I went in expecting one of these soldiers facing something supernatural that turns them on each other using their hidden secret/fears kind of story. However the South Korean made feature 'G.P. 506 aka The Guard Post' virtually keeps the same get-up, but takes on a refreshing angle using a different kind of threat and for the majority of the time it's an effective gimmick.
An army investigator is put in charge of a soldier unit to find out what happened at G.P. 506 (and to possibly cover it up), which saw the original team brutally massacred by one of its own (well that's what it seems?) and what this second team uncovers is something terrifyingly devastating.
It's an unusual, but immensely unpredictable military horror/mystery story covering its bases in an interestingly progressive non-linear narrative that constantly moves between present time and flashbacks in a very muddled fashion. At times it was confusing adjusting to which period was which, as they replay scenes over and over again of the lead up to eventful bloody massacre of the original team of G.P. 506 where they would try to reach the correct conclusion. A sense of deja vu really seems to creep in with the actions of the newly appointed team with there investigation. Even then the jadedly slow-grinding and over-long plot leaves you questioning some story devices and knotty developments, but this extremely cold and dread-fill atmospheric tale manages to pull you in as it constructs a threatening environment from its dourly tight bunker quarters, confronting paranoid friction and grippingly suspenseful exchanges that mostly ignited in graphic slabs of twisted violence. There's authentically poignant make-up FX brought across. Su-chang Kong's sleek direction is visually crisp, while maintaining a stark punch and the camera-work fluidly covers many angles. The music is emotionally stirring in its arrangement by adding to the creepy air and the sound effects have that chilling imprint. The starch performances by all are reliably solid and convincing.
A fine addition to the growing military/horror fodder.
An army investigator is put in charge of a soldier unit to find out what happened at G.P. 506 (and to possibly cover it up), which saw the original team brutally massacred by one of its own (well that's what it seems?) and what this second team uncovers is something terrifyingly devastating.
It's an unusual, but immensely unpredictable military horror/mystery story covering its bases in an interestingly progressive non-linear narrative that constantly moves between present time and flashbacks in a very muddled fashion. At times it was confusing adjusting to which period was which, as they replay scenes over and over again of the lead up to eventful bloody massacre of the original team of G.P. 506 where they would try to reach the correct conclusion. A sense of deja vu really seems to creep in with the actions of the newly appointed team with there investigation. Even then the jadedly slow-grinding and over-long plot leaves you questioning some story devices and knotty developments, but this extremely cold and dread-fill atmospheric tale manages to pull you in as it constructs a threatening environment from its dourly tight bunker quarters, confronting paranoid friction and grippingly suspenseful exchanges that mostly ignited in graphic slabs of twisted violence. There's authentically poignant make-up FX brought across. Su-chang Kong's sleek direction is visually crisp, while maintaining a stark punch and the camera-work fluidly covers many angles. The music is emotionally stirring in its arrangement by adding to the creepy air and the sound effects have that chilling imprint. The starch performances by all are reliably solid and convincing.
A fine addition to the growing military/horror fodder.