Don't Click (South Korea, 2012)

Don’t Click

South Korea| 2012 | D: Tae-kyeong Kim

It’s a little known (it’s actually a well-known fact) that Koreans make decent horror and thriller films. It’s also a known fact that America loves to remake them.

There are two reasons to watch this movie – 1) to compare it to the inevitable American remake (there is a Canadian film set for release in 2020, but other than the title there is no link) and 2) Bo-Yeong Park. She is absolutely gorgeous – but if you’re after a good film of her, you’re better off with “A Werewolf Boy (2012)”.

 Sister bathtub scene

NOTE: This review and the screenshots are based on a Chinese bootleg DVD of the film. The DVD had some of the most ridiculous English subtitles ever, so the synopsis of the storyline might not be accurate. Unless you watch the same bootleg DVD, then this review will make complete sense.

 Shooting what to who now?

Story line? Well, two sisters live alone after their parents leave (why? Ask the bootlegger of the DVD – they didn’t think it was important to subtitle for the audience). Younger sister creates internet videos to be famous and with the help of her friends stumbles across a “forbidden” video. Sounds very much like The Ring, yeah?

The video makes the younger sister go crazy, so older sister must do something to help her. Luckily older sister knows someone who is really good with computers and the internet and all those things and can help the girls out before its too late!

AHHHHH!

 

What’s interesting about this movie is how it used the internet and mobile phone technology back in 2012 to create a horror story. It might be a little ridiculous, and silly by 2019 standards, but it was something refreshing at the time. The idea that the internet was this deep dark place full of forbidden content – well, that part is pretty accurate. The schoolgirl bully culture is prevalent and the use of mobile phones in ubiquitous. 

Exactly what she said....?

For the squeamish, its not a gory horror film in the slightest – reminiscent to the Hollywood remakes of The Ring. It relies on a few horror images and jump scares in the audio, as well the premise of the innocent schoolgirl in danger, to illicit tense for the audience.

If the movie had better subtitles, then it might have worked!