Customer Reviews

Bloody Reunion

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Through the past couple of years the Korean film industry have made a couple of amazing films and have been more recognized with mainstream audiences. The good thing about Bloody Reunion is that it tells an original storyline instead of being yet another Ringu or Ju-on rippoff I think that the female ghost with long black hair has been done a million times before so its refreshing to see something different. Bloody reunion is a full blooded slasher film, a group of South Korean former class mates are invited to a reunion in a nice cottage located in the countryside. They meet one of their old teachers who is now in a wheelchair however tension and resentment within the group start to surface as the evening progresses and before long a mysterious figure wearing a rabbit mask starts violently killing the group one by one, there were a few nasty looking torture scenes as well as the deaths being very gruesome one character is forced to eat razor blades which is not like the typical supernatural horror film from Asia and the plot was very clever you wouldn't figure out the twist at the end and it was fairly interesting at its subject matter, I think it was about the value of friendship so its also a psychological thriller/drama. We soon find out what psychological damage the bad teacher has inflicted on her students even though some scenes were a bit melodramatic the film was terrific and very compelling to watch, the film was also visually stunning and nicely shot. I was very impressed with this film even though its not perfect the film was very good, if you liked Bloody Reunion then I highly recommend these other Korean horror films Tale of two sisters, Phone (A ringu rippoff but still good), The doll master, Into the mirror and Tell me something.

To sum it up, not too bad for what it is. The film has no pretensions; there are no veneers or splashes of high art to be found. Basically an amalgamation of 80's slashers, expect everything but the kitchen sink, gaping plot holes, and plenty of blood. The story itself is borderline ridiculous and entirely unbelievable while the characters are one dimensional and generally uninteresting. Having said this, the execution is well done, some of the scenes quite startling, and there is sufficient bloodshed to meet's one's deranged expectations. The acting, though hystrionic at times, is uniformly impressive. The film doesn't tread any new territory, but sometimes, while sitting with the lights dimmed low and curled up on the couch, it's reassuring to know what's coming around the corner.

I must admit that I'm very fond of the original American title for the Korean horror film "Bloody Reunion." The deeply ironic "To Sir With Love" is not only a delightfully kitschy homage to the Sidney Poitier up-with-teachers classic, but a wickedly perverse thwarting of expectations! Taking its cues from the slasher genre, "Bloody Reunion" is a deft, creative, and surprising film.

"Bloody Reunion" is staged in a remote country cottage. Former students come to pay their respects to a teacher who is now in the last stages of her life. From this celebratory event, a darkness starts to reveal itself. Past grudges re-surface and confrontations are forced changing the idyllic party into an open forum catharsis of the demons that have haunted them all collectively and individually. It seems the teacher may not have been the perfect role model--in fact, she kept her own son, deformed since birth, locked up in the basement during his formative years. As the drama escalates, so does the body count. From the character introductions to the way the students are colorfully dispatched, you might think this is a by-the-numbers presentation of slasher carnage. But "Bloody Reunion" still has some refreshing surprises up its sleeve (but I won't go any further in my description). What has been a fun, but slight, entertainment ultimately reveals itself to be quite a good film in its own right!

There are several aspects that push "Bloody Reunion" ahead of the pack. First, the performances were absolutely terrific. Even within the limitations of "character types," the actors really had opportunities to shine. Their pain and anger and regret is palpable and heartfelt, and I fell for the genuine emotion quite wholeheartedly. Even at the end, where the antics are at a fever pitch--I thought the actors remained quite true. Second, the murders are pleasantly gruesome and ingenious. And third, the film's final reveal packs quite a wallop. A truly entertaining set-up that just grows deeper and more interesting, "Bloody Reunion" is definitely worth a look. And not even a spot of black vomit or a black haired ghost girl in sight like almost every other Asian horror film on the market! That's a big plus. KGHarris, 10/10.

that hollywood will eventually muck up.what the asians are able to do that eludes us westerners is a good mix of charactor developement and action.gollywood either over does the yapping get-to-know-you garbage (see hostel) or senseless action (too many to point out.take your pick).

while most of the horror movies from the east are ghost stories (mildly eerie,for me at least.ive long grown tired of malnuturished kids posing creepily.if creepy kid comes near you,kick it.and ghosts are ''shocking'' for a second,then you realise they cant hurt you.similar to the original mummy.a slow moving 1 arm fire hazzard limping his way over to choke someone slower than him).

i digress.in bloody reunion;theres plot,tension,believability,and most of all,horror.a one time student cares for her grade school teacher whos become ill and confined to a wheel chair.she decides to call her exclassmates for a reunion to cheer her up.at first it does the trick.hugs and kisses abound.

of course theres bitter feelings to go with fond recollections and in the end,the bitterness prevails.all sorts of mayhem take place leaving you wondering who the heck is holding such a grudge.

whats missing is the trendy soundtrack and idiotic plastic people aka addition by subtraction.this is definitely worth buying even if you hate subtitles.

Bloody Reunion is another Asian film that really kept my attention and made me say REALLY? at the end.
A retired teacher lives by the sea with an ex student taking care of her as she isn't able to care for herself.
The student arranges for a class reunion knowing the teacher is very ill and would like to see them again.
What ensues is a bloodbath and many twists and turns.
at the Reunion resentment begins to build from each student because the teacher has in some way ruined their life by her tough say before you think style of teaching and abuse in one form or another inflicted upon each one.
The teacher had a deformed baby that she and her husband kept locked in the basement who at the time she was teaching was the same age as the students.
There was a window in the basement and the children would go and play with her son while he was wearing a mask but when his horrific distorted face was revealed all of them stayed away except one, who then made him a rabbit mask and was kind to him.
This is a very gory slasher with creative kills and kills that depict severe hatred from whomever is killing them one by one.
So,who is that killer,they all have motive.it will keep you guessing until the very last second

OK, I'm going to say it: this is a classic. Very few horror films really deliver, but this one does in spades! I rank this with Psycho, The Exorcist, The Others, The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects, Rear Window, etc. An engrossing film that focuses on a horror that is never addressed: the horror of neglect. True neglect. This is more than a slasher film, more than a mystery, more than a thriller. I can only say that if you watch only one "horror" movie this year, watch this one. A remarkable ensemble cast of young people (as well as the woman who plays the teacher). All of them deserve to have brilliant careers in the future. As far as the DVD itself, there are great extras included.

Director Dae-wung Lim brings a touch of classic American Horror to Korean cinema in this dark and ultra-violent Slasher film! BLOODY REUNION follows a group of old classmates that return to the home of their sickly grade-school teacher for one final visit with her before she dies. Their trip sparks bitter memories and past rivalries, but are these hurtful childhood experiences enough to drive one of them to kill? Each of the standard conventions of the Slasher sub-genre have been adapted into this unique hybrid, including a number of blood-splattered deaths and a creepy killer in a blank bunny mask. BLOODY REUNION also draws influence from other Korean revenge thrillers like OLDBOY, where the victims are brutally punished for innocent and seemingly insignificant indiscretions that they committed when they were younger. The characters and mood of the picture travel on a slow downward spiral as a series of flashbacks reveal that their "beloved" Miss Park was actually quite cruel to each of her students, giving each of them a motive to kill while driving the tension and suspense. With an ample amount of gore, solid performances, and a surprising twist ending, BLOODY REUNION is a smart and engaging Slasher that lives up to its title!

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

A group of adults return to the home of their dying elementary school teacher. Things begin to take a tragic turn as each recalls their true feelings for the former instructor. There are raw nerves, trauma, and blood-soaked vengeance seething just under the seemingly cordial surface. What begins as a happy gathering devolves into an orgy of murder and insanity! BLOODY REUNION is yet another superb example of Korean horror. Add this one to your collection ASAP...

Vicious, gory Korean number about a group of young adults gathering to reunite with an ailing school teacher.
Turns the slasher genre on it's head and spins it 'till it's dizzy.Bloody Reunion

A Bloody Reunion (Dae-wung Lim, 2006)

A Bloody Reunion, first and foremost, is nothing new. It's your basic slasher movie, equal parts Humongous and Slaughter High. But for a slasher movie, especially one made well after the golden age of the slasher film was long gone (and even the brief nineties revival had disappeared into well-deserved obscurity), it's not a bad little film, a refreshing bit of nostalgia for slasher-movie fans who've gotten sick of their collection of holiday-themed eighties flicks.

The story begins a number of years (fifteen? If it's stated I didn't catch it) after its six main characters have graduated from high school. They are summoned to the oceanside cottage of Mrs. Park, one of their teachers, for a reunion. (While this seems obvious from the American title, note that the film's original name was To Sir, with Love.) Everything seems to be going along swimmingly, but when the crew convene for a big dinner, cracks start showing in the facade, and we eventually realize that Mrs. Park was a mean old harridan in the classroom, possibly because of her deformed son (made to live in the basement, naturally), and that she was especially hard on this particular group of kids because they made fun of her son through the basement window. Or something. In any case, someone starts chopping the kids up, and all the evidence points to said deformed kid, but is it him? Is he even still alive? After all, Mrs. Park does have another child, a daughter, and none of the graduates attending the reunion is exactly stable...

It's fun, if predictable. When it comes to slasher movies, all the tension comes not from wondering if someone will die, but in what order people will die. (After all, what was the last slasher movie you saw where it wasn't obvious who the final girl was by the time you'd finished with the opening credits?) The actual death scenes are somewhat surprising in their violence, even for a slasher film, though as far as these things go the gore is kept to a tasteful minimum. (Note that I say both of those things in relative terms, as I'm trying to convince a general audience to watch this, rather than the hardcore slasher fans who will probably have already seen it.) It's a fun little movie, high quality for the genre and not overly silly, and you'll get a kick out of it. Just don't expect anything earth-shaking. ** ½