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south korean horror/thriller movies with sapphic undertones

After my korean/japanese horror movie marathon I've realized there are several South Korean "horror" movies with sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious lesbian undertones. Some scenes and dialogues can be explained by best friend situations others have it written all over them with capital bold letters.

 


"whispering corridors" series in 1998.
all 4 movies of the series are set in girl's school.

1. Whispering Corridors (Original Title: Yeogo goedam, 1998)

Set in an all-girls high school, the movie depicts the life of high school students in South Korea, dealing with bullies, abusive teachers and pressure to get good grades. The horror starts when teacher and students commit suicide and somehow the new teacher and two students are involved.
In the end it turns out that everything happened because of lost "friendship".




2. Memento Mori, 1999


Two of the main characters are actually a couple in this movie and the other students are talking behind their backs. Then one of them jumps off the school's roof. Another girl finds her diary and through flashbacks we're told what happened.

there's already a thread: Memento Mori

3. Wishing Stairs, 2003


This one is set in a ballet school. Again the 2 main characters (played by Song Ji Hyo and Park Han Byul) are best friends at the beginning but a competition brings out the worst in one of them, resulting in the death of the other. Brought back by the "wishing stairs" the ghost of the dead girl returns to haunt the school.
Although it's not explicit as "memento mori" it's pretty obvious that the dead girl was in love with her best friend stating "all i want is you".



4. Voice aka Voice Letter, 2005

A student (Kim Ok Bin) who practices singing alone in school is mysteriously murdered but her ghost is still here. The next day only her best friend (Seo Ji Hye) notices that something is wrong. She discovers that she an hear her dead friend's voice. Together they try to solve the mystery but the story turns out complicated, involving a rumored lesbian teacher and a former student who committed suicide.



Nightmare (Original Title: Gawi, 2000)


Six friends of Hye-Jin are being killed one by one. Is this the work of the vengeful spirit of a girl who committed suicide because of them?
This movie has an interesting story though the "special effects" are sometimes just comical.
Kim Guy Ri who plays Hye-Jin also starred in Whispering Corridors. this was the first movie for Ha Ji Won.


lectra's picture

here are screencaps of the

here are screencaps of the movies.

 

SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!

 

 

 

Whispering Corridors

when your day starts like this...

 

creepy perverted teacher behind ya

 

something's just wrong with the way the principle fumbles the student's nameplate

 

1989 reflecting in the window

 

cuddling after near death experience

 

 

 

Memento Mori

happy days...

 

still happy

 

that's not so good...

 

just run away, don't look what's behind the door!

 

 

 

Wishing Stairs

they are always friends in the beginning

 

bff!

 

yeah! just best friends...

 

saranghae (= i love you in korean) she's making a heart shape with her arms, in case you're wondering.

 

let the ugliness beginn

 

...

 

i'm not worried about the good looking ghost, but that i see double...

 

sometimes a ghost also needs a hug

 

 

 

Voice Letter

guess who the ghost is?

 

 

student + teacher + gym shower = ?

 

again... you don't need know who this creepy creature is, just run!

 

Bomi's picture

ahhh sapphic Korean horror cinema

I remember watching most of these movies in undergrad with my roommate and her asking me about the sapphic undertones. To this day all I can say is ," Woman scorned?" because I still don't understand. However it could be that right now in the cultural climate this is one of the only ways for visibility? I'm just grasping at straws.
lectra's picture

i guess it is one way for

i guess it is one way for visibility right now in south east asian societies. but in these movies one girl always dies...

 

SPOILER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING SCREEN CAPS!

 

here the screencaps for Nightmare

have to say, one of the scariest opening scenes. it has to do with her eyes.

 

cute little ghost ;-)

 

not so cute now...

 

Eun Ju and Hye Jin

Hye Jin gives Eun Ju a ring for being the successor as the director of the college's rose garden. But Eun Ju thinks it's a couple's ring...

 

well it doesn't end so well for Eun Ju

 

happy end? eun ju comes back as a ghost and wants to be with Hye Jin 4ever.

Bomi's picture

You really like the screen caps don't you?

One thing I can say about asians, we are far creepier when we want to be. ^.^
nimbo's picture

I've seen Wishing stairs

I've seen Wishing stairs and was def thinking "heyyy wait a minute, aren't there.. noo.. wait there is!" about the whole lesbian vibe lol  

Haven't seen the other ones but you know sapphic undertones in a movie can never go wrong =p

 

"Please tell me your real name, would you?"

"My...My name is.."

Kaon and Himiko. <3

Bomi's picture

i nearly forgot

The wishing stairs is also called Yeowoo gyedan in Korean which means fox stairs. The movie was parodied in a japanese anime called School Rumble if i'm correct. But whats interesting is that alot of times whenever we see creepy school girls we often say Yeowoo Gyedan now.
broadstairs's picture

I've never seen all these film

before but South Korean movie is very famous in Thailand (actually everything about South Korean's famous here).

Reading your comment make me wanna watch it even I don't normally watch horror or thriller.


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