The Ghost Station (2022) User Reviews

Same like the ring but in a different way!

[yorufude · 5/10 · 11 May 2023]

The plot was kinda mid, the jumpscare was so cliché and typical. Their definition of scaring is basically just cheap jumpscare of ghost get in your face.

Usually Korean horror know how to make a mindblowing twist, but this is just fairly normal and unoriginal and a rehash of a popular horror movies in a different way.

And the climax pacing is way too fast and unsatisfying, the pacing is a mess and wonky and not to mention there a lot of awkward and edgy camera angle, such as the extreme closeup of a character face in sideview. Man that was weird and somewhat uncomfortable to see.

All in all, it was mid and unsatisfying. It's like ordering a vanilla icecream, bland and way too generic. Nothing special nor breathtaking. Just simply normal.

A South Korean Homage To Japanese Ghost Films.

[meddlecore · 5/10 · 16 August 2023]

The Ghost Station is a rather mediocre supernatural mystery from South Korea.

While, there's nothing wrong with the acting or production quality...the story itself leaves a little room to be desired.

We find ourselves following a young journalist, whose friend witnesses a brutal suicide, at a train station he works at.

During the ordeal he sees a young child on the tracks.

So, intrigued by the incident, the young journalist decides to investigate the matter.

What follows is a convoluted investigation that leads her to uncover a dark secret, buried deep, from the past.

One which has left that particular train station cursed.

Hence the series of deaths that surround it.

Thus, what starts off as an investigative report...turns into a chance to free the trapped spirits of these lost, and vengeful, souls.

By helping them appease their grudge.

The film is clearly inspired by Japanese ghost stories like The Ring and The Grudge.

And it's a fine homage to those type of films.

But it just doesn't seem to hit as hard as it should.

So it comes off as relatively average in the end.

5 out of 10.

The Ghost Station

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 22 October 2023]

I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by this little thriller. No, it's not great and the quality of the acting leaves much to be desired, but the story is quite intriguing for a while. "Na-yeong" ((Bo-ra Kim) is an aspiring journalist who receives a curious tip from her friend at a nearby train station. "U-won" ((Jae Hyun Kim) is convinced that the body of a child that was found between the tracks died in very mysterious circumstances. Despite the obvious reservations of her boss, she talks to the child's family and discovers that the the site of the station might have many old and horrific secrets to keep. The two friends decide to delve into that past and reveal those secrets - regardless of those whom it may effect! It's quite a quickly paced little drama this that really could have been doing with a little better, stronger, casting. The visual and audio effects are adequate and the story is solid in a creepy sort of fashion providing a few twists and turns to a plot that easily puts this in the range of the average Blumhouse horror-lite offering. You almost certainly won't remember it after you've seen it, but it isn't terrible by any means.

Flawed

[ashfordofficial · 2/10 · 16 June 2023]

A straight to VOD South Korean horror film with cheap-ish production quality and noticeable amateurism. Kim Bo Ra carried the whole movie (flaws and all) and I don't have many complaints about the cast, they all performed decently. Lots of Japanese horror influence from start to finish.

A straight to VOD South Korean horror film with cheap-ish production quality and noticeable amateurism. Kim Bo Ra carried the whole movie (flaws and all) and I don't have many complaints about the cast, they all performed decently. Lots of Japanese horror influence from start to finish.

A straight to VOD South Korean horror film with cheap-ish production quality and noticeable amateurism. Kim Bo Ra carried the whole movie (flaws and all) and I don't have many complaints about the cast, they all performed decently. Lots of Japanese horror influence from start to finish.

Absolute horrible

[Jeydie · 2/10 · 22 October 2023]

The plot, the horror, the soundtracks, the jump scares, the acting - everything in the quality of the movie is absolutely horrible. Even if everything was not absolutely horrible, there's still nothing good about this movie. This movie also looks like a super low-tier movie; you can feel it from the first scene of the movie. Goddamn.

But above all, the most absolutely terrible aspect is the jump scares. Like, goddamn. I'd understand if the other factors were terrible because of their budget or something. But the jump scare factor is the worst. There isn't a single creative or original idea in this movie. Even if you can't find an idea on how to be creative with a jump scare, at least try to add some twist to it.

I only watched this movie by coincidence because the movie I originally wanted to watch with my family had a corrupted file. I would not recommend this.

Ridiculous events are drawn together with "white threads"

[Democrit · 3/10 · 18 August 2023]

Once upon a time, this film had potential to captivate the hearts of genre enthusiasts. However, it falls short of its mark as its mediocre execution leaves much to be desired. The cinematography lacks finesse, with primitive shots that fail to capture the essence of the scenes. Additionally, the plot is passable at best and does not hold a lasting impression. The color palette, while aimed at reflecting the atmosphere, feels clumsily chosen and tends to irritate rather than enhance the viewing experience.

From the directing to the performances, everything feels average, lacking the depth and nuance that would make it truly noteworthy. To endure this film requires an exceptional amount of patience. Yet, amidst the sea of mediocrity, there is a single scene that manages to shine. The interaction between the heroine and what she believes to be a ghost creates a captivating moment, showcasing a glimmer of potential. However, the director fails to capitalize on this cinematic technique, instead focusing on the simplistic and unrealistic portrayal of children's ghosts emerging from the ground.

These bizarre events are loosely tied together, leaving viewers perplexed and searching for a stronger narrative thread.

Uhm, how about no?...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 14 August 2023]

I had never heard about this 2022 South Korean horror mystery titled "Ogsuyeog Gwisin" (aka "The Ghost Station") prior to getting the chance to sit down and watch it here in 2023. And with my love of both the Asian cinema and horror cinema, of course it was a given that I had to watch this movie from director Yong-Ki Jeong.

However, my expectations and thrills for a possibly interesting horror movie were shot down not far into the movie. Writers Yong-ki Jeong and Soyoung Lee managed to put together a rather confusing heap of a dumpsterfire disguised as a horror movie. Yeah, the movie made very little sense and it was quite a struggle to sit through it. In fact, I gave up on the ordeal with just 30 minutes left to watch. But I have to admit that by then I was ready to claw my eyes out.

"Ogsuyeog Gwisin" was a swing and a miss, and for a South Korean horror movie it was sort of a farce. I assume because it was based on some Japanese material from Kôji Shiraishi and Hiroshi Takahashi, and the translation between the two cultures didn't really pan out all that well.

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Ogsuyeog Gwisin", but I have to admit that my interest in the narrative was so vague and gradually dissipating more and more with each passing minute the narrative trotted on. So I wasn't really impressed with what I saw, but I suppose that the acting performances were adequate, because none of them stood out as being amateurish or bad actually.

There were a couple of attempts at cheap jumpscares throughout the course of the 80 minutes that the ordeal lasted for. Not successful jumpscared, mind you, but at least director Yong-Ki Jeong tried.

If you enjoy South Korean horror movies, you might want to consider giving "Ogsuyeog Gwisin" a wide berth. Trust me, it is not worth the time, money or effort.

My rating of "Ogsuyeog Gwisin" lands on a generous three out of ten stars, and that is mostly because of the production value of the movie and the cinematography.

The garbage movie will take an hour of your life

[achih · 1/10 · 23 August 2023]

If there was a way to rate this garbage i would rate it -10, it takes idea from the Taiwan thriller 'Incantation', the same premise is played here about souls of the damned and the mechanics of how the protagonists are affected. Now take that, then throw a rip from the Ring to add to the producer's un-original ideas. Seriously, does anyone come out with anything of their own anymore?

Acting is absolutely dismal, it's like the actors of this movie need to go back to school again and understand how to engage audience, Jumps scares are a yawner too. The music comes on and it takes a lifetime before the protagonist does anything worthwhile, this is just sad considering how many great products kdrama has produced.

Solid overall J-Horror homage from Korea

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 17 December 2023]

Trying to cover herself, a reporter tasked to come up with a new story after getting her magazine in trouble comes across the strange series of events surrounding a local train station, but the more she looks into it finds a powerful curse at play and band together to stop the events from spreading.

For the most part, there's a lot to like with this one. One of the more likable aspects here is the solid setup that brings about some rather intriguing elements. The opening here with the reporter getting into trouble for her report and must now find a new article to keep her job intact serves as a decent enough way to allow for the series of accidents at the specific train station to come into her life. Learning about the mysterious deaths involved at the station and the various supernatural means that get brought up as a result of the investigation causes a rather chilling sense of dread to emerge as the revelations give way to genuine supernatural beings and curses involved, making the setup here quite likable and intriguing. This interweaving storyline comes off rather well as the layers unearthed during the investigation are logically integrated with each other to provide a strong starting point. As a result, the film generates a solid series of ghostly action and encounters. The gradually unraveling mystery in the first half involving the accidents at the station, the generally unnerving repeating of unknown numbers by the afflicted workers, and the strange markings that are found on them just before their deaths offer a wholly engrossing means of integrating into the mystery to come. With the misshapen appearance resulting in deformed facial marks, glowing eyes, and a generally inhuman demeanor alerting to the fact that something is wrong with them. It gets even more obvious when this features a series of creepy and genuinely chilling encounters with the ghost children who live inside the well which offers up a fine selection of imagery to go along with the solid storyline that had been built-up. These are all enough to generate a lot of likable points here even if there are some factors with this one that drag it down. One of the main issues here is the rather messy ending that has some convoluted ideas at play that leave some gaping logic holes. The reveal of the one party involved in the conspiracy to keep the story of the ghost kids and the connection to the local orphanage a secret makes no sense when the whole film had been a chance to uncover everything from the very start. The relationships between everyone at this point in the film would've made it next to impossible to rationalize how the story gets out in the first place knowing what the end result is. Moreover, some of the reasoning makes little sense and the whole transfer of the curse is glossed over to the point of appearing to be a shock explanation for the sake of it. This is the main part of the film that's underwhelming and holds it down the most, and along with the familiar storyline and presentation to numerous other genre efforts are what generate the flaws here.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

Nothing special....

[TodaysHaul317 · 4/10 · 11 February 2024]

The Ghost Station (aKa Ogsuyeog gwisin) is 2022 supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Yong-ki Jeong (The Doll Master, Marrying the Mafia franchise, Once a upon a Time, Couples, and Return of the Mafia). It was co-written by Horang and Soyoung Lee (Apt, Robot Sound, and Wishing Stairs). After a young reporter (played by: Bo-ra Kim from Ghost Mansion, SF8, Touch, Avengers Social Club, and SKY Castle) covers a suspicious accident, she learns from police that her source was supposedly already dead at the time of their interview. As more mysterious deaths occur, she and her partner dig deeper into the case and come face to face with a horrifying truth!!!!

The Ghost Station pays homage to previous J-Horror features. That's one of the best things about the low budget horror movie. The screenplay and plot are a little messy here but it's still interesting to explore. Bo-ra Kim is a solid lead here. The supporting cast includes Jae Hyun Kim, Shin So-yul, Oh Jin-Seok, and Kang-il Kim. Everyone is pretty good in this, they try their best to make up for it's flaws. It has a heavy Ringu influence to it. They try some unique cinematography and shots to change it up which makes it stand out a little more. The finale feels a little rushed, I think it could have been done better but I don't hate it. The Ghost Station is just average but it's not a total waste of time. It does have it's moments every once in awhile. Just go into this one with an open mind.

Boring movie!

[meydiana-65242 · 1/10 · 9 February 2024]

The garbage movie will take an hour of your life If there was a way to rate this garbage i would rate it -10, it takes idea from the Taiwan thriller 'Incantation', the same premise is played here about souls of the damned and the mechanics of how the protagonists are affected. Now take that, then throw a rip from the Ring to add to the producer's un-original ideas. Seriously, does anyone come out with anything of their own anymore?

Acting is absolutely dismal, it's like the actors of this movie need to go back to school again and understand how to engage audience, Jumps scares are a yawner too. The music comes on and it takes a lifetime before the protagonist does anything worthwhile, this is just sad considering how many great products kdrama has produced.

Connecting Every Single Outstanding Element of Classic Asian Horror Cinema with Promising New Faces

[kluseba · 9/10 · 12 March 2024]

The Ghost Station, originally known as Ogsuyeog Gwisin, is a short and concise South-Korean horror film that entertains from start to finish as it pays tribute to Japanese horror movies from the late nineties and early years of the new millennium. If you are a fan of films such as The Ring, Dark Water and Marebito, then you are going to be enjoying The Ghost Station for sure. If you like this new film but aren't familiar with these Japanese horror films yet, then there are many outstanding feature films for you to discover and enjoy.

To keep it simple, this movie tells the story of a nervous male security agent and an ambitious female journalist who are investigating a series of mysterious events related to an abandoned train station.

This film convinces on numerous levels. Its length is concise, focused and precise without any passages dragging on for much too long or completely unnecessary scenes.

The film's gloomy, mysterious and uneasy atmosphere is sustained from start to finish which leads to an excellent exposition, a tense rising action, an exciting climax, a breathtaking falling action and a memorable resolution.

The realistic locations with a sinister touch add a realistic tone to the horror film which makes it chilling, creepy and tense.

Instead of revolving around overtly brutal scenes or unimaginative jump scares, the film cleverly builds up a haunting atmosphere that gets almost unbearable by the end of the film.

This movie however also focuses on character development as the two lead characters are authentic, courageous and sympathetic as they care about important values such as honesty, justice and truth. The side characters are also fleshed out wonderfully such as the traumatized lady bringing the terrible past to light and the journalist's manipulative, nihilistic and selfish boss.

The acting performances are certainly above average throughout with promising newcomer Kim Na-yoon delivering the goods as pitiless villainess and seasoned actress Shin So-yul incarnating a traumatized woman with a haunting background story.

The varied, dynamic and creative camera work throughout the movie transmits an claustrophobic, dark and eerie atmosphere.

Lighting techniques are used very cleverly to enhance these strong emotions. The combination of lights and shades makes for a balanced mixture intertwining investigate scenes with horrifying highlights. The lighting techniques are at times foreboding but may also lead viewers down a wrong path on certain occasions. The technicians behind this film certainly deserve much approval and recognition.

The varied sound effects blend in perfectly. They are perfectly balanced between calmer sections and louder moments. The former evoke a sinister atmosphere while the latter will bring viewers onto the edges of their seats.

The somber soundtrack makes the bigger picture even more convincing. Rather than showing off or being unnecessarily experimental, the music employed in this feature film precisely enhances the atmospheres of the different scenes. Dark elements of foreshadowing employ an elegiac score while the film's intense moments feature a much more unnerving soundtrack.

The fact that numerous surprisingly harsh critics claim that the plot isn't original is actually the whole purpose of this film since it pays tribute to the classics released two to three decades ago by now. Genre fans will certainly appreciate spotting references, easter eggs and allusions here and there as these elements also add to the replay value of this underrated gem. Instead of nervously innovating, this film brings the aforementioned classics back to life in a refreshing way that feels dynamic rather than nostalgic.

As a seasoned fan of Asian horror cinema, I hold The Ghost Station in high regard as it includes every single element that make this genre stand out so positively while adding fresh new faces in form of excellent actors and actresses. The number of Asian horror films has steadily been decreasing in the past few years and I hope that movies such as The Ghost Station will inspire a return of this dearly appreciated cinematic universe.