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Stylish Korean horror starring Ji-Won Ha as an investigative reporter who, having recently published a controversial article about sex scandals, has begun receiving a series of menacing phone calls. In an effort to escape the calls, she changes her number and moves house. But the calls keep coming - and when her friend's young daughter innocently answers the ringing phone, she starts to scream in terror and goes on to exhibit increasingly crazed behaviour. As she tries to unravel the mystery behind the phone calls, Ji-Won uncovers the terrible secrets that lie behind her new phone.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
'Phone' is a must-see addition to your East Asian Horror Collection.
As we know, countless films claim to be up there with 'Ju-on' and 'The Ring', but very few get anywhere close. Much the same as it's become to popular to liken films to 'Saw' or 'Hostel' when a certain intention is promoted. I'm pleased to say that 'Phone', whilst not quite being a classic, is very good indeed.
Firstly, what a performance by Eun See Woo, the child actor who plays 'Yeong-Ju'. This is a standout performance which is up there with 'The Exorcist' and 'Polterguist' for the brillance of their young actor's talents. Similarly, Ha Ji-Won is excellent as 'Ji-Won', the 'main' character around whom the mysterious phone calls centre.
There's nothing more scary than something 'real' and the way an everyday object (a mobile phone) is used to create the terror is very clever. By the end that ring tone sends shivers down the spine!
I like the story too, in that it actually is a story! On occasions, Asian Horror can be to clever for it's own good, but 'Phone' is a neat little yarn which knits itself together nicely. There's some genuine scares along the way and generally there's more than enough to keep the interst gripped.
The climax is very good too and whilst I won't spoil the details, the last half an hour or so doesn't quite go as you expect it to (well,it didn't for me anyway).
Everything is 'just right' with 'Phone' and as with many Korean Horror movies before and subsequent; it's an all round solid film, with very little to fault.
Would happily recommend.
As we know, countless films claim to be up there with 'Ju-on' and 'The Ring', but very few get anywhere close. Much the same as it's become to popular to liken films to 'Saw' or 'Hostel' when a certain intention is promoted. I'm pleased to say that 'Phone', whilst not quite being a classic, is very good indeed.
Firstly, what a performance by Eun See Woo, the child actor who plays 'Yeong-Ju'. This is a standout performance which is up there with 'The Exorcist' and 'Polterguist' for the brillance of their young actor's talents. Similarly, Ha Ji-Won is excellent as 'Ji-Won', the 'main' character around whom the mysterious phone calls centre.
There's nothing more scary than something 'real' and the way an everyday object (a mobile phone) is used to create the terror is very clever. By the end that ring tone sends shivers down the spine!
I like the story too, in that it actually is a story! On occasions, Asian Horror can be to clever for it's own good, but 'Phone' is a neat little yarn which knits itself together nicely. There's some genuine scares along the way and generally there's more than enough to keep the interst gripped.
The climax is very good too and whilst I won't spoil the details, the last half an hour or so doesn't quite go as you expect it to (well,it didn't for me anyway).
Everything is 'just right' with 'Phone' and as with many Korean Horror movies before and subsequent; it's an all round solid film, with very little to fault.
Would happily recommend.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Dryland
Format:DVD
I love asian horror like this, it tends to prey on your nerves rather than try to shock you with explicit gore.
The story begins with Ji-won, who has published sex scandal articles and begins receiving threatening phone calls from a stranger who is following her. To put a stop to this, Ji-won moves house, changes her mobile phone number and then, unfortunately, her problems really begin.
When Ji-won's niece Young-ju (played by an adorable little girl who is obviously enjoying herself immensely and completely shows up all the adult actors) answers her aunt's phone in an art gallery, it sets off a chain of increasingly alarming events surrounding Young-ju which forces Ji-won to investigate further - is it really the men she has exposed who are threatening her or is something more sinister at work? No prizes for guessing!
Ji-won's investigations into her new, seemingly haunted phone number lead her to two deaths and a missing teenager, the missing girl's terrified friend and the unravelling of a mystery which leads her to a shocking conclusion.
This film features an extremely spiteful, vengeful spirit (hell hath no fury..) you find it hard to sympathise with until the end of the film. To say any more would spoil a good plot, this film in my opinion ranks with the likes of Ringu, a Tale of Two Sisters, Dark Water, etc. If you are familiar with these titles, you won't be disappointed.
The story begins with Ji-won, who has published sex scandal articles and begins receiving threatening phone calls from a stranger who is following her. To put a stop to this, Ji-won moves house, changes her mobile phone number and then, unfortunately, her problems really begin.
When Ji-won's niece Young-ju (played by an adorable little girl who is obviously enjoying herself immensely and completely shows up all the adult actors) answers her aunt's phone in an art gallery, it sets off a chain of increasingly alarming events surrounding Young-ju which forces Ji-won to investigate further - is it really the men she has exposed who are threatening her or is something more sinister at work? No prizes for guessing!
Ji-won's investigations into her new, seemingly haunted phone number lead her to two deaths and a missing teenager, the missing girl's terrified friend and the unravelling of a mystery which leads her to a shocking conclusion.
This film features an extremely spiteful, vengeful spirit (hell hath no fury..) you find it hard to sympathise with until the end of the film. To say any more would spoil a good plot, this film in my opinion ranks with the likes of Ringu, a Tale of Two Sisters, Dark Water, etc. If you are familiar with these titles, you won't be disappointed.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Mr L A Marsh
Format:DVD
Upon reading reviews on here, I was expecting another awesome "Ju-On" style horror that would proper scare the pants off me. "Phone" is a completely different entity.
One film I could compare it to is "The Eye", not that the stories are similar, but how the movies build up are very identical. Both start as sort of spooky ghost stories, then the second half of the film you are getting stuck into trying to figure it all out.
There are a couple of scenes to make you jump, but overall I felt this film was more of a whodunnit than all out horror. But thats not a criticism, this is an excellent film.
Many Hollywood murder mysteries are pretty much solved in the first half hour, or it turns out to be some irrelevant character who has had about 2 mins on screen time until the finale. With "Phone" as the film progresses you get more clues to the mystery, but its not until the end that you findout who and why, which for me is what makes a great thriller.
Maybe the spiritual theme and the success of other Asian Horrors was a good excuse to market it that way, but for me anyone with a love of intense, engaging movies should watch this film its just great. Even my mum sat there with my sister and me and was trying to figure it out, and she hates mainstream horror movies.
Watch this film and then watch it again, and again and pick up on little bits you missed the first time, all I will say though for horror fans expecting another "Ring" or "Ju-on", your expectations should be more along the lines of "se7en" or "saw"
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By KalteStern
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
This starts off on what seems almost familiar 'Asian Horror' lines, making you think that it is going to develop into another 'Ring ', and in its first section it manages to be quite creepy, if hardly anything new for anyone who has already seen the more well known examples of this kind of thing. But it then veers off into something quite different in plot terms, more of a murder mystery/thriller. I quite liked this, because you don't then know what to expect, which is hardly true of most ghost/horror genre pieces even when they succeed in startling the viewer. A well made movie, and very enjoyable in its own terms, as long as you don't expect a slasher pic or what is now becoming the perceived 'conventional' eastern horror approach.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Familiar fright fare
A typical horror film, albeit done with skill. The first half is pretty much just a sequence of fright scenes. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2009 by J. A. Eyon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely made film
Basic plot line but very well made, well acted and a good twist at the end. Nothing particularly original but if you're a fan of Asian horror, or just getting into the genre this... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2008 by D. Ryan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the most frightening movie I have seen
This story starts off with a reporter Ji-won, who has published a story about sex scandals, she then starts to receive threatening phone calls from a stranger who is following... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2008 by Mrs. S. E. Davies
4.0 out of 5 stars
Phone
From South Korean director Ahn Byeong-ki comes this shockingly imaginative and quite fearsome horror flick that borrows elements from the Japanese horror classic Ringu but never... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2007 by Dave Kraven
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite
It's a very good movie.
When I started watching it I would never have guessed the ending.
What captivated me most was the acting skills of the little girl. Read more
When I started watching it I would never have guessed the ending.
What captivated me most was the acting skills of the little girl. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2006 by Raquel H
3.0 out of 5 stars
Phone
If you've seen a few of the Asian horror films from Ring etc, this isn't exactly original, ghosts, vengeful spirits yadda yadda, but it's a lot of fun, genuinely spooky and the... Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2006
2.0 out of 5 stars
Over-hyped Tat!
I bought this film as an impulse buy, wanting to increase my collection of Asian cinema. After browsing for a while, I settled on Phone. I'd heard of it and it looked quite good. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2005 by M. Magowan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Phone goes Ring
First off I have to say that I am a huge fan of Far Eastern cinema and in particular far Eastern Horror. Read more
Published on 29 April 2005 by A. Wolfe
5.0 out of 5 stars
First rate!
I can't recommend enough all the movies from Tartan and Asia Extreme: Ring Trilogy; Phone; Tale of Two Sisters; Audition; Grudge; The Eye; Dark Water.... Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2005 by muttmummy
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