Recent films hailing from the Far East such as Thailand’s The Eye and Japan’s Ju-On and Ringu have contributed to the wave of Asian horror films that has washed over international critics and the general public alike (Hollywood’s remakes of Ringu as The Ring and Ju-On as The Grudge are undeniable proof of the genre’s sudden wide appeal). A Tale Of Two Sisters is the South Korean cousin of this twisted, eerie family of films. Two teenage sisters return to their Gothic countryside home, after being treated in a mental clinic following their mother’s death. They receive a frigid welcome, both from their father who remains emotionally distant, and from their stepmother who mistreats them. But this is the least of the sisters’ worries: an ominous presence in the house manifests itself, determined to expose the truth of their mother’s horrible demise. The blood-drenched dance of death is about to begin …

A Tale Of Two Sisters is one of the most immaculately crafted films in recent Asian horror history: Combining a lush, textured visual style and exceptional sound design, Ji-Woon Kim has created a tightly-knit, suffocating world offering little respite: the tranquil countryside home soon becomes a place of sheer terror. Be forewarned: you’ll never look at wallpaper the same way again …

Preceded by
Exchange
Director Kai Chang | USA | 2003 | DVD | 2:00 | Color | Toronto Premiere
Two faces stare at each other. The “exchange” is about to happen … Kai Chang is a graduate student in Fine Arts at Mississippi State University.