Seire
Written and Directed by Park Kang
Starring Seo Hyun-woo, Ryu Abel, Shim Eun-woo
Unrated
Runtime 102 minutes
Available on VOD & digital on June 16

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

Movies that center their stories around folklore, traditions, and cultures from their country are always fascinating to watch, and this is no exception. Audiences are offered a glimpse into another culture through superstitions and cultural faux pas that are different, but not entirely alien to those we have in the West. This is especially true when it comes to lore around marriage, families, and children. People can be so consumed by worries about these major life events that they must find ways to control them and usher in good luck through various customs and practices. Of course, when it comes to the horror genre these stories are a perfect opportunity to offer terrors and cautionary tales about those who feel they are too logical to be afraid of traditions. This is what Park Kang’s new movie Seire plays with, offering terror that seamlessly weaves reality and fantasy together. Kang is a new voice in Korean horror and this chilling tale about curses, pregnancy, and relationships is a promising entry into the genre.   

Woo-jin (Seo Hyun-woo) and his wife Hae-mi have just welcomed their first child into their home. Hae-mi is incredibly superstitious and specifically worries about the period of seire. In Korean folk traditions, seire is known as the 21-day period after a baby is born, in which they are highly vulnerable to bad luck and curses. In order to protect the baby there are particular traditions she follows along with rules that people need to follow, including not attending funerals. Unfortunately, Woo-jin is not as suspicious as his wife and attends the funeral of his ex-girlfriend, whom he had a complicated past with. This small break from tradition leaves the family and their child open to dark forces that are tied to Woo-jin’s past. 

South Korea has offered up some incredible genre directors over the years; Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Thirst), Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder, The Host), Yeon Chan-heum (Train to Busan), and Na Hong-jin (The Wailing, The Medium) are prime examples of this. It is especially exciting that many of these directors have made international names for themselves and that these movies have become more wildly released overseas. It is clear the country has much to offer to the film industry so seeing a new horror director make a debut with such an impressive horror tale is something that many horror fans should be excited about.

Seire makes the choice to leave out much of the gore or jump scares that audiences might look for to create a more haunting and understated story. It lures you in with simple eerie horrors that creep into the psyche leaving viewers with a lingering uncomfortable feeling that is hard to shake off. One of the most interesting choices the film makes is to have reality, dreams, and flashbacks blend together, making them almost indistinguishable. Seire asks its audience to give their full attention as the story plays out before them. And for those who do, you will be left with a different kind of terror, one that feels possible and grounded in reality. These choices make it feel like you are in the mind of its main character Woo-jin as his mind becomes jumbled with the past, present, and future. 

The leads of Seire all give great performances. Seo Hyun-woo does a great job layering Woo-jin and making him a complex character who comes off as meek while potentially being a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Sun-young Ryu plays dual characters; the dead ex-girlfriend as well as her twin sister. She does an excellent job at moving between these characters and making you uncertain of who you are watching. Small expressions, twitches, or lingering stares all play into her performance and put you on edge without always knowing why. The subtlety in these performances mirrors the subtlety in the overall storytelling making it all feel aligned and cohesive. 

Even with its slow pace and subtle terrors, there is plenty to discuss and unpack in Seire. There are plenty of unanswered questions so do not expect to have everything tied up neatly with a bow. This story challenges its audience to interpret what is going on as its mystery unfolds leaving much to ponder once the credits begin to roll. This might not work for everyone, especially those who are hoping for more over-the-top scares or bloodshed, but its quieter more dramatic horror tale is fitting for this particular story. But don’t let that fool you, there are shocking moments in this movie that pack much more of a punch because of how this lures you into a false sense of security. Park Kang crafts a smart, spine-tingling ghost story that showcases how close we are to terror.