Hey, hi there! Thanks to WildSide, who invited me to watch some of their films, I had the chance to see Warning: do not play in its original version with subtitles, so let’s talk a bit about this film!
As a preamble, I can tell you that the film was screened at the closing of the 27th Gérardmer Horror Film Festival, that it is directed by Kim Jin-won (known for The Butcher in 2007, a horror film focused on Snuff Movies), and that the main role is played by Seo Ye-Ji.
Synopsis
“A budding horror film director is searching for the subject of her first film. When one of her friends tells her about the supposed existence of a mysterious film shot by a ghost, she is immediately fascinated. Deep into her research, she begins writing her script, which features a director chasing after a strange secret film made by a ghost. However, as her investigation progresses, strange phenomena around her multiply. Soon, the line between her film and her real life begins to blur…”
And other delights…
Now that the context is set, I can expand a bit! While the basic premise and progression are quite conventional, what’s very interesting in Warning: do not play is an underlying critique to the main story: the quest to scare the audience.
Through its heroine, Warning do not play tries to explore this question of what sensations we seek and what motivates us to watch. However, the subject is not as deeply explored as one might hope.
Warning: do not play is ostensibly set in a highly realistic world. For example, there is a discussion among film school students about Nolan and his works, as well as a ghost resembling a charred version of the ghost from Ringu, adding a mystical slash paranormal aspect.
Effective and cheap, it’s Warning that I prefer!
I found the film’s progression quite effective, even if the structure remains somewhat conventional, and especially a chaotic, almost messy side, which saves Warning: do not play from its very (too?) simplistic script.
The film oscillates between anxiety-inducing scenes, the heroine’s quest as she suffers from writer’s block, and multiple revelations, all the way to the final twist.
The progression is sometimes a bit long and might lose some viewers, but this aspect where everything mixes in a dark mess full of danger proves effective in the end, making for an enjoyable, thrilling experience!
Conclusion
Korean cinema shows once again that it is alive and well, and set to last. Far from delivering an unforgettable film, Kim Jin-Won gives us an effective movie watched with a certain level of anxiety but lacking just a bit of spice, all held together by Seo Ye-Ji as an obsessed and tortured protagonist, but not only by the ghost.
My Rating
If you have the chance to watch it and you like horror films, go for it!
See you soon for another review! 😉
