Bloody Reunion – Review

This may not be the be all end all of horror films, but what Bloody Reunion has going for it is that it tells an original storyline instead of being yet another Ringu or Ju-on rip-off. Six of Mrs Parks ex-students are invited by her caregiver to Mrs Parks secluded home to cheer up the sickly wheelchair bound woman. 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! Of course, there is bitter feelings to go with fond recollections and in the end, the bitterness prevails. All sorts of mayhem takes place leaving you wondering who the heck is holding such a grudge.

Taking its cues from the slasher genre, Bloody Reunion is a creative and surprising film. There are raw nerves, trauma, and blood-soaked vengeance seething just under the seemingly cordial surface. 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. However, it isn’t all good, and my first nitpick would have to be the predictibility of the killer. One other issue I have with Bloody Reunion is the camera work. There are a few times in the film where the camera zooms in and out constantly within a matter of seconds, leaving the viewer disoriented.

While, Bloody Reunion has an interesting set up my problem was there was no sense of dread and doom lingering. I never got that feeling something bad was gonna happen. This obviously, varies by whom is watching it but I am no stranger to the horror genre. Asian horror isn’t really known for their gore these days, but I have noticed they are getting a little bit more violent. Bloody Reunion has some violent murder scenes and while they are cool looking I just wasn’t all that interested. The second half is when things pick up and the killer starts knocking off all the characters one by one. 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, despite my nitpicks.

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. 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. With an ample amount of gore, solid performances, yet an unsurprising twist ending, Bloody Reunion is an above average, smart and engaging slasher that lives up to its title. It is yet another superb example of Korean horror which should be added to your collection.