This well-respected but still underrated South Korean ghost story belongs on any top 25, or certainly any top 50, list of the subgenre.
R-Point has more genuinely creepy moments than most ghost story flicks, and even manages to evoke creepiness in more than one daylight scene, no small feat (but rest assured that a sizeable chunk of the movie takes place at night in a very creepy abandoned building). There's also only one jumpscare, a big plus in my book since 9,999 out of 10,000 jumpscares are cheap and annoying. (Apologies for the tangent, but I will die on this hill: The single greatest jumpscare of all time, and one of the few worthwhile ones, occurs in Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House, episode 8, "Witness Marks."). There's even a long take late in R-Point that is so beautifully framed, acted, and directed, so emotionally impactful, it's breathtaking. And, creepy to the end, the final shot induces shivers.
Set in a misty, overgrown, marshy wasteland, the movie is literally drenched in atmosphere. An argument could be made to include R-Point on lists of great isolation horror since the location is only accessible by boat or helicopter, communication with the outside world is sporadic at best, and there is no way for the group of protagonists to leave without outside help. While the plot is a bit convoluted, the element of mystery and things unknown makes up for that, and ultimately the story does generally make sense.
Highly recommended for fans of Asian horror and ghost story flicks in general.
R-Point has more genuinely creepy moments than most ghost story flicks, and even manages to evoke creepiness in more than one daylight scene, no small feat (but rest assured that a sizeable chunk of the movie takes place at night in a very creepy abandoned building). There's also only one jumpscare, a big plus in my book since 9,999 out of 10,000 jumpscares are cheap and annoying. (Apologies for the tangent, but I will die on this hill: The single greatest jumpscare of all time, and one of the few worthwhile ones, occurs in Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House, episode 8, "Witness Marks."). There's even a long take late in R-Point that is so beautifully framed, acted, and directed, so emotionally impactful, it's breathtaking. And, creepy to the end, the final shot induces shivers.
Set in a misty, overgrown, marshy wasteland, the movie is literally drenched in atmosphere. An argument could be made to include R-Point on lists of great isolation horror since the location is only accessible by boat or helicopter, communication with the outside world is sporadic at best, and there is no way for the group of protagonists to leave without outside help. While the plot is a bit convoluted, the element of mystery and things unknown makes up for that, and ultimately the story does generally make sense.
Highly recommended for fans of Asian horror and ghost story flicks in general.
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