There’s a pleasant mix of cameras. Some are hand held, others are standing on tripods. They incorporate drones, GoPros, and the live feed of the broadcast all in an effective way. There are technical issues that present throughout, which add to the authenticity. The found footage angle isn’t forced, which is good.
The team is made up of six investigators: Park Ji-hyun, Oh Ah-yeon, Yoo Je-yoon, Park Sung-hoon, Lee Seung-wook, Moon Ye-won. Wi Ha-joon serves as the “captain” leading the investigation whilst monitoring the live feed. Moon Ye-won as Charlotte is the best of the group and the undisputed Scream Queen of the film.
The goal is one million views
The acting is fine from all parties. Remembering also that the characters aren’t supposed to be actors. They are just regular people who run a YouTube channel. The characters all go by their real names to increase the supposed genuine feel of the story. They are carefree adventurers at first – until the ghosts hit the fan. The channel is attempting to get one million likes to earn ad revenues. It’s a thoroughly plausible concept.
Its 94 minutes, which is a pretty standard length for found footage. There are some cool aspects, and several effective jump scares. It’s nothing ground breaking, but a worthy effort.
“Gonjiam Haunted Asylum” is something fun to consider this spooky movie season. Subtitles can be distracting. I suggest turning them off. It will make the experience more immersive, and you can easily figure things out as they progress.
“Gonjiam Haunted Asylum” is currently available to stream on Amazon.
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