Face
(2004)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Standard in the Asian supernatural film is a ghastly female image with long black hair, white garb and a menacing pair of eyes. Face, the newest supernatural thriller from Korea, is no different than the usual staple of ghost films in that it has the same figure tormenting the main character throughout the film. However, Face differs from the crowd of increasingly trite Asian offerings in that this ghost is just a sideshow in what was an incredibly well made serial killer film.

Hyun-Min (Hyeon-jun Shin) is a facial reconstrucor for the police departmetn who specializes in identifying John and Jane Doe's by creating a face for their bare bones. Fed up with the amount of time he has to dedicate to his work, and overly concerned about his ill daughter Jin, Hyun-Min hands in his resignation. His daughter suffers from a mystery illness that is attributed to the recent heart transplant that she received, and Hyun-Min will do anything to save her, especially after he ignored (for the sake of his work) his wife's fatal illness.

One day, an associate(Yun-a Song) from his former institution shows up at his doorstep with a fourth skull from a series of serial murders happening in the area. Persistant, she pushes Hyun-Min to undertake the reconstruction of the skull's face so that the family may be at peace knowing their kin's fate. Reluctant at first, Hyun-Min ultimately gives into his work but only because he begins having strange visions of a ghastly woman once the skull had arrived. His daughter Jin is having the same visions, and her health begins to deteriorate rapidly after each successive experience. Hyun-Min's newfound associate begins to form a bond with his daughter and encourages him to finish the reconstruction of the skull for her sake. This leads Hyun-Min to believe that the skull belongs to his daughter's heart donor, and that the organ is part of a black market scheme that is some way related to the killer. All leads to the killer begin pointing towards the doctor that performs these rare heart operations, and the further Hyun-Min goes into reconstructing the skull, the more of the story gets revealed.

Initially, Face can be viewed as a spooky Grudge knock-off, with many of the same sound effects and imagery associated. However, as the movie develops the viewer is treated to a more sophisticated series of FX shots and plot development. What begins as a ghost story eventually switches gears into a superb Killer/Thriller where the viewer is often led into a dark dismal place offering no solutions to the movie's puzzles. Both Shin and Song deliver solid performances that leave the viewer questioning both their motivations and outcomes within the movie.

As mentioned earlier, the ghastly aborrition is not a feature - but a side show in the film. I got the feeling that director Yoo was utilizing the ghost as a vehicle for the plot about halfway through the film, and was pleasantly surprised to see the way it was used to bring closure. Although the ghost is used in many scare tactic moments, it does not draw from the main storyline which develops steadily throughout the film into a very peculiar serial killer flick. A bit deceiving initially, Face delivers a healthy punch to the viewer's umm.. face once the sub plots begin drawing together.

I highly recommend this film for those that enjoy the Asian supernatural theme, but like me, are getting a bit tired of the "haunted media" gimmick. Face offers up a chilling story, coupled with excellent acting performances and a twist in the film that will leave you slack jawed for a good period of time after it ends.