I see you guys have stuck around. I haven’t scared all of you boils and ghouls off yet? Lovely! It’s that time of the week again where we delve into the world of chance. Remember now, I am basically sacrificing my horror movie watching time, to steer you clear of the cinematic bullshit that seems to be prevalent in today’s streaming services. Because believe it or not, there are more duds than not. Last week, I was able to recover from a devastating loss with with an unexpected victory with The Invitation (2016). It was quite a surprise and is currently streaming on Netflix. With that said, time to move on!
SPIN THAT SHIT!
The Silenced (2015)
Set 1930’s Korea, young Ju-Ran is the newest student at a girl’s reformatory school. But this is not an ordinary school or I probably wouldn’t be writing this now. She is meek, shy and very sick. Having a very hard time adjusting to her new school. Until she is befriended by Yeon-Deok, the most popular and most athletic. Through experimental herbs, injections and remedies administered, the school is trying to help aid the young girls’ focus in the classroom, as well as to help them attain physical prowess. As fellow classmates begin to go missing overnight, Ju-Ran and Yeon-Deok start to wonder what is really going on at the reformatory. What’s causing the young girls to go missing and what horrific secrets will the two friends unlock?
As with last week’s installment of Bloody Streaming Roulette, The Silenced is also a very slow burn. The pacing while slow, always felt tense and ominous. There was always an unseen sense of eeriness in the school. Even when we didn’t really know what was going on. Aided with a wonderful musical score, it helped me immerse myself into the atmosphere of the film. Since this is a period piece, I am usually very critical of the execution. They really hit the mark for the times. The clothing, hair styles and all-around setting was beautifully well done.
I was a bit surprised by this Korean offering. As I mentioned last week on THSLIve!, these types of films are hit or miss with me. This is not your typical horror film. The gore and scares are sparse. But, it is the true sense of suspense that helps shift this flick into second gear. On the surface, The Silenced feels like a generic ghost story. But as we progress to the third act, we begin to see a more sinister plot going on. Which culminates to a heart-breaking and yet horrifically beautiful ending. The Silenced is not for everyone. FAIR WARNING. But if you enjoy decent character development and character relationships, this one should strike a chord with you. Ju-Ran and Yeon-Deok have a rare friendship that only comes along once in a lifetime. A type of friendship that never dies. A type of friendship that is forever, no matter what. This adds to the structure of the film as a whole. It makes it feel more complete.
IMDb: 5.8/10
ZombiSurvivor: 6.8/10
TRAILER TIME!
As Always, thanks for reading! And remember….
STAY SCARED!
-ZS
