The country known for K-pop and K-dramas these days continues to make horror. A lot of it, in fact. Unfortunately for those who neither speak Korean nor have direct access, most of these many new “K-Horrors” go unwatched on a large scale. The international distribution just isn’t as undiscriminating as once before. Nevertheless, a recent box-office hit has now made its way across the pond, and while the movie is still playing in domestic theaters. However, does Salmokji: Whispering Water live up to all the hype? Not quite, but even still, there is enough here to keep the movie on your radars once its reach expands.
Salmokji, which is named after the dreaded location within the story, doesn’t waste any time. Right after the requisite opening death, the movie gets straight to work. A road-view filming crew must reshoot footage after complaints come in about a strange image caught on camera: what looks to be a ghost appears in one shot of the reservoir. The area in question is already surrounded with superstition, so the crew must act quickly.
As it’s soon explained in a bit of an info-dump, the name “Salmokji” refers to the crossroad between life and death. This is because the reservoir is said to have been built on top of a mass graveyard. So you can already see where this is going. Regardless of your expectations, though, Lee Sang-min’s movie picks up in both speed and entertainment once we’re past the well-worn setup.
Leading that cast of employees destined for supernatural menace is Kim Hye-yoon. There’s no question that her character, Su-in, has a bigger part to play in this sinister situation, as that’s all but announced upon the characters’ arrival. What she has to do with the imminent terror, though, is more straightforward than one might like. Generally speaking, there are directions Salmokji could have gone with the script, based on plot breadcrumbs and developments, but it ultimately decided on a different path. The outcome is, nonetheless, an experience that demands your attention, as well as begs questions.
It’s not long after the crew shows up that the otherworldly events begin, and the players are assigned their foreseeable roles (victim, survivor). This is, after all, a 90-something minute movie. Don’t go into it thinking there will be a lot of time for character development. Spoiler alert: there is none. The main attraction here should really be that no-breaks story of folk-horror surrealism and ghostly suspense that plays out over one night, as opposed to days or weeks. That sense of urgency in Salmokji is appreciated, if you’re looking to stay engaged. Where the movie starts to take on more water is once you try to find logic in the dilemma. Thinking too hard about the diegetic mythos will only lead to confusion.
Salmokji isn’t doing anything new with the “trapped in one place” genre of ghost stories. Even so, it’s a well-made bit of commercial horror that keeps you on your toes and, most likely, scratching your head. To one’s surprise, it messes with your perception, which compensates for the movie’s less impressive bits.
Salmokji: Whispering Water is now playing in select U.S. theaters.
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