Voice (Yeogo Goedam 4)

South Korea seems to be churning out the horror films at the moment! Which isn't a bad thing, as they are usually the best - if not the most cliched out of the Asian sector. Voice is the fourth installment of the "Yeogeo Goedom" series of schoolgirl horror and does not fail to disappoint!
The other titles in the series are:
Whispering Corridors (Yeogo Goedam 1)
Memento Mori (Yeogo Goedam 2)
Wishing Stairs (Yeogo Goedam 3)

Voice

Age Rating: 15+
Company: HK Bootleg
Genre: Korean Highschool Girl Horror
Running Time: Approx 105 mins
Region: 3



From the striking front cover, you know your in for the cerebial feast!
Young-Eun meets an untimely end while practicing her beautiful choir singing. The next thing she knows: she 'wakes up' next to an elevator with no recollection of what had happened. No one can see her either! Gradually she finds out that's she's dead and cannot leave the school (oh noes!). However her best friend Sun-Min - the school's radio lunch time announcer - can hear her voice and together they try to find out what actually happened.



Of course, nothing is ever straight forward! In typical Korean horror fashion, there is a number of deaths and suicides within the school. The music teacher is acting suspciously too, walking in a trance around the school and playing the same tune on her cello. Infact, good ol' teacher had an obsession with beautiful voices and one of her previous pupils killed herself. Rumours had it, that she was a *gasp* lesbian.
Cho-Ah the resident school psychic and freak, warns Sun-Min that Young Eun might not be herself as a ghost memory could be traumatised after death. However, if Sun-Min forgets about Young-Eun; the ghost of her would eventually not be heard and fade away. I will not spoil the big twist (S.Korean Trademark) near the end, but let's just say you will not look at Young-Eun in the same light again! It's very cruel and twisted! Just the way I like them - Fights, tears, death, love and jealously are key to this film.



The first thing I noticed about Voice was how beautiful the music was, a mix of choir and orchestrated melody. The actress who plays Young-Min is very talented indeed and has the most beautiful voice! It's so good, that's I'd actually buy the OST from it if I could!
Voice, in comparison to the other Yeogo Goedam films is very toned down in terms of body count, blood and general OTTness (Memento Mori springs to mind.). But the subtle hints throughout, makes it a much more thought-provoking experience than in-your-face obviousness.
The director has taken into account the use of imagery and lighting. The colours are warm and Autumn-like, a wonderful blend of browns and gold. When time passes, Young-Eun can go into her previous memories via a very imaginitive 'warp' that appears in the corridor. It also gives the viewer a different angle on death, your heart wrenches when Young-Eun sits in the corridor sobbing all alone and how she desperately wants her best friend to remember her. The elevator also seems to be part of an image.. a gateway to 'hell' almost!
The pacing is deliberately slow, and for the typical action fan, they could be bored to death literally by the time the good parts happen. But I liked this subtley, it has a very different feeling from most horror films and I think the sentimentalness adds to it. Be warned, this is not a scare thrill type, it's 90% drama! :D
What would a ghost really want?
Is it truth, is it revenge? Well, you'll have to watch this film to find out!

Pros
+ Somewhat arty!
+ Choir 0wns
+ Sentimental but gripping drama
+ Cho-Ah!

Cons
- A bit slow to begin with
- Somethings are a little too subtle
- Possession - where?

Overall: 8.5/10

It's a tough call which film is the best in the Yeogo Goedam series. Voice is however something very different in the series and definetely deserves your attention! My second favourite after Memento Mori - just watch it already! :)