Director: Jung
Bum-Shik
Notable Cast: Wi
Ha-Jun, Park Sung-Hun, Lee Seung-Wook, Oh Ah-Yeon, Park Ji-Hyun, Yoo Je-Yoon,
Mun Ye-Won
The advent of the found footage horror movie certainly
kickstarted one of the more divisive movements in the genre and its lasting
effect remains intact - even if the style is finally waning from the mainstream
conscious to not over-saturate the market. However, there are always a few of
them that pop up every year and the first one to cross my path in 2018 is,
believe it or not, a South Korean film. Over the last handful of years, the
Korean market has proven that it can drop some of the best horror around (The Wailing and Train to Busan come to mind) so there was hope that perhaps the
strong cinematic qualities would carry over to a found footage horror film. The
execution in Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
is decidedly mixed though and, while there are some admirable qualities to be
found in the film, it’s reliance on the found footage tropes undermine the film
ultimately and the film has serious foundational issues. It’s an entertaining
experience overall, but not one that is going to shake the market like the last
few South Korean horror films that have made it to North American shores.