A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
"Janghwa, Hongryeon" (original title)

A family is haunted by the tragedies of deaths within the family.

Director:

Jee-woon Kim

Writer:

Jee-woon Kim (screenplay)

Stars:

Kap-su Kim, Jung-ah Yum, Su-jeong Lim

11 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Kap-su Kim	...	Bae Moo-hyeon (Father)
Jung-ah Yum	...	Eun-joo (Stepmother)
Su-jeong Lim	...	Bae Soo-mi (Janghwa)
Geun-Young Moon	...	Bae Soo-yeon (Hongryeon)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Seung-bi Lee	...	Mi-hee

Storyline

Two sisters who, after spending time in a mental institution, return to the home of their father and cruel stepmother. Once there, in addition to dealing with their stepmother's obsessive and unbalanced ways, an interfering ghost also affects their recovery.

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Plot Keywords:

stepmother | tragedy | death | ghost | terrorist | 

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Taglines:

Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [it] Tartan Films [us]

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

13 June 2003 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

A Tale of Two Sisters

Filming Locations:

Yusin-ri, Yureo-myeon, Boseong-gun, Jeollanamdo, South Korea

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$94,923 (Hong Kong) (22 August 2003)

Gross:

$95,697 (Hong Kong) (22 August 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

B.O.M. Film Productions Co., Masulpiri Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is inspired by a famous Korean folk tale "Janghwa Heungryeonjeon."

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Goofs

In the hospital scenes, there is no scar on the back of Su-mi's hand.

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Quotes

Mi-hee: There was a girl under the kitchen sink.

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Connections

Version of The Story of Jang-hwa and Heung-ryeon (1956)

User Reviews

Better than all the Ringu's, Ju-on's and Jian Gui's together!!

Perhaps I'm one of the only avid horror fans who thinks that the recent overload of Asian shockers is so over-hyped! Films like "Ringu" or the "The Eye" – which are praised all over the world – simply didn't convince me and they looked more boring than frightening. Well, this blunt opinion doesn't go for the South Korean gem "A Tale of Two Sisters". This is a stylish and utterly complex psychological terror-tale that REALLY gets under your skin! The plot, based on a local folklore tale, might be a little too confusing to get this film listed among the all-time greatest genre achievements, but the atmosphere and tension-building surely provokes feelings of great respect. This is one of those few films that are impossible to label: the events in "Two Sisters" qualify as mind-bending horror as well as intense family drama and a deeply psychological portrait. Besides a mesmerizing story, "A tale of Two Sisters" also has all the great elements that I feel are usually missing in Asian horror films like compelling music, good acting and innovative camera-work. The mansion were the family events take place is brilliantly illustrated like a truly creepy place where secrets and danger lurk behind every door. Several sequences (like the dinner with relatives or the nightly appearance in the girls' room) are pretty much the ultimate in eeriness. They really made me feel uncomfortable and I do like to believe that I've seen my share of spooky horror. "A Tale of Two Sisters" is a terrific movie-adventure and a definite must see for Asian film fanatics. A little warning for people with a short attention-span, though: this movie forces you to have your eyes and ears focused at at all time. It's also a film that requires repeated viewing, even though no one will never really "get it" for a full 100%.