Into the Mirror

A young ex-cop Woo Young-Min (Yu Ji-Tae) who once was a great marksman, accidentally brings about the death of his partner in a situation with a drugs criminal and retires from the force to head up the security of the Dreampia department store. Days before the new store opens, people start dying in suspicious circumstances, all of which involve mirrors. Naturally Woo can’t just do his job and has to use his old detective training to investigate the deaths.

Adding to the complexity of the puzzle, a mysterious young woman Lee Ji-Hyun is found lingering around the crime scenes. What is her background ? Why is she there and is she in some way connected?

A satisfying horror film with a nod to the depth of a detective murder mystery like Seven or more recently Memories of Murder, Korean film director Kim Seong-Ho has come up with one of those suspenseful films that looks to make you jump in your cinema seat as strange things happen that explore the world between life and death. A big horror hit in Korea with echoes of Ringu and Phone, it should do well enough over here.

Certainly those that see it , may feel differently about looking into mirrors since it explores what might happen if you didn’t see a reflection but in fact saw a darker version of oneself. Not therefore for those of a nervous disposition but worth it if you’re brave enough to face looking into a mirror afterwards!

Matt Arnoldi