Bunshinsaba

Age Rating: 15+
Company: It's probably a bootleg ;)
Genre: Korean Horror
Running Time: Approx 120 mins
Region: 0



After watching a few Asian horror films or more importantly, of the Korean variety, you can usually see the cliches or the plot unfolding before your very eyes! Most likely, 30 minutes before it actually happens!

So I picked up Bunshinsaba (aka Ouija Board) hoping for something a little bit different!

What I got was a cliche filled, Over the top, unbelievable 'horror'.



The story starts off normally enough - Eun-Joo a teacher from the city goes to the country and starts to teach at the all-girl's school there. She encounters a strange girl named Yu-Jin who is seen as weird because she is from the city also but not only that, has a reputation - as she can contact the spirit world.

Rather predictably, Yu-Jin puts a curse on the classmates bullying her and they begin to drop off like flies by killing themselves. But I have to admit, the suicides in this film are original compared to the others I have seen in horror.
The victim puts a plastic bag soaked with petrol on their head, then takes a lighter..well you know what happens! They run around, laughably like headless chickens.. or maybe because the acting was laughable!
The whole school is then in an uproar, because the same thing happened in the past. Teacher Eun-Joo begins to see a dead girl from the past and Yu-Jin is possessed by an evil spirit! (tm) Fun!

Then the plot starts to go downhill, not that it wasn't brilliant in the first place! We find out that teacher and pupil are both possessed by the Mother/Daughter combo of revenge seeking spirits! (Two possessions at once, wow!) who were killed by picket and spade-wielding country bumpkins wearing bags over their heads! In they end, they both burn for being 'witches', it took me right back to the middle ages instead of the 1970's.

There are numerous plot holes that get left unexplained at the end. By that time, I didn't really care - the film dragged out in parts though in others, I felt was actually good.

So all in all, Bunshinsaba is a bit of a mixed bag!
The horror in itself was predictable and I didn't jump once, because I could see it coming. It has the usual long black-haired scary girls ala Ring style!
If you are expecting a quality, thought-provoking horror film like A Tale Of Two Sisters then you'll end up being disappointed, as Bunshinsaba has more in common with the 'High School Girl Horror Series' such as Whispering Corridors.
However for mindless and strangely enjoyable average horror, then Bunshinsaba is recommended!

Pros
+ OTT Plot
+ Eun-Joo actress was in Whispering Corridors!
+ Good special effects

Cons
- Predictable
- Not scary enough!
- BIG plot holes

Overall Rating: 6.5/10



Now to put a plastic bag over my head... ;)