#장화 홍련

[marril96]

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

[possession1981-moving]

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS dir. Kim Jee-woon, 2003

[hellhoundteeth]

“장화, 홍련 (A Tale of Two Sisters)”, 2003

dir Kim Jee-woon

[kaipanzero]

A Tale of Two Sisters

장화, 홍련 (2003)

[horror-aesthete]

A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련), 2003, dir. Kim Jee-woon

[swannsways]

A Tale of Two Sisters 장화, 홍련 (2003), dir. Kim Jee-woon

[deeppink-man]

장화,홍련 영화 포스터 패러디 Parody of poster 'A Tale of Two Sisters'

[echthr0s]

[letterboxd log 2024 | 31/?] ⪀ 장화, 홍련 (A Tale of Two Sisters), 2003; dir. Kim Jee-woon

[everyfilmisaw]

장화, 홍련 (A Tale Of Two Sisters) by Kim Jee-woon, 2003

[liminalweirdo]

this is really sudden but any movie recommendations, im in a bit of drought for this to watch right now and i’m up for anything, especially if it’s horror related, or gay or can be interpreted as gay you know what i mean?

Horror and gays, two of my favourite things. Here's some movies that are mostly both.

My top choice is not-quite horror, and you've probably seen it, but just in case you haven't, Stand By Me (1986) is one of my favourite movies, and it's Stephen King, so it definitely has horror vibes, even if it's never out and out scary.

As for horror that's kinda gay? (I'll try to get the obvious ones out of the way since I'm not sure which ones you already know about.)

Ginger Snaps (2000) and Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004) feat. my favourite probably autistic, definitely (gender?)queer Brigitte Fitzgerald.

I know it's really popular now, again, but the old Interview with the Vampire (1994) was pretty queer for its time. Obviously the show outshines it in terms of queer content, but hey, I love these two idiots.

Tomie (富江) (1998) from Japan is pretty cool and queer. In a similar vein, Wishing Stairs (2003) (which I think is the third? one in the Korean Whispering Corridors series) still sticks in little queer teen me's mind.

Obviously Jennifer's Body (2009), this is like my comfort film lmao.

The Quiet (2005)

and

Excision (2012) feels pretty queer to me, but others might disagree. At the very least, Pauline is so wonderfully weird she's basically queer in my books.

All Cheerleaders Die (2013) was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

also, maybe it's not overtly queer enough for other people, but the friendship in The Battery (2012) which is one of my FAVOURITE ZOMBIE FILMS OF ALL TIME is a pretty good one. It could be homoerotic if you squint??

Lyle (2014) and What Keeps You Alive (2018) are a very specific brand of overtly queer horror that is specifically, canonically queer, but not my favourite type of queer, if I'm being honest. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more. Lyle is an incredible film, and not just because Gaby Hoffman is so so beautiful and absolutely just knocks it out of the park. What Keeps You Alive is... less good, but fun to watch with pals, I guess. It's that kind of horror.

Speaking of beautiful people, Don't Kill Me (Non mi uccidere) (2021) Alice Pagani and Silvia Calderoni I'm sorry? My gender exploded. I don't know why it has such a bad rating on imdb. It wasn't amazing, but it was fun and unique. Worth a shot, imo.

The Perfection (2019) what a fucking ride. Pretty queer. Maybe don't eat first.

The Midnight Swim (2014) isn't quite horror and isn't quite queer but it is female-centric, and I don't think enough people have seen it. It deserves a watch.

The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) was a girl's boarding school which already made it queer enough for me haha. Some good scares in this one. Better than anticipated.

And, speaking of boarding schools, The Silenced | 경성학교: 사라진 소녀들) (2015) is a Korean movie set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the '30s and idk man. Beautiful, weird, gay. It was good. If you like this one, you will probably like A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련) (2003) which is (probably) not queer but very, very good horror and very beautiful.

They Look Like People (2015) is another one like The Battery. Could be homoerotic if you squint. Obsessed with the male friendship in this one, and the mental illness factor. I really love this movie. This is the movie I would maybe double-feature with Super Dark Times (2017) for top five fave boy-friendships.

Raw (Grave) (2016) arguably not queer, but certainly queered desires or 'othered' desires. Another female-centric horror. I love this one. Blue My Mind (2017) feels Queer AF. It's like if Fucking Åmål (1999) was a horror movie. I also recommend Fucking Åmål, but it's not horror, it's just queer.

Thelma (2017) actually queer. Beautiful, extremely well-done, not crazy about the ending.

Would it be weird of me to mention The Shed (2019) Maybe I just wanted it to be queerer? I can't actually remember if it was now, just that the potential was there.

And, not quite queer but definitely good horror, check out Magic Magic (2013) if you haven't seen it. Girl Asleep (2015) is horror adjacent, not super queer, but also just... so weird and good and fun.

[st4rgirlthingz]

a tale of two sisters ll 장화, 홍련 (2003) directed by kim jee-woon

[sloshed-cinema]

A Tale of Two Sisters [장화, 홍련] (2003)

A bed often feels like a cozy cocoon and place of comfort. But when in the middle of the night a strange noise or the suggestion of movement disturbs the sleep, it becomes all too apparent just how thin and flimsy that bedsheet is in terms of offering protection. Several sequences in this take on a Korean fairy tale are almost perfectly pants-shittingly terrifying in their execution, capturing the catatonic fear of awakening and feeling suddenly vulnerable. The excruciatingly slow and deliberate pacing as Su-mi sees a shape just past the foot of the bed revels in not hiding the frightening entity but rather maintaining a focus on it as it is gradually revealed. Likewise, Su-yeon’s earlier encounter of something opening the door, fingers wrapping around the side, and getting into bed with her has a dreadful inevitability to it which is befitting of these night terror like experiences. The effect is diluted slightly by indulging in sudden jerky movements toward the camera, but nonetheless it’s delightfully creepy fare.

Sound design enhances every facet of this horror story. In an old house which everyone admits to be strange, every creaky floorboard or clattering window shutter is enough to prompt a nervous glance over the shoulder. Heavy breathing pervades the horror sequences, characters wide-eyed and fearful but still drawn onward by that same inevitability which earlier kept them rooted to the spot. The song which Su-mi and Su-yeon’s mother loved gets woven throughout, whistled by the girls in defiant memoriam or plunked out on instruments as the stepmother stalks through the house. The specter who haunts the house has its own compliment of unusual sounds to set it apart from the more domestic drama of the family. While the camera has a fluid, dynamic language, it’s really the sound which sets this apart stylistically.

While the psychotic stepmother deserves an entire essay herself, the standout moment is perhaps the supremely awkward dinner party. Her relentless bullying “jokes” from the past unfold as a hyperactive assault. Truly the only way to get out of that is to have a full-on Isabelle Adjani in the subway scene in Possession reaction, convulsing on the ground. Time to normalize this behavior when the hosts need to be put in check.

THE RULES

PICK ONE

Select either SU-MI or SU-YEON and sip whenever the opposite sister says her name.

SIP

Strange nocturnal noises.

A sister is in a terrifying situation but she COULD JUST OPEN THE DRAPES IT'S DAYLIGHT OUTSIDE

The bio-mom is mentioned.

Bangs over the eye(s).

BIG DRINK

A door opens on its own.

Someone is reflected in a mirror.

[tombfriend]

u know what’s really scary?

[nine-frames]

Patterns in

Janghwa, Hongryeon (장화, 홍련 - A Tale Of Two Sisters), 2003.

Dir. & Writ. Kim Jee-woon  |  DOP Lee Mo-gae  |  Art Dir. Geun-hyun Cho

[ceteradesunt]

A Tale of Two Sisters, 장화, 홍련 (2003) dir. Kim Jee-woon

[horror-aesthete]

A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련), 2003, dir. Kim Jee-woon