15/24
the hospital to recreate the exact same exteriors and hallways
Tale
The filmmakers failed to get permission from the South Korean government to film in the actual hospital, so the film’s scenes set in Gonjiam were actually filmed at the National Maritime High School in Busan, with the production team sticking closely to the hospital’s floor plan. The filmmakers failed to get permission from the South Korean government to film in the actual hospital, so the film’s scenes set in Gonjiam were actually filmed at the National Maritime High School in Busan, with the production team sticking closely to the hospital’s floor plan to recreate the exact same exteriors and hallways. Charlotte keeps looking to the side when the group is in front of the hospital. She is obviously responding as she smiles at whoever it is.
References Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007)
Two teenagers are in the dilapidated Gonjian Psychiatric Hospital across from Notorious Room 402 and try to open the door and live stream from their phones. They soon disappear before they can open the door. The owner of the YouTube channel “Horror Times”, Ha-joon (Wi Ha-joon), decides to broadcast live from Gonjian expecting to reach a million views and sponsors to shell out half a million dollars in advertising. Gonjian Psychiatric Hospital has a notorious past, as its director (Park Ji-ah) killed all the patients and then committed suicide.
But suddenly, supernatural activity occurs in Gonjiam and Ha-joon tries to figure out what is happening and continue the stream
Ha-joon joins a group of six teenagers: three boys, Sung-hoon (Park Sung-hoon), Seung-wook (Seung-Wook Lee), and Je-Yoon (Jay Yoo); and three girls, Ah-yeon (Ah-yeon Oh) and debutantes Charlotte (Ye-Won Mun) and Ji-Hyun (Park Ji-Hyun), to spend the night in Gonjiam and broadcast live. Ha-joon stays in a base tent checking the broadcast with a delay to change his choice before streaming for viewers and the group splits up and goes to the four floors of the hospital. What the girls don’t know is that Ha-joon, Sung-hoon and Seung-wook have created fake supernatural effects to haunt the girls and therefore the viewers who would be scared by the effects. When the effects are activated, Charlotte and Ji-Hyun are scared and frightened, but they are convinced to stay with the group.
“Gon-ji-am”, aka
“Gonjiam: The Haunted Asylum” (2018), is a predictable but tense "found footage" style film. This low-budget film has horrible and messy cinematography, made with a handy camera and is scary, but in a confusing way. The conclusion is rather nonsensical. “Gon-ji-am” is recommended for horror fans who like this type of cheap shots, as the unoriginal plot is entertaining.
My rating is six
Title (Brazil): "Gonjiam: Manicômio Assombrado" (“Gonjiam: The Haunted Asylum”)