Unwanted visitors bring bad juju in fantasy-horror Guest
by javabeans
If eerily moody thrillers are your bag, keep your eyes peeled for Guest, a movie set in 1950s Korea in a tiny unmapped village where strange things begin happening after the arrival of a father (Ryu Seung-ryong) and his son. Based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the film is described as a fantasy-horror, and the trailer below provides an excellent example of making things creepy not because of what they show, but what they don’t. It’s all up to our imaginations to fill in the blanks, and as it turns out, our imaginations are terrible things. At least I know mine is.
In the poster above, the tagline reads: “In the 1950s. A rural village that isn’t on any map. One day, a guest arrived.” The second teaser bears the copy: “After an uninvited guest arrives, what will happen to you all?” Um, we all live happily ever after? …no?
Just to make things more unsettling, the film’s producers explained the origins of the word for guest, which in Korean is son-nim. “Son” was the name given to a ghost believed to interfere with people’s activities, and the honorific suffix -nim was then attached. Superstitions persist about avoiding Son on certain important events, such as weddings, leading to the practice of choosing wedding dates on auspicious days where Son would not be present.
In the film, the villagers eye traveling musician Ryu Seung-ryong with distrust, viewing him as an unlucky presence. They agree when he asks to spend just a night there, but nobody looks happy about it. The copy reads, “A day where daytime has no sun, and nighttime has no moon.” Lee Sung-min (Misaeng) plays the village leader, while Lee Joon (Heard It Through the Grapevine) and Chun Woo-hee (Han Gong-ju) play residents of the mysterious village. Lee Joon asks, “It isn’t that… is it?” I really don’t want to know what that is, do I?
Guest is set for a July release.
Via E News 24
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Tags: Chun Woo-hee, Lee Joon, Lee Sung-min, Ryu Seung-ryong
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1 kanz
June 1, 2015 at 7:16 AM
Why I even get goosebumps reading the news alone? *shudder*
Thriller/horror is not my cup of tea, but the casts are really talented.. *torn*
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2 zakin89
June 1, 2015 at 7:26 AM
Give me! GIVE ME NOW! This is so right up my alley and I can't wait for it to be released (though the waiting for subs will be tiring -.-)!
That cast alone ♥_♥ Ryu Seung Ryong is one of my faves anyway as is Lee Sung Min (who looks really good with grey hair might I add!) and then the fangirl in me is always happy to get more Lee Joon :) Chun Woo Hee I've only seen in Han Gong Ju but she was awesome there (the whole movie was great - depressing but great) so I'm excited to see more of her as well!
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3 redfox
June 1, 2015 at 7:30 AM
loving the textiles btw
ghost, monsters - metal.
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4 Jelly
June 1, 2015 at 7:38 AM
I normally avoid horror movies at all costs (i want to have a peaceful sleep thank you very much) but this movie (the teaser at least) seems intriguing and the line up!!!! Oh god i love the line up. I may give this a try when it comes out ?
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5 magnet
June 1, 2015 at 8:02 AM
The casts alone hooked me! What's exactly that fantasy-horror? So, we're gonna see Ryu Seung-ryong vs Lee Sung Min. Who will got the Daesang? lol The storyline is very interesting and promising.
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6 toni
June 1, 2015 at 8:06 AM
Goosebumps just reading the synopsis and looking at the group poster. I'm definitely a lover of eerie horror stories than those with horror stories that makes use of visuals for the scary factor. Really onboard with this! I just hope someone subs this sigh
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7 Nana
June 1, 2015 at 8:35 AM
No thanks. I really do not want to know what it is..
You have to pay me to watch this even in daytime..
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8 tweetpandora
June 1, 2015 at 8:37 AM
Too much of a wimp to even watch the trailer... creeped out by JB's description already. I value my sleep way too much.
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9 mskololia1
June 1, 2015 at 8:40 AM
Seems like an offspring of Moss and Bedevilled. Thanks for the news.
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10 kV
June 1, 2015 at 9:04 AM
I shouldn't have read this in the dark. I love the cast and I too prefer horror stories like this. Will definitely check this out in broad daylight.
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11 museofmanymasks
June 1, 2015 at 9:09 AM
Ohhh I always wanted to see someone put a darker spin to the Pied Piper story! I can count the number of horrors I've seen on one hand, but I'm game for this. Right now, I'm more freaked out by the rats than whatever *that* might be. And that giant beetle... *shudder*
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12 cingdoc
June 1, 2015 at 9:16 AM
Like some of you, I am too scared to even watch the trailer. I love both Ryu Seung Ryong and Lee Sung Min but the last scary Korean ( drama) I watched was Joseon X Files( a excellent production by the way).... through my fingers.
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bd5
June 1, 2015 at 7:59 PM
Thought of Joseon X-Files while watching the trailer.
Have high hopes that this will be as good as Joseon X-Files based on the trailer and the excellent cast.
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13 Quiet Thought
June 1, 2015 at 9:29 AM
Beautiful woodland setting, low-key horror. hopefully a thoughtful script. Sounds good.
The lady in the middle of the trailer doing a Three Stooges backwards fall is kind of odd. But probably makes sense in context.
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14 Jenny
June 1, 2015 at 9:41 AM
This looks interesting, well the original Pied Pier story isn't very nice either.
As the town refuses to pay the piper takes his revenge by calling all the children to a river where they all drown except one who couldn't keep up. Fairytales are quite grim really when they haven't been Disneyfied
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15 trav
June 1, 2015 at 10:35 AM
Damn that teaser is scary!
I don't like horrors but if this is fantasy-horror thriller (stressing fantasy here), I'm all in.
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16 Nikilann
June 1, 2015 at 11:03 AM
Wow. It had been a while since a trailer made me feel such a thrill !
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17 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 1, 2015 at 12:13 PM
wow, this looks terrifying and right up my alley.
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18 monda
June 1, 2015 at 12:14 PM
Okay I may watch the movie with a bunch of friends at home in a bright daylight. But the problem right now.. I'm a scardy cat and I've just read this in bed with lights off.. I was actuality getting ready to sleep... maaamaaaa!!!
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19 SilentSquee
June 1, 2015 at 1:56 PM
Ack! I'm passing on this one... already scared by the trailer. Is it just me or does Lee Joon look like Ji Hyun Woo in this? Could've sworn it was Kim Bong Do picking up the knife 20 seconds in.
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SilentSquee
June 1, 2015 at 1:58 PM
*Boong Do
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20 blueribbon
June 1, 2015 at 3:00 PM
I will watch this for lee sung-min I love him since Misaeng.
Also not to be pessimistic but the cat scene in the trailer bothered me. I have heard that Korea doesn't have animal protection laws when making films. I watched the good the bad and the weird the other day, excellent action scenes by the way, and read that 4 horses where killed in the filming of the Manchuria desert chase. I know the U.S. doesn't have a clean record but now at least they try to go by the law.
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21 Jyyjc
June 1, 2015 at 4:49 PM
I'm guessing some supernatural magical mystical scary being comes to take a child away or two. Or three. Or Ryu seung rong being a musician and all means he's the pied piper which may mean he's gonna be possessed by an evil spirit and kills/abducts a child.
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22 Daehoney
June 1, 2015 at 5:15 PM
Watching after reading the synopsis makes it less scary, imo. I'm more intrigued than scared. The line up is no joke, wonder what made those talented actors agreed to do this, it must be good.
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23 earthna
June 1, 2015 at 6:45 PM
I don't even like horror films but this one is calling me in. I'd watch it even without subs.
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24 pinktape
June 1, 2015 at 8:14 PM
I hate horror movies with a passion, but this completely intrigued me! The premise alone seems very eerie-scary and it already gives me goose bumps just by reading the explanation about this movie.
And the fact that they add "-nim" after Son just makes it even scarier. Or is it just me?
I'm currently torn between clicking the trailer and ruin my good night sleep or not clicking it and have all the sleep in the world but bearing all these curiosities!
P.S. The cast is soooo tempting. I may end up watching this, risking my peaceful sleep (and possibly life)
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25 HANI
June 1, 2015 at 9:14 PM
Demmit... shouldn't watch that trailer. July release means next year on DVD I think...? Which is sucks since I want to watch it now~
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26 witty_biped
June 2, 2015 at 12:29 AM
ooh this looks fun ?
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27 Julia Fitri
June 2, 2015 at 5:34 AM
HOLY CRAP. I got goosebumps.
Did they kill his kid? Is he going to kill all of them? WHAT DID THEY DO TO THE CAT???? NOOOOO.
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28 Kayg
June 2, 2015 at 8:06 AM
I don't even dare to watch the trailer... Lol tho I must say the poster looks awesomeeee .. Ahhh Ryu Seung Ryong.. Has been loving him ever since miracleeee in no.7 ! And Lee Seung Min?!!! With that gray hairrr ! Haha still looking awesomeee tho
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29 Every Idol's Noona
June 2, 2015 at 7:52 PM
The baby and the rat... so disturbing. I'M IN!
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30 mary
June 2, 2015 at 9:31 PM
Cannot watch trailer. Your writeup already gave me goosebumps...
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31 Asterido
June 3, 2015 at 7:58 AM
Shoot.
i can't bring myself to push the play button. I hate horror movies, esp the asian ones.
too relevant.
Shudder.
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