Kim Na-young (Kim Bo-ra) is a young journalist for South Korean gossip tabloid Daily Modu. For her “Summer It Girl” story, she posts photos she took of a woman on the subway platform. However, it turns out the subject of the article was actually a cross-dressing man, who claims he was drunk at the time, didn’t give his consent, and is now suing the paper. Na-young’s boss, Ms. Mo (Kim Soo-jin), is livid, and says the paper won’t pay the 50 million won settlement on her behalf unless she can provide another story that can get enough ad clicks to cover the cost. So Na-young enlists the help of her friend Choi Woo-won (Kim Jae-hyun), who works for Korea Metro at the Oksu train station. Woo-won tells her that a man was hit by a train and died at his station the previous night, and that both he and the conductor, Kang Tae-ho (Park Jae-han), witnessed the event. When Na-young interviews the conductor, he’s acting strange. The man claims that he saw a child under the platform, and is mumbling “It won’t come off”, pointing to a horrifying-looking child sitting on his shoulder, scratching his neck with their fingers. And then the man starts to mumble the number 0329 over and over again. Na-young doesn’t see anything, but writes her article about the ghost child, which is a viral success. The readers report more strange deaths at the station, involving mysterious numbers, scratches on hands and faces, and stories of ghost children. As Na-young continues to investigate and write her articles, she talks with the eerie coroner, and to the conductor’s sister, Tae-hee (Shin So-yul). She starts to see the horrible visions herself, and realizes that that something dark and sinister happened years ago at the site of the station, and that there is some some of supernatural grudge involved. She must figure out how to appease the spirits and help them find peace, or she could end up the next cursed victim.
The Ghost Station feels like a blend of elements from The Ring and The Grudge franchises, where something happens to pass along a curse from person to person, causing them to be haunted by a deadly supernatural force with a grudge, and our lead must figure out what’s going on before she becomes the next target/victim. The film starts off with creepy prologue to set the tone, before jumping back one month to follow Na-young and Woo-won as they investigate the haunted Seoul train station. There is this fun relationship between the friends, and the film does a nice job of slowly revealing the details as both the characters and the viewer try to figure out what’s actually going on. There are plenty of creepy sights and jump scares as the bloody, decomposed children attack their cursed victims, and suddenly and unexpectedly appear in reflections. There are some interesting twists and turns, and the story kept my interest—I really enjoyed how things played out in the film’s final act.
Well Go’s Blu-ray only offers the film in its original Korean language. However, I found the English subtitles to be well-written and easy to follow. The soundtrack is quite immersive, providing a nice general ambiance for the subway tunnel and platform, a tense and sometimes startling score (which is used effectively for the jump scares), and filling the room as the ghost children let out ear-piercing screams. The picture is clean and clear, with a eerie color palette, and providing a solid level of detail throughout, even during the film’s darker sequences (and there are plenty).
Well Go’s Blu-ray release is a barebones, just including the film’s trailer and some previews for three other Well Go films as bonus material. The Blu-ray comes packed in a locking HD keepcase. There is no digital copy, but our review copy did include a nice cardboard slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:20:29)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: Korean 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Korean Stereo
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
- Trailer (1:22)
- Previews
- A Creature Was Stirring (2:05)
- The Childe (1:26)
- Monster (2:28)
Final Thoughts:
The Ghost Station is a solid thriller that should appeal to fans of the J-Horror genre, though the story may feel a bit familiar. The leads are quite likable, and I enjoyed investigating this creepy mystery along with them. The film does a nice job of ratcheting up the tension and giving some jump scares along the way. Well Go’s Blu-ray features solid picture and sound, but is barebones when it comes to bonus material. Worth a look for horror fans.
The Ghost Station
$19.49 $11.99 (as of October 31, 2024 11:56 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Ghost Station
$8.99 $8.81 (as of October 31, 2024 11:56 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
