[br]
The Eye
Starring Lee Sin-je, Lawrence Chou and Candy Lo Hau-yum
Directed by Danny and Oxide Pang
Written by Jo Jo Yuet-chun Hui & Pang Brothers
Panorama Entertainment
With the recent popularity of Japanese films like Ringu, Battle Royale, Audition, Kairo and Uzumaki, it seems like Asian films are the talk of Horrortown and we at Rue Morgue are certainly no exception. That’s right, Asian horror is all the rage, kids, and The Pang Brothers have now legitimized Hong Kong as the apex of all things good and frightening with their most recent collaborative effort, The Eye.
Danny and Oxide Pang are identical twins who swept the Thai Academy Awards with their stylish gangster film debut, Bangkok Dangerous (1999), about a deaf mute hitman. This time they assault the senses with The Eye, a frightening supernatural thriller that delivers the scares every chance it gets.
Munn (Sin-je) lost her eyesight at the age of two and undergoes a groundbreaking corneal transplant surgery to regain it. Her life soon becomes a waking nightmare from which she can’t escape, as she begins to experience phenomena that human eyes are not meant to see: along with the gift of sight, Munn has inherited a curse that enables her to see and communicate with the dead. Teamed up with her psychologist and lumbering love interest Dr. Lo (Chou), she ventures to Thailand to uncover the mysterious origin of the donated extra sensory corneas. The second half of the film is less enthusiastic and loses some of its scare momentum by focusing on the developing narrative. But it works towards a fatalistic and surprising ending as Munn struggles to free herself from the fate her new eyes have imposed upon her.
The premise isn’t exactly novel. We are all familiar with films in this genre about recently transplanted parts taking control of their new hosts along with “seeing dead people”. It is clearly emotive of films like The Sixth Sense, The Mothman Prophecies as well as The Others. But where The Eye diverges from those pictures is in its style, not to mention frights-a-plenty. It boasts a visual panache and haunting use of sound that is both intimidating and emotional.
The most disturbing sequences combine subtle visual effects, clever claustrophobic camera work and intense sonic distortion. Not to mention a fantastic score by Orange Music. This combination of stylish cinematic devices allows us to see through Munn’s terrified eyes. It’s distressing and achieves its purpose – to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention.
The Eye is definitely a triumph of style over substance but, nevertheless, it’s been far too long since I’ve been genuinely spooked by a horror film. It has already picked up several foreign awards and an American remake (a la The Ring) is already on the horizon from Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s C/W Productions and Paramount distributing.
If you have yet to experience The Eye, I suggest you procure yourself a copy as soon as possible. It’s available region-free from Panorama Entertainment. Although lacking extras, it has a nice transfer and the DTS audio option is excellent. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume and sleep with one eye open.

Jen Vuckovic, Rue Morgue Magazine