The Piper

So I cant say much more than what's been written before because others are much more eloquent than I... however, I just have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. It tugged at the feels at times, had some great dark sections that gave some chills and others made me want to get up and yell at the screen ask why couldnt they see the injustice here?! Lol. Overall, it was very worthy and I actually watched it twice..

THE PIPER is another dark fairy tale from South Korea, following in the wake of HANSEL & GRETEL. It's a gruesome and queasy horror outing with a rural village setting similar to that of BEDEVILLED. The story is that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit with plenty of new twists for anyone familiar with that tale. A piper and his ailing kid turn up at a rural village after the end of the Korean War and promise to help out with the local rat infestation. All goes well until the villagers renege on their deal, with disastrous consequences. This is generally an atmospheric and well-made little production, with typically strong photography and performances. It's gruesome without being over the top gory, and the main characters are sympathetic. The use of CGI rats can be a bit distracting but they're hidden in the shadows for the most part. The first half of the film is all set-up and thus a little slow, but it soon builds to a jaw-dropping crescendo at the climax.

A musician with a bad foot and a 10 year old son limps into a remote Korean village, post Korean war. The village has no name and holds secrets and "Ben" sized CG rats. He convinces a woman in the village to travel to Seoul with him. The piper knows that the war is over, or suspended, and the chief forbids him to tell anyone in the village. This is all woven into a modern Korean version of the classic tale. There is plenty of blood and a good bit of violence. Unlike Willard, most if not all of the rats are CG. The film moves slowly and allows things to develop and I mean that in a good way. Dubbed in English. Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

The Piper: South Korean Folk Horror take on the legend. It's 1953, just after the Armistice, a man and his young son wandering through a forest finds a village. The chief of the settlement invites them to stay for the night. The stranger entertains the locals playing tunes on his pipe. His music causes rats to move. He is asked to stay on and is offered a reward when he claims he can rid the village of it's plague of rats. These are fearsome rodents, they eat cats and menace humans. When the villagers had to flee during the war, the sick and there Shaman wouldn't leave and they were massacred by the rampaging Chinese soldiers. The Chief and his followers returned to find their bodies being devoured by rats. Using his pipe and bait the piper clears the rats out. But as in the fable the villagers renege on the deal. There is real horror ib this film, the rats descending in swarms, devouring the living and the dead, the spirit of a wronged Shaman returns and possesses a young woman, gruesome murders. It is far darker than the original legend as the villagers are also hiding secrets which shame them. The rats deserve an award for best ensemble performance. The psychological horror is also impressive as the Piper's achievements are denied, accused of being a spy, the far of the stranger used to turn a mob against him. The existential terror of the final scenes will stick with me for a while I reckon. Written and Directed by Kim Gwang-tae. 8/10.

At first I thought this movie is horror, but almost half of the movie is period drama. I enjoy most of them, although I am not expecting that the movie really doesn't adding some hints/mystery until the last half. Luckily, all's worth to wait and the climax is really good. I guess it's the uniqueness of many Korean movies/dramas, which able to put climax/super important scene in the middle, then keep the tense until the end. Same thing happens here. Sonnim (literally, The Guest), brings all drama sequence into a twisting climax that I've never encounter it before in my watching experience. What's discourage me to give this movie Perfect 10 is its prolonged drama sequence that ruins the pace for me. I don't know, the mass characters in odd town/village always strange to me, but due to the different nature between the first and last half of the movie, it makes their action seems can't be justified easily. Still, it's a great film and for those who love twisted side of a classic lore turns into a live action, surely it's one of the magnum opus(es) you want to see.

A piper and his sick son stay the night at a remote Korean village. They have a rat problem which he cures, but when it's time to pay for his services the villagers turn on him cruelly. This is quite a slow but engaging and nicely filmed movie. It's not until the final quarter that it becomes a horror film, with the piper using the ousted rats to get his bloody revenge but it is well worth the wait.

"A Korean Willard" is the best review. The Piper is the perfect date night movie, slow enough to give you time for personal activities and scarey enough to have her cling close. Watch this one.

If there's one thing you can count on in regard to Korean Horror is that they'll never let you down. Stupid teenagers exploring abandoned hospitals is not their forte, and if they did delve into that territory, they'd certainly be more creative and intelligent than the crap Hollywood spews out every week or so. This movie is worth seeing if you're a fan of Grimm's Fairy Tales or Hans Christian Anderson stuff. The elements of the stories are there, except there is a dark twist aligned with them. This film is no exception. As ghost/shaman stories go, this outing is adequate - neither great nor poor. Basically, it does what it set out to do - deliver horror, albeit in small doses. The rats were pretty realistic, too. Just for those few CGI scenes I'd say give the film a shot.

This is an interesting take on the classic Pied Piper tale, but be warned, this is not for kids. The film's acting and atmosphere was really great. It is the type of film where you never know what to expect and will not be prepared for what is to happen. The bond between Father and son was excellently portrayed, and made the film's ending that much more effective. It is a very dark tale of revenge and the film's ending might leave you a bit disturbed, knowing what will ultimately happen.

I recall watching the American movie Willard more than thirty years ago. Roddy McDowell was the star. He befriended a bunch of rats who obeyed him like trained dogs. This time around, a man travelling with his ten year-old son through the Korean countryside, stops at a remote village where the people are hiding from the war. They have a major rat infestation and the stranger agrees to rid them of the rodents for the price of a pig. He uses an ingenious method to extract the vermin. Betrayal follows soon after and that is when the fun begins. Revenge is sweet and I will leave it at that. The film is a bit too long but it is a fun ride nonetheless.