Epitaph review by The Grim Ringler

EPITAPH

As both a fan of horror movies and a simple movie viewer, it is hard to get excited time and again for all the supernatural horror films released over here from the East. If it is from Korea, Japan, China, or any country in between, it doesn’t seem to matter much because, when it comes to Asian imports, we don’t get a lot of variety. The shame of it is that I am sure there are other films being made – I imagine the East thinks we either only make sex comedies or violent films – but we don’t get to really see a lot of those movies. So, here we are with another Asian ghost thriller, this one from South Korea and, what, wait a minute here, could it be, why yes, it’s pretty good. Let’s have a look.

EPITAPH is an anthology, of sorts, set in a hospital where several people’s lives and stories all cross in tragic ways and leave the participants forever changed. A doctor in love with a dead woman. A man in love with a ghost. A child tortured with the images of her dead parents. All these people have come to this place, and this time, and their lives cross into one another and influence each other. And like all ghost stories, sometimes it is those left living that are the real horrors and spirits.

The thing that makes EPITAPH work, where so many other supernatural thrillers don’t is that the film is set around people, and its focus is those people. Yes, there are horrible images, terrible things, and there are ghosts, but the people are what this film is interested in. These are people who are trapped by their own pain and sorrow and become ghosts themselves in the process. The film is well filmed and has some very eerie moments, though there are some scares that are all too familiar these days – scary ghost girls crawling around and making noises. Beautiful images, scares, and an ending that unnerves, that’s a heck of a good resume if you ask me. The best thing this film does though is creates a feeling of dread and as the truths become clearer, we see the horrible path that these characters are on and cannot stop them.

There is subtext, terror, and humanity on display in EPITAPH and if you can find it, it’s definitely worth your time. I am still hoping for some horror films from Asia other than ones about ghosts but at least this proves there are some new stories yet to be told.


7 out of 10 Jackasses
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