Movie Review: Spider Forest (2004)
Kang Min (Kam Woo-Sung), a line producer for a schlocky “true paranormal” television show, finds himself in a dark forest, headed for an isolated house. Inside, he finds blood and destruction. He sees the repeatedly stabbed body of his boss, and then finds his lover Hwang Su-yeong (Kang Kyeong-hyeon) dying and babbling about spiders. At this point, he detects another presence in the house, presumably the killer.
Kang Min gives chase, only to be stunned with a blow to the head. Dazed, Kang Min finds his way into a nearby highway tunnel, where he glimpses the presumed murderer again. Before he can act on this, Kang Min is hit by an SUV. He awakens fourteen days later in the hospital.
His acquaintance Choi, a police officer, is called in, and when Kang Min tells him about the murders, Choi is assigned to investigate. Kang Min reveals the events that led up to that night in the woods in fragments of memory, dream and possibly hallucination. Some of what he remembers may not be true.
This is a low-budget psychological thriller from Korea, meant to cash in on the wave of films such as Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. As such, it’s sporadically violent and frequently bloody. There’s also several sex scenes, and the film got an “R” rating in the United States. It’s also mostly shot in dark and dimly-lit locations, with characters whispering their lines (thank goodness for subtitles!)
The story of the film is deliberately confusing, according to director Song Il-gong. He started by writing a linear script that fully explained what was going on in a way that made logical sense, then cut out as much of it as possible and still have a narrative. (There are a few deleted scenes on the DVD that fill in some of the gaps, but don’t really explain more of what’s really going on.)
Due to the darkness, whispered dialogue and jigsaw puzzle plot, this is not a movie I recommend for late night viewing. It’s best when you’re fully alert and able to give it some concentration. I do not recommend the film for anyone who hates jigsaw puzzle plots or mind screws.
