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critics consensus

Restrained but disturbing, A Tale of Two Sisters is a creepily effective, if at times confusing, horror movie. Read critic reviews

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A Tale of Two Sisters Photos

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Movie Info

After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Korean teen Su-mi (Yeom Jeong-ah) reunites with her beloved sister, Su-yeon (Su-jeong Lim), and they return to live at their country home. The girls' widower father (Mun Geun-yeong) has remarried, and the siblings are immediately resentful of his new wife, Eun-joo (Kap-su Kim). As Su-mi and Su-yeon try to resume their regular lives, strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.
  • Rating:
    R (Some Violence|Disturbing Images)
  • Genre:
    mystery and thriller, horror
  • Original Language:
    Korean
  • Director:
    Kim Jee-woon
  • Writer:
    Kim Jee-woon
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:

Cast & Crew

Yeom Jeong-ah
Eun-joo
Kap-su Kim
Bae Moo-hyeon
Mun Geun-yeong
Bae Soo-yeon
Su-jeong Lim
Soo-mi Bae
Kim Jee-woon
Director
Kim Jee-woon
Writer

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Critic Reviews for A Tale of Two Sisters

All Critics (60) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (9)

  • The atmosphere of mounting dread is matched by just-right performances, design and camerawork.

    June 24, 2006 | Full Review…
    Time Out

  • This is a carefully structured film about grief and guilt, as well as horror. They don't resolve every disturbing moment or confusing element: they leave some questions hauntingly unanswered.

    January 17, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

    Philippa Hawker

    The Age (Australia)

  • The film feels haunted by the relationship between Im and Moon, who cling to each other in the face of a hostile hostess, even though that may not be their best option.

    September 26, 2005

    Noel Murray

    AV Club

  • There's more rank dread and inscrutable mystery in any one scene of this South Korean psychological thriller than in all the American horror films of the past 10 years.

    March 13, 2005 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Marc Savlov

    Austin Chronicle

  • There's a reason why Hollywood has been so busy in recent years remaking Asian horror movies. Scare for scare, they're generally better.

    February 25, 2005 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Renee Graham

    Boston Globe

  • It may not be a pretty picture, but A Tale of Two Sisters is definitely a satisfying piece of less-is-more cinematic horror.

    January 30, 2005 | Rating: 3/4

    Jennie Punter

    Globe and Mail
View All Critic Reviews (60)

Audience Reviews for A Tale of Two Sisters

  • Aug 15, 2017
    A Tale of Two Sisters, ladies and gentlemen, is now my favourite horror film. I took some time to reflect (after an hour of calming down) and without a doubt I can honestly say this is a masterpiece. Yes yes yes yes YES! Words cannot describe how flipping perfect this film is. I'm not even going to detail the plot, just take my advice and watch it immediately. As I was entranced I kept thinking "...this all seems too familiar...", then it clicked. Hollywood remade this with a film called The Uninvited (underrated but inferior nonetheless). Interestingly that film only used one plot twist and is not half as creepy. I've never felt so terrified in all my life. Something about Asian ghost girls just...gives me nightmares. Two scenes in particular: one involves one of the sisters dreaming where a woman is clawing at the floor beside her bed and the other is towards the end and is set in a freezing room. Holy sweet mother of...*ahem* it physically made me hide behind a cushion. That's never happened to me before. Asian horror films are miles ahead of Hollywood. Kim Jee-Woon was stylish and made the tale extremely visual as opposed to masses of dialogue. The slow camera movements when scenes start to edge towards the horror direction and having every character move slower than paint drying, incredibly effective and unnerving. Not one, not two, but three "Oh My God!" moments where I literally flipped out in awe and excitement. Carefully constructed characters and a palpable sisterly bond between Su-Mi and Su-Yeon. Acting was incredible all round. The musical score was appropriately used, upbeat in the more cheerful moments and muted in the tense scenes. You think your step-mother was scary and/or evil? You've seen nothing yet. This woman is the definition of ominous, mental and most definitely haunting. In fact the whole experience was haunting and I cannot wait to watch it again. Easily, without a doubt, A Tale of Two Sisters gets the perfect rating. Definitely experience this, then give The Uninvited a watch and compare.
    Luke A Super Reviewer
  • May 18, 2014
    Unfolding like a Grimm fairy tale channeled through David Lynch, A Tale of Two Sisters is dreamlike, haunting, and thought provoking. Some of its plot points are disjointed. but the film works overall as a ghost story mixed with psychological thriller.
    Edward B Super Reviewer
  • Mar 26, 2014
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]
    Directors C Super Reviewer
  • Jul 15, 2012
    The initial twist isn't that surprising, but what it builds to in the final scenes is quite disturbing in a way I was not prepared for. There are some truly haunting shots in this thing.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

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