Asian filmmakers have a reputation for producing the scariest and most creative horror flicks. But not every film manages to hit the jackpot. The latest South Korean screen export, Face, falls into this category.
Face is not a bad film at all. There are scary moments, a clearly narrated plot, stunning visuals and quality sound effects. However, it lacks surprises. With director Yoo Sang-gon attempting to merge horror with suspense, Face merely turns out to be a repetition of what we have seen in Sixth Sense and The Eye.
Facial reconstruction is the latest technology used to determine the identity of homicide victims. Hyun-min (Shin Hyun-jun) is the leading expert in this field. During an investigation of a series of murders, where only the victims' skulls are found, widower Hyun-min is asked to reconstruct their faces. But he refuses because he is busy taking care of his young daughter, who has just had a heart transplant.
One day a mysterious woman named Sun-young (Song Yun-ah), who claims to work for the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, turns up at Hyun-min's door with a special present - the skull of one of the victims. Sun-young says the institute hopes Hyun-min could help solve the mystery of the victim's identity. He ignores her, and she leaves the skull behind.
Strange things begin to happen. Hyun-min and his daughter keep seeing a horrifying female ghost around the house. Hyun-min finally realises that the ghost might be one of the victims and decides to take up the mission with Sun-young's help. But the reconstructed face turns out to be much more scary than the ghost.
South Korea's film industry has experienced a dramatic rise in popularity over recent years, slowly becoming the Hollywood of the East. Most of its films have moved from the art-house genre into the mainstream, with big budgets and big productions.
