Asian horror’s ghosts seemingly bring an extra level of creep. Even just sitting in a reservoir, getting soggy, they carry that aura. Salmokji is a real place in Korea renowned for hauntings and there is a strong focus on localized lore likely lost on audiences.
The shamanistic practices the film depicts might make sense, but it seems like the director just chose elements in a ritualistic ad lib. There’s an exposition shaman that shows up to explain the mechanisms, but she just kind of vanishes without delivering any clarification and is never seen again. The rules and mythology are as murky as the reservoir’s waters and don’t really seem relevant, as these ghosts are going to do whatever they want. If they find you in the water, they’ll drag you down. Gone. No catharsis, no comfort, no way out. What emerges is something else.
The film mixes in elements of found footage, but with reason and purpose. These are video surveyors, on the clock when they arrive. They have a job to do, and bosses are unsympathetic to the superstitious. But they get new and interesting toys to play with. This movie introduces some unique camera variants for the found footage elements.
These aren’t characters that all like each other, more forced into a working relationship. But they do work together, challenge each other, and try to keep each other from making stupid decisions. Try being the operative word. It doesn’t stop any of them. And it certainly doesn’t help, because these ghosts are mean and seemingly invent new powers at whim. The last act can get baffling, as reality and the character experiences stop aligning, but
As it stands, this isn’t exactly top-shelf for Asian horror, but still delivers the goods. Creepy location with malicious ghosts. Plentiful jump scares and grisly sights. There’s a playful bleakness that infuses the atmosphere and an uncompromising nihilism. Even weaker entries in the genre still manage to give decent chills, and this is an entertaining watch that will make you yearn for an absorbent towel.