‘Madcap’ is probably the best word to use when describing this science fiction action/comedy from South Korea. I wouldn’t be afraid to use ‘zany’ and ‘wacky’, either.
In the opening scene, which seems more from a horror than an action film, we get introduced to Cho-in (Kang Don-won), a young boy that can control the minds of those around him. His is an unhappy childhood, and once we flash forward with him to adulthood, we see that he lives a miserably lonely existence, toying with those around him.
Haunters features some absolutely brilliant and original scenes. Writer Min-suk Kim squeezes every available idea out of the film’s premise, and doesn’t disappoint. There are half a dozen standout set pieces that are really quite thrilling. It’s genius because it’s such a simple (and cheap) idea that merely requires a lot of extras to act in unison. We’ve been bombarded with super-hero movies in the last decade or so, but this one strikes gold without resorting to CGI.
Despite the gravity of the situations Gyoo-nam finds himself in, Haunters makes regular excursions into comedy, and this makes for a wonderfully balanced film, as it manages to be kick-arse without becoming pretentious. Some of the ‘downtime’ in between set pieces can be a little slow, and if you’re after a faster-paced Hollywood-type production, then such scenes may frustrate. I urge you stick with it, however, because it really is a wonderful film.
Speaking of Hollywood, I’m certain that this will get the remake treatment some day. They’ll up the budget and cast someone famous, but I wonder whether they’ll be able to improve on the original. The only flaw with Haunters is that it’s too long – it could have been a lean 90 minutes instead of 107. It loses its way a bit towards the end also, but these two problems weren’t significant enough to ruin the film for me.
Haunters is a joy to watch, and a must for anyone who wants to see a superhero-type movie that’s anything but generic. The significance of the film’s title, however, is completely lost on me.
Haunters is out now on DVD from Madman.