DVD Artwork
Ka-in (Yoon Jin-seo) is a talented young fencing student who’s life is about to be thrown into turmoil when she learns of a curse that turns one’s friends and family into blood-thirsty savages in their presence. After the demise of her aunt on her wedding day, by the hands of her new husband AND her sister, a nasty-looking-demon-thing comes from a river of blood to announce that Ka-in is next. A mysterious student at her school, Suk-min (Park Ki-woong) warns her that she can not trust anyone, including her self. Soon she is fending off fellow students, teachers and her own mother as they attempt to snuff the poor girl out, all the while trying to get to the bottom of all of this madness.
Some films offer so much and deliver so little. Voices (previously Someone Behind You) is stuck firmly in between accomplishing both. With a strong premise, from a popular Korean comic called Two People, it’s let down by some shoddy pacing; but remains entertaining for being bloody as hell! Something the Korean horror scene needs more of, I must say. I also liked the nihilism, the root of all is evil is jealousy according to director Oh Ki-hwan, and everyone in this film is jealous of someone and this makes them a possible murderer; from mothers to teachers, they all have potential to turn ‘Bundy’ on some poor schmuck.
Some of the clichés could have been worked better, such as the random old man in the woods, who knows everything that Ka-in needs to know, and the amount of time spent on his reminiscing is gratuitous, to say the least, when the runtime is this short. Had he had been more central or crucial to the film then the emotional payoff may have been more powerful – here it’s just an excuse to show someone getting mangled by a bus: whoop!
The biggest flaw in Voices is the blatant twist ending that threatens to offend the viewers intelligence. Whoever doesn’t see it coming must have had their attention on the hot school-girl outfits and not the proceedings. Had they gotten this out of the way earlier in the film, it may have helped the pace; as it is, it appears that these on-going attacks have no reasoning other than a tool to stop viewers from a little snooze.
Voices is undeniably fun. It’s not as Grand Guignol as To Sir With Love (Bloody Reunion), but it certainly holds its own in the blood stakes. It’s a nice way to kill off eighty minutes if you’re in need of some Korean horror that DOESN’T feature a long-haired dead girl out for some post-life vengeance. It won’t be remembered after viewing, but it’ll entertain for its duration.
