Psychological horror with supernatural elements, The Two Sisters Mystery is the American remake of Fear (Janghwa, Hongryeon, 2003), South Korean cult director Jee-woon Kim. Charles Guard and Thomas Guard direct the new version, which stars Emily Browning (Sleeping Beauty) and Arielle Kebbel (The Vampire Diaries). As happens in most cases, the remake doesn't surpass the original. But it has its merits, and it's still a good pastime. Its American version is what we usually expect from reproductions that are basically copies of someone else's work: fun, with intriguing moments, but very obvious. As obvious as it is, the film is more like a video explaining the ambivalent traits of the South Korean, as it builds its narrative based on our interpretation of the possible issues raised by the oriental production and its path towards an open outcome.
The film begins with teenager Anna (Browning) being released from a mental hospital where she has spent the past 10 months. Anna attempted suicide after her mother died in a fire. And the trauma caused the girl's brain to block part of the memories of the tragedy. Her father Steven (David Strathairn, from Stronger Than Bombs) welcomes her with open arms in the family's rural residence. But what Anna really wants is to reunite with Alex (Kebell), the rebellious party sister whose opinions are constantly ignored by her father. But going home also brings some problems for our little protagonist. One is having to live with Rachel (Elizabeth Banks, from Brightburn: Son of Darkness), her mother's ex-nurse, who has now been leveraged to daddy's girlfriend status. The other is being haunted by ghosts, which makes Anna suspect that her would-be stepmother is hiding dark secrets. Was the fire that killed her mother really an accident?
The Uninvited is a curious product. Fruit of a late crop of American remakes based on Asian works (in this case, the 2003 Korean feature Fear), the film offers very little beyond what we've already seen in the same genre, moving considerably away from the original material and failing, in the at the same time, in creating any identity of its own. The plot, at first, is confused with examples ranging from The Scream to The Devil's Spine, efficient horrors about ghosts and curses. However, this feature doesn't stand on its own story, appealing at all times to the cheesiest clichés of horror cinema, such as the existence of adult characters that don't give credit to the younger ones, as well as several jumpscares based on the sudden increase of the soundtrack. If the film is not so committed, it is because of its main assets: photography that bets on dark tones and angles that reinforce the isolation of those characters, as well as the performances of Emily Browning, beautiful and totally at ease as the protagonist of a horror film, exhibiting fragility and strength at the right times; and Elizabeth Banks (Creeping Beings), who also convinces as the "villain" of the plot, without committing excesses in its composition.
The film is divided between family drama, Anna and Alex's investigations and moments of supernatural horror. The ghostly apparitions range from scary children to hairy creepy woman, in line with j-horror productions. But there is still room for a deformed figure that refers to Zelda, from Cemitério Maldito. Practical effects and makeup are good. Violence is moderate, but gains a certain strength in the last act. As already mentioned, the Guard brothers constantly resort to jump scares. Some even work. But the film scares even more when the terror is accompanied by silence, as in that scene where the protagonist notices a creature hidden in a dark corner of her room. Christopher Young's soundtrack is good and one of the highlights of the plot, with some tracks being outstanding.
This isn't a horror movie in which you'll be scared a lot, it's a thriller, one of those that we were quite intrigued during the course of it. The most important factor in this cinematographic genre is perhaps, for many, the climate in which the narrative is built, and this point is essential to make this a great film. But there's not just suspense surrounding him, there's also mystery. Even though the script leaves clues from the beginning, mainly trying to deceive the audience with very evident false clues taking the viewer's eye in a direction, the ending ends up being predictable in relation to who "isn't" the villain of the story. The question was really about how the facts unfolded. Longtime horror movie fans are likely to end the riddle before its time, not least because the screenplay by Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard delivers some clues that make this task easier. If you can't catch them, you're sure to be surprised by the final twist.
The Uninvited, directed by Charles and Thomas Guard, is the kind of movie worth seeing at least twice; the first for the pleasure of the story, the second to see how everything is conducted following its own logic. I believe that a film is a universe closed in on itself. The rules he creates, from the first frame to the final scene, are valid only for the duration of the film, and it is through this set of parameters that we must judge the unfolding of a plot. In this sense, I consider The Uninvited honest enough with what he proposes. The characters' attitudes, the way they interact and the decisions they make follow a logic determined by the point of view adopted in the narrative.
We have some crucial moments in the script, where the acting must be good to be able to convey to the viewer what the script wants. In general, the biggest burden was on Browning, which at the time of its release and still very young, already demonstrated that it was more than capable of carrying a film on its back. The way Emily Browning's character evolves is interesting, trying to convince herself more and more that she's not freaking out, and dreading going back to the madhouse. The actress' charisma helps the audience feel sorry for poor Anna.
Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard's screenplay explores the fine line between reality and fantasy. The ending is absolutely twisted, makes the spectator revisit several events of the film, trying to understand what happened, and then everything is explained. In fact, it will be a surprise for everyone who sees the movie. It's interesting when a movie convinces us that the characters are acting in the way they think is right, and then shows us how wrong we are. Don't expect graphic violence or lots of deaths, because there's hardly any.
The Guard brothers do a job just right, without innovations, betting on insurance, but they show their inexperience. This is a psychological thriller, where scenes with ghosts are well applied, but not frightening. Suspense works well, you're always wondering what's coming next. This is a tight movie due to its short duration, which doesn't leave time for some characters to develop and the story to explain itself better. Still, it's a thriller worth seeing for Emily Browning's good acting, suspense, good story and sad and unexpected ending. Probably, if guided by more experienced directors, it would be a great movie. Recommended for thrillers, anyone looking for much more than that might be disappointed.
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