Review: Spider Forest (B)

Spider Forest (2004)
Directed by Il-gon Song
Starring Woo-seong Kam, Jung Suh, Kyeong-heon Kang, Hyeong-seong Jang
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

An excellent little thriller, Spider Forest is a fine who-dunnit that for some reason is marketed as a horror film. It is really a noirish, psychological murder mystery, and if you go into Spider Forest with that in mind, you will be pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a little bit of Chris Nolan's remake of Insomnia. But weirder. And better.

The story behind Spider Forest is a little unconventional. A man discovers a couple brutally attacked in a cabin and left to die. He attempts to investigate, but is hit by a car, and he is then the subject of the police investigation. He has flashbacks and visions that hold the key to Spider Forest, a bizarre place where things are not always what they seem. The story jumps around a bit, and the viewer is always kept in suspense.

Spider Forest has a fantastic look and the script is tight. Excellent direction and acting makes this a pleasant surprise. Recommended.