Bloodtype Online

            "Arang" is yet another Asian supernatural themed thriller that possesses enough unique qualities to be entertaining but not enough to stand out from the pack. "Arang" is another Tartan Asia Extreme release and is directed by Ahn Sang Hoon with stars Song Yoon Ah and Lee Dong Wook. The film is subtitled and, obviously, the director and actors would not be familiar to American audiences.

            The story follows two detectives, So-Young (Yoon Ah) and Hyun-Ki (Dong Wook), who are following a series of murders. So-Young is a seasoned veteran homicide detective as Hyun-Ki is a rookie who comes off as timid and inexperienced. The victims of the murders all suffered from some form of acid which internally consumed their bodies. As the partners delve into their investigation, they uncover the trail to another mysterious death that happened in the past that all of the victims are somehow linked to.

            From a technical aspect the film is well put together. The cinematography, direction, score, and screenplay all flow together in a very professional manner. This is not low budget fare produced by amateurs by any means. The acting, also, does not hurt the final product. The main players all do well in their parts and even in a foreign language all of the actors portray their characters convincingly.

            The problem I had with this movie was mainly within the plot. Nothing within the mechanics of the story was anything very original. As I stated in the opening sentence of this review, there were some aspects of originality which kept things interesting but the main backbone of the story seemed cliché with the numerous supernatural Asian and Japanese films like this. Between all of the American remakes of Asian ghost films and the original films themselves, there has been such a surplus of this kind of movie that it is hard for one like this to make its own mark.

            In the end, I think that "Arang" is worth a watch if you're a fan of Asian ghost films. Some of the aspects that it portrays, such as focusing heavily on the detectives and forensics, are refreshing to the "Asian ghost" sub-genre.  If you're not a fan, though, you may have a hard time getting into this. In continuing to not spoil any of this film, I will just say that there are numerous scenes that will remind viewers of some of its previously mentioned predecessors. The DVD special features boasts cool "Making Of" and "Behind the Scenes" featurettes among additional commentary, interviews, and deleted scenes. The bottom line is that this is an average film that is worth a look for hardcore fans of this sub-genre.

Rating - **