Horror Stories (Korea)

This horror anthology opens with a kidnapped girl being forced to tell her abductor scary stories in an effort to put him to sleep so she may escape. This wrap around segment is somewhat suspenseful although it's probably the least interesting part of the film.

The first story concerns two young children home alone, forced to contend with not only a legitimately creepy intruder but also a ghost haunting their apartment building. This is by far the creepiest section of the film, adequately conveying the terror young children often feel when home alone. It suffers from a somewhat muddled plot however, including a bit that oddly, and needlessly, appears to be just a dream. The story's resolution unfortunately only adds to the confusion.

The second tale concerns a serial killer being transported to Seoul on a plane. He gets loose thanks to what must be Korea's most oblivious police officers, but then has to contend with a resourceful flight attendant and the ghost of one of his previous victims. This one is better crafted than the previous but suffers from the filmmaker's need to add an unfortunate, unnecessary stinger to the end.

The third section is a gory take on the Cinderella story, with shades of Bluebeard. Two stepsisters vie for the affections of a handsome, wealthy man, but they wouldn't be so eager if they knew the secret behind his eternal youth. This one is probably the most entertaining tale, although once again marred by a somewhat befuddling ending.

The final segment is a well done but pretty standard post apocalyptic zombie story. It's suspenseful, and the claustrophobic setting in the back of an ambulance adds to the tension, but overall, it's nothing horror fans haven't seen before.

Horror Stories is a solid anthology. Each section is interesting in its own way, although some are occasionally a bit confusing. I enjoyed it though and recommend it with only a few reservations. The best thing about anthologies is often the brevity of their segments, and here especially they're well paced and never wear out their welcome.