PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Yes, it’s me, your friendly neighborhood Asian film lover, back again with another film review. This time out we have a Korean thriller directed by first-timer Kang Park: Seire.
Seire (2023) Synopsis
In the 21 days after a new baby’s birth, people must take the utmost care and strangers aren’t allowed to visit to protect the child from bad luck. New father Woojin goes to an old girlfriend’s funeral without telling his wife and experiences a series of horrific misfortunes afterward.
We meet Woo-jin (Seo Hyn-woo) and his wife Hae-mi (Sim Eun-woo) and possibly the cutest baby on planet Earth. Their home is draped with ropes, feathers, wood, and other protective objects. Hae-mi’s mother even forbids her other daughter from entering the home until the 21 days are up. Woo-jin goes along with all the rules, but it’s clear that he is a skeptic. But then he gets a text that a former girlfriend, Se-young has died, and (against Hae-mi’s wishes), he attends the funeral. But has he unleashed a curse on them all?
Let’s talk about what works first: The two leads are great, especially Seo Hyn-woo, who gets pulled in two different directions the entire movie. I also thought that the dream sequences were beautifully shot and very creepy.
Now for what doesn’t work: I love a good slow burn too, but even at 1 hour 42 minutes Seire felt way too long. While the film eventually reached an interesting and satisfying conclusion, it spent entirely too much time getting there.
This film is a mixed bag. I just don’t feel personally that it delivers enough for me to recommend it. But I will still keep an eye out to see what this director has in store for the future.
