Spotlight on South Korean Horror

Ghosts of the not-too-distant past come back to haunt in this season of South Korean horror, where the past never stays buried.

South Korean horror took shape in the aftermath of the Korean War, a period of rapid social change and innovative filmmaking. A new era of economic progress followed, but the repressive military regime and anxieties around shifting gender roles lingered in the collective unconscious. These ghosts of the not-too-distant past found their perfect outlet in horror.

Compared to other nations, the genre found its footing late, in the 1960s, with The Housemaid, a domestic horror about an upper-class family who come undone when a predatory housemaid enters their lives. Soon after came 1965’s A Bloodthirsty Killer, whose lurid tale of wronged women and angry ghosts put a fresh twist on a classic template.

From there, South Korean horror found new fears to feed on: lingering interventions from foreign powers, stark economic inequalities and a past that just won’t stay buried.

This season showcases the genre’s eclectic take on familiar tropes, including the Australian premiere of the new 4K restoration of Bong Joon Ho’s The Host; The Wailing from Na Hong Jin, director of Hope; and Seoul Station, the animated prequel to zombie blockbuster Train to Busan.

Join us in the cinema and see why these ghosts keep coming back.

Spiro Economopoulos, ACMI Film & TV Curator