Scary Hair (2005) User Reviews

Well made crap script.

[ManicMuse · 5/10 · 14 October 2006]

This movie takes itself way too seriously. The title 'scary hair' says it all. The movie tells the story of a cancer sufferer who gets the gift of a cursed wig from her sister when she is released from the hospital. Did I mention that the sister is also mute and in a sucky relationship? Even though the script takes cheesy soap-opera horror to the next level, it is beautifully shot. The actors are good, but the script leaves a lot to be desired. Of course there is a twist or two at the end, but the road that leads there is confusing and cliché. This movie is more like Phone than a Tale of Two Sisters, but Phone seems Oscar worthy in comparison. Don't expect a remake.

Evil Wig

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 27 November 2007]

In Seoul, Su-Hyeon (Min-seo Chae) is terminal with leukemia, and bold due the treatment of chemotherapy. Her sister Ji-Hyeon (Seon Yu) buys a long-haired wig, but she does not disclose the truth about Su-Hyeon's health condition to her beloved sister. While wearing the wig, Su-Hyeon recovers her health and hits Ji-Hyeon's former boyfriend Ki-Seok, changing her behavior and relationship with her sister. When Ji-Hyeon discovers that the wig is possessed by a fiend, she finds that it was manufactured using hair of a cadaver and a dark secret about Ki-Seok's sentimental life.

"Gabal" has a promising beginning, with the dramatic story of the two sisters, one of them having a terminal cancer. The intriguing mystery about the wig is also interesting. However, the secret behind the haunted wig is ridiculous and the conclusion is too tragic. I love Asian horror movies, but I found "Gabal" very unpleasant and not scary. The disappointing tragedy in the end is actually awful. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Possuída Pelo Mal" ("Possessed by Evil")

A Nutshell Review: The Wig

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 11 October 2005]

If you'd know me by now, I take my pick of horror flicks depending on my mood. I'm game anytime for zombie films, might take a little persuasion with vampire flicks, ghosts and goblins I might like too. The Hollywood movies that is, heavily laden with effects, and most of the time compensated with gore. I haven't watched an Asian horror movie since The Ring, and now have taken my first plunge with The Wig.

Oh OK, it's all about the chicks again. Dark Water had Jennifer Connelly, Skeleton Key yesterday had Kate Hudson. In The Wig, we have two beautiful (actually in my opinion, one only) sisters Ji-hyeon (Yu Seon) and Su-hyeon (Chae Min-seo). Su-hyeon is suffering from leukemia, and isn't given too long to live. Her sister Ji-hyeon takes it upon herself to care for her until the end, which isn't expected to be too long. We see sisterly love abound after a cheesy start to the movie, and Ji-hyeon presents a wig for her sister to cover her bald head, the side effects of chemotherapy.

Of course, the wig's possessed by a spirit (hence the obvious title), and therefore takes over the life of Su-hyeon. She seemed to rapidly recover without the aid of drugs, and has a sudden lusting towards her sister's ex-boyfriend Ki-seok. Attitudes and habits change. You can experience the occasional standard horror fare like dream sequences, hallucinations, sudden appearances, pesky cats, dark corridors, creepy attics and the likes. Familiar territory for horror buffs.

So it's left to our heroine Ji-hyeon to quickly discover the whos, wheres, and whys, before it's too late to save her beloved sister from the devil. I suppose with most formulae, this discovery always ties down to the various characters in the movie, and their back-stories. It might interest you that Ji-hyeon didn't speak throughout the movie, as she was injured in an accident, so don't expect a lot of screams from her to raise your goosebumps.

But the main back-story, once revealed, is actually quite sad, especially the scenes after the revelation. It might be brief, and it might just bring out a tear or two from some sensitive audience. A slight twist at the end too when they tie up some of the subplots, which might raise some eyebrows, but only after a few cheap scares by the filmmakers.

And yes, I'll make it a point to peek under the toilet seat for the next few days. Gee, must every spirit from horror movies start to appear from everyday objects? Handphones next, anyone?

A Wig from Another Dimension

[mahatma_phanishwar · 23 November 2005]

The movie pamphlets, posters and TV commercials for ''The Wig" (Scary Hair), a horror film centered around a demonic hairpiece,'' do not do this psychological shock-horror movie justice.

Although there are underlying sexual politics at work in Director Won Shin-Yeon feature film debut, they did not warrant billing the film as just a common variety summer sex tease. Someone should have told the promotion team that shock-horror also sells, and ''The Wig'' delivers with several frightening instances. Though the deeper psychological elements were weakly executed by the novice director, he can be excused considering he had but one demonic wig to work with.

That demonic wig is not just scary-looking, it moves, too -- even flies. Some of the movie's more startling moments derive from the animated hairpiece leaping out at our moody heroines. The long dark coiffure goes from spooky, to haunting to, at length, murderous...

The wig is a gift that Chi-hyon (Yu Son), who later has her vocal chords ripped from the back of her throat in a automobile accident, gives to her younger sister Su-Hyon (Chae Min-So), who loses her hair via chemotherapy. The wig is possessed, fabricated from the hair of several dead women, the audience is only belatedly informed, that is why the wig revitalizes her cancer-ridden body, and soon takes over her mind.

The movie should do better than expected. Despite the anemic air-conditioning at a theater in downtown Jaffna on a sultry evening, the teenagers in the audience laughed and screamed with the characters on the screen, giving the impression that the film may overcome its bad marketing.

Won first received artistic recognition for his grand prize-winning film short ''Puppy for President.''

ridiculous creepy

[chrichtonsworld · 4/10 · 10 July 2007]

The introduction of "The Wig" sets the tone which is dark and mysterious! Apart from a few creepy scenes this movie never gets scary! The idea of this evil wig has quite a potential in fantastic sense (It is interesting to see how the wig was created and why the wig does what it does) and on a psychological level (The effects of wearing a wig can be quite substantial especially on people who have lost their hair because of an illness! It could have some impact on their personality)! But sadly nothing is done with the far more interesting psychological aspects! At least not in the way I hoped for! Except for the brilliant plot twist this movie misses the mark completely! The fact that "The Wig" takes itself too seriously doesn't help much! When the ambiance is this serious you expect to be scared! The problem is that this never happens! It is very difficult to get scared when the wig moves around like it is some sort of pet! It looks so ridiculous that it is painful to watch! It is difficult to say why this movie doesn't work! But it doesn't help that the actors are average,that there are too many plot holes and that the director didn't know what he was doing!

Better than I expected

[farcoat · 7/10 · 8 February 2006]

At first I felt annoyed because finally they did a movie out of long black hairs, which was prevalent in a lot of Asian horror movies after "the ring" came out. Titles include The Dollmaster, The Phone, Ju-on or The Grudge, Tale of Two Sisters and so and so forth.

The story is about a young woman who has gone past chemotherapy and is currently trying to live the life she never had. Her elder sisters life was also affected not only because her sisters terminal illness but because she is the only left to take care of her younger sister and she cant go on with life and get married and start a family.

Chi-Hyon, the elder sister, decided to buy a wig for her younger sister, Suh-Hyon, who almost automatically improved overnight after wearing the wig. Then the trouble started.

The film was also a bit longer than I expected, all of which were enough to let the audiences feel empathy for Suh-Hyon (the cancer survivor) as well as get mesmerized by her long silky black hair, which of course has the lead role in the film. Chi-Hyon, her elder sister, was also portrayed as ever caring and slightly on a martyr level, leaving the audiences to feel annoyed and at the same time pity Suh-Hyon.

This movie is internationally called "The Wig".

Probably Not For American Audiences

[gavin6942 · 4/10 · 16 November 2010]

Su-hyeon is suffering from leukemia, and isn't given too long to live. Her sister Ji-hyeon takes it upon herself to care for her until the end, which isn't expected to be too long. Oh, and there's a possessed wig.

I think this film has a lot of potential. The style is good, the imagery is very nice, and there are some choice gore scenes, including a car crash impalement. Korean films, at least the ones that make it to America, are pretty good and this is no exception... but it has a major flaw.

My girlfriend and I watched it, and it was hard to follow if you don't pay really close attention. The names may be hard for some Americans to keep straight, and even some of the characters look too similar at times. A few seem to show up for no reason and disappear shortly thereafter, and it's hard to know who is who and why they are important -- if they are important at all.

Wigged Out!

[shark-43 · 7/10 · 13 February 2011]

The Wig is a well made, creepy horror drama from South Korea. I can see why many people might find it slow or hard to follow, but if you do - god forbid - pay attention, the complex plot does work. There are also many scenes that pack a wallop. It is beautifully shot, well acted and has an effective score. There is one shocking scene in a traffic tunnel that is particularly well done. If you stay with it, it comes together. It is sad, scary and creepy and some of the shocks and gore are exceptional. The two lead actresses are lovely and give terrific performances. And yes, long black hair is scary. You may never go in a wig store again!!! :)

Dull, annoyingly ridiculous, and way too depressing

[artemis0302 · 4/10 · 29 December 2005]

I think "The Wig" simply isn't a good movie. There's are many elements that make it what it is...

First thing is the film takes itself way too seriously, while the basic concept the movie is based on is utterly ridiculous. A haunted wig? The idea is just laughable, and the movie isn't original either. Of course, like many other South Korean teen horrors, there's the signature long-haired ghost so obviously ripped from 'Ring' and 'Ju-on'. And overall, the movie isn't very scary (even though we're lead to believe it IS by the trailer): there's a lot of unnecessary gore, and some jump scares that once it's revealed what made you jump, you get mad at the movie for startling you for nothing.

The only worthwhile value I saw in this was the back story going on, and it's a very real and sad one: a woman's sister has terminal cancer, and she takes her home to live with her for the time she has left. The sister goes out everyday to take pictures of her having fun, so she can leave behind good memories... And the movie goes towards it's inevitable ending. The problem with this back story is it casts a depressing shadow over the entire film, and makes it painful to watch. And the ending is one of the saddest endings since that of "A Tale of Two Sisters".

The only redeeming elements are the acting and the music. The acting is good (but at the same time depressing), and the music is beautifully haunting (but once again sad).

If you want scares, you'd be better off with the infinitely better "The Red Shoes (Bunhongsin)". Unless you love being depressed and nothing else, avoid "Gabal" at all costs.

My rating: 4/10

This is the order events are in the film, I believe

[foosie-3 · 7/10 · 9 July 2008]

• The artist sister is engaged to the art teacher. • She wins an award and tells her sister about the engagement. • Then she has an accident in the car which injures her throat and she can no longer speak. • Meantime the art teacher meets a young man with long hair and falls in love with him. • The young man is set upon by other men, possibly because he's homosexual, and they cut his hair short. • He commits suicide (not sure why) by jumping off a building. • His cut off hair is made into a wig. • The art teacher breaks up with the artist sister either because she's damaged goods without a voice or because he realizes he's homosexual. • Meantime, the sister of the mute artist is hospitalized with leukemia and loses her hair to chemotherapy. • Nothing further can be done for her, so the hospital decides to send her home to die, but her sister tells her she's cured. • Now the film begins. • The mute sister buys the wig for the leukemia sister made from the hair of the suicide. • The spirit of the dead man takes over whoever wears the wig and so the leukemia sister tries to seduce the art teacher. • The leukemia sister doesn't take her medicine because she knows she will look healthier without the pills and either she believes she's cured and doesn't need the pills or she sees through the lies and realizes she's going to die and so why bother taking the pills. • By the end, the mute sister has gone insane from (a) the accident; (b) losing her voice; (c) being rejected by her fiancé and (d) seeing her sister possessed by the dead male lover of her former fiancé; and she kills the leukemia sister.

Average ghost story

[comic_bookguy · 5/10 · 4 October 2005]

Slightly above average horror tale, albeit very, very similar to Ringu & co. The story (young woman possessed by demonic wig) is OK, not original in any way but a pretty nice premise. It is a well made film with a few surprises, some blood-letting and good performances. But first-time director Shin-yeon Won tells this story in a very uneven and slow manner, and the main characters remain undeveloped throughout the film. The first half of the movie is OK, but during the last 20-30 minutes, the story drags a bit. This is basically just a rehash of earlier and better Asian movies as I mentioned before, and for those who have seen a lot of Korean and Japanese cinema will probably agree with that. This is just nothing special; feels like someone saw "A Tale of Two Sisters" before coming up with the idea for this film.

This Movie Has "It"

[wkduffy · 9/10 · 9 November 2005]

Like other critics here, I'll invoke the names of some Korean movies that, similar to Gabal, have a special "shine" to them: Bunshinsaba, Tale of Two Sisters, and especially 4 Inyong Shiktak (Uninvited). Like those flicks, Gabal (The Wig) has that special "it."

What do I mean? Well, the emphasis is on characters, characters the viewer cares about (I did my fair share of both weeping and recoiling while watching); there's a dreadfully heavy sadness draping the entire affair; there's a palpable feeling of helplessness, of futility. And you simply HATE to see these already world-weary characters wrapped in such a futile, and almost randomly violent, circumstance. This is not a movie about a possessed wig leaping off the floor and strangling people. If you're looking for silly Halloween fun, hit the road. In fact, the movie really isn't about a wig at all. It is about how our fragile bodies are susceptible to diseases, like leukemia, that no one deserves to suffer. It is about how our fragile minds are susceptible to false hopes, and about how manipulative, and downright evil, we can be when we are in relationship with other human beings.

The movie confronts forced silence (one of the characters cannot speak, and her voice, when she forces it, sounds like scraping metal or a painfully squeaky door hinge). It confronts death, not in a glamorized way, but a kind of death that is a "wasting away" in an antiseptic hospital bed. The lead character's struggle with leukemia and chemotherapy, and her consequent downward spiral into a supernatural nightmare as she wears a possessed wig to cover her baldness, reminded me, wistfully, of Mann, the main character in the first Pang brothers' movie, Eye (a franchise that has simply gone down the toilet).

As a somewhat jaded viewer of horror movies (I suffered through the remake of The Fog a few weeks ago—MEA CULPA!), I am so surprised and practically gleeful when I come across a serious-minded, carefully crafted, complex horror movie that has that special "it," that ineffable substance that is a mixture of artistically presented dread, sadness, loss, and threat--of course with a few jump scares thrown in for good measure! This movie speaks and lives its dread, perhaps not as loudly or as skillfully as 4 Inyong Shiktak (Uninvited), but it comes damn close.

Creepy and Unsettling: Does for Hair what One Missed Call did for Ring-tones, though at the risk of Severely Undermining the Narrative

[totalovrdose · 6/10 · 1 July 2015]

I had high hopes for The Wig, after-all, South Korean horror is often as entertaining as it is spooky. It is true, this particular feature does have a number of great jump scares, for we are rarely able to predict what we are soon to encounter, and though the title may influence viewers to suspect the malevolent presence is tied directly to a collection of hair, this isn't always the case. Seeing the wig moving on its own accord, though peculiar, offers a further layer of disturbance, the film's opening setting the tone for both the oddness of the film, and the spontaneity of the spooky moments. Though very character oriented, and despite the adept acting talents of the leads, what unfortunately forbids The Wig from being comparatively great to other genre films, is the narrative.

The lacking chronological order is not what nefariously affects the film so much, as it is the handling. Rarely is warning given when a precursor to the film's back-story is shown, and initially I experienced difficulty trying to ascertain where the past concluded and the present began. Moreover, on many an occasion, prior events occur in quick flashes that neither assist in developing or contextualizing characters and the plot, significantly more depth being needed to accentuate these pivotal explanations.

This aside, the audience is able to exhibit an emotional reaction towards the two female leads, who are equally sympathetic characters, themes of hardship, infidelity and betrayal heightening our feelings. Ji-Hyun (Yoo-Sun) is a young woman, who, after a traumatic accident, suffers considerably, her heartless former paramour Ki-Suk (Bang Joong-Hyun) regarding her with considerable disdain. Though emotionally fragile, and largely alone, Ji-Hyun dedicates much of her strength to helping her recently discharged sister, Soo-Hyun (Chae Min-Seo), who, despite chemotherapy, is inevitably on the verge of losing her battle with leukemia.

To help ensure her sister's final week is spent in happiness, Ji-Hyun purchases her a wig, the originally sickly Soo-Hyun immediately exhibiting a positive physical transformation, alongside the admittance she feels remarkably better. However, Soo-Hyun's initially sweet, familial personality begins to adversely change, the vindictive, possessive persona that begins manifesting itself being tied to the apparition, whose hair was used in the construction of the wig.

Though the ambiance throughout the feature efficaciously coincides with the genre, one of the film's scariest moments is when Ji-Hyun's search for answers leads her to the abandoned factory where the wig was made, the shadowy corners, body-less heads of mannequins, and large quantities of jet black hair, making for a genuinely unique and creepy environment. The unsettling atmosphere however is marred by plot-holes. Towards the end, without explanation, characters are miraculously transferred from one location to another, while the inclusion of repetitive scenarios takes away from the originality and entertainment. Though there are some violent images, a couple of which employing a significant amount of blood, the feature also possesses mature themes, including suicide and homosexuality, these potent social ideas being refused the generous screen-time they deserved.

Finally, the film's ending is guaranteed to shock, heightening the feature's capacity to emotionally draw viewer's into the story, though the still lacking answers from the remainder of the film, alongside unanswered questions instigated by the conclusion, will undoubtedly leave viewers with a desire for more.

Freaks of nature

[108YearsOld · 1/10 · 20 February 2021]

Freaks of nature, condemnable by the law of nature, even despised by animals in the nature.

Better than most horror movies out there, but...

[Furiae · 9 September 2007]

I am a long time horror-film fanatic. By this I mean, I watch every horror movie I come across, regardless of where it's from. I am a fond fan of everything from Tale of Two Sisters to Ils. And I suspected I would thoroughly enjoy this movie.

On the upside, Gabal has lovely music, it's wonderfully filmed,beautifully coloured, it has some exquisite scenes as far as artistry goes. The actors are good and there is, as someone might say, a certain special 'touch' here that makes the whole film worthwhile. It has surface-value.

On the downside, I was not the least bit frightened and at times, I thought the plot quite... ridiculous. I just couldn't buy into it regardless of all the other good points the movie had. I was sitting there, looking at these beautiful scenes and for the most part all that was going through my head, was "Well, it's certainly pretty... but..." It's not as if I'm sorry I watched it, it was interesting enough; it just didn't leave a mark on me. I'm not feeling the least bit scared, I'm not feeling particularly impressed, it's not bad enough to make me growl but it's certainly not good enough for a purr. I was hoping that the movie would be better than I felt it was. At least it's not an evil man-eating wig from Mars, I suppose.

I give it 7 out of 10 because I watched Hatchet (2006) last night and at this moment THAT movie has high enough score (6.9) to give me perspective - Gabal, while I did not like it so much, is wildly better than most of the Hollywood horror flicks out there that end up with a higher score.

The wig is coming to getcha!

[Atavisten · 5/10 · 14 April 2007]

Interesting premise here. A wig that is sewn of a suicides scalp takes host in poor Su-yoon, a victim of leukemia who lost her hair during chemotherapy. Throw in a dash of homosexuality and some frustrated artists, mix with all the regular flashbacks, dark corridors, cats jumping in your face and hallucinations and there's your enjoyable standard Asian horror sprinkled with some gory effects. Hm, I found out I don't actually like to get scared of horror movies, now after 15 years of watching 'em. If you, however, like to sit on the edge of your seat and are prepared to look beyond the little stilted acting and weak script this might be up your ally.

What's next, The Toothbrush?

[lewiskendell · 4/10 · 21 October 2011]

"A wig?"

A woman buys a wig for her younger sister, who is tentatively recovering from disease and lost her hair during the treatment. The younger sister begins to improve remarkably, but her behavior also becomes odd and perhaps even dangerous. 

The Wig is precisely as scary as you'd expect a movie about a haunted wig to be. It's like the filmmakers themselves knew how lame their premise was and that it was going to be nearly impossible to make this frightening, so they only bothered to make three or four half-hearted attempts at scares before calling it a day. I'm an avowed fan of Asian horror movies, but even I have to admit that The Wig is scraping the absolute bottom of the barrel. 

I'll admit that the movie does pick up speed in the final 35 minutes or so (there is one bloody and creepy scene in a hospital that is probably the only memorable part of the whole flick), but it's still hard to forget that you're watching a movie about a bundle of spooky hair. The Wig is not only kinda bad, but it is also mostly boring and very unnecessary.

Dull and lifeless

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 25 June 2013]

THE WIG is a dull and lifeless South Korean horror film about a cancer patient who finds herself cursed when wearing a haunted wig. As ridiculous as that premise sounds, this film is played totally straight, with nary a laugh or attempt at humour in sight; as a result it's a macabre and unfortunately po-faced attempt at the supernatural that falls flat from the beginning.

The Japanese took the same premise and came up with EXTE, a kooky and offbeat addition to the genre, but THE WIG is nothing like that film. Instead, it's content to go through the motions without innovation, and it adds nothing we haven't seen before in the 'long haired ghost' type genre. There's lots of slow-burning tension, a handful of deaths at the hands of some supernatural entity or other, and a lot of thumb-twirling as you wait for something to happen. Other than at the over-the-top ending, nothing does.

The decision to make one of the central characters a mute was a poor one, because it makes the film even slower and a lot of the dialogue feel irrelevant. The acting is nothing to write home about and the direction is passable at best, but the movie's worst crime is the script, which fails to contribute even one memorable moment in an overlong running time.

Asian movie with HAIR uuuuhh...

[kakoilija · 4/10 · 26 February 2008]

Have you ever seen an Asian horror movie with BLACK HAIR????? I haven't this was the first =D=D=D=D=D.

OK I lied... almost all have the element of long hair doing this and that.

If you're a little teen liking seeing horror movies for the first time in your little life then OK, I do get it.

On the positive side the cinematography is good. This is not a micro-budget -dv movie...

I didn't get scared even once. I thought horror movies were supposed to make feel nausea and scare so that sh*t in your pants.

Not this one... luckily I didn't pay for this one as my friend rented this one \o/.

Next time is my turn.

I think that these horror movies have turned quite a bit more non-scary when I stopped smoking hashish and weed prior to the experience few years ago. For some strange reason I remember what's going on =D.

It's not bad, but it's not great... or maybe I'm a tired man who don't feel nothing no more.

And I do hate christians and religion =D.

I know what is wrong with these movies... the pattern to scare you is always the same. Silence broken by fast movement of some unnatural effect accommodated with lots of bass... the sounds are also so convergent in all these movies. It is like as if these movies don't take risks of any kind and take the people watching for granted...

I mean I'd like to see some really disturbing stuff... I think that I could make a really disturbing movie. Something in the vain of modern Exorcist crossed with old Italo-horror. Also taking utter violence, and making bodies look real... I mean bodies hardly ever look real in movies.

I DEMAND ULTRAVIOLENCE AND UNLIMITEDHORROR NOT SOME TEEN CRAP!!!! =D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D WHERE'S THE BLACK METAL FEELING?

The Wig

[PlusHauteTension · 10/10 · 16 October 2005]

I bought The Wig because I liked the trailer of the movie plus I really like to buy Korean horror movies.I bought it along Red Shoes which I still have yet to see and I really liked it.It's like a mix of A Tale Of Two Sisters in style and Thai movie Shutter in substance which are also really good movies.There are a couple of twists along the way and the end twist,I really wasn't excepting it and it shocked me.I would've liked a happy ending but they chose to make it really sad.I own and have seen A Tale Of Two Sisters,Face,The Ghost,Bunshinsaba and Phone which are all Korean and I would recommend best A Tale Of Two Sisters,Bunshinsaba and The Wig.If you are not interested in seeing The Wig in Korean then maybe you should wait for the remake.

Not too bad Korean horror film....

[MovieGuy01 · 5/10 · 12 December 2009]

I have just watched the Korean horror film called The Wig, but it was not as good as i expected it to be. It is about a young woman called Su-Hyeon who is in hospital in Seoul, and is terminal with leukaemia, and is bald because of the treatment of chemotherapy. Her sister Ji-Hyeon buys a long-haired wig, to make her feel more confident about herself but she does not tell her sister Su-Hyeon the truth about her health condition. Whilst Su-Hyeon is wearing the wig, she recovers her health There are sudden changes In her behaviour and her relationship with her sister. When Ji-Hyeon discovers that the wig is possessed by a fiend, she trys to find out what is happening to her sister, and the hallucinations that Ji-Hyeon is experiencing. I though that this was going to be a good horror film but it did not end up like what i had expected it to be like. 5/10