10 Scariest Foreign Language Horror Films
8. A Tale Of Two Sisters
The director
of A Tale of Two Sisters wanted to tell a story about the confusion of memory
and trauma, and he certainly does just that.
The film has
a tangled narrative structure, leaving the viewer on the edge of their seat
throughout as they try to piece the story together. It isn’t balls to the wall
horror action however; it’s a tightly knit and cleverly paced film that dances
cleverly between psychological and supernatural horror.
The film’s
protagonist Su-mi returns from a psychiatric ward to her isolated family home
in the countryside, reuniting with her beloved sister and father as well as her
icy stepmother.
Reality and
fantasy begin to blur as the viewer questions whether the supernatural
occurrences that Su-mi experiences are actually taking place. This trope has
been tackled hundreds of times before, but in the hands of Kim-Jee Woon, it
feels fresh and new.
Amidst the
ghosts, a poignant narrative focusing on identity and memory elevates the story
to heights that are moving and terrifying in equal measure.