Whispering Corridors (1998) User Reviews

Needy and Revengeful Spirit

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 4 August 2007]

While investigating the school files, the frightened teacher Mrs. Park startles and calls the young teacher Eun-young Hur (Mi-yeon Lee), telling her that the deceased Jin-ju Jang is back. The line dies and Mrs. Park is attacked and killed by a ghost. On the next morning, the teenager Jae-yi Yoon (Kang-hie Choi) waits for her friend Ji-oh Lim (Gyu-ri Kim), who has the ability to call the spirits, and they begin a close friendship. The abusive and aggressive Mr. Oh, a.k.a. Mad Dog, is the substitute of Mrs. Park and prohibits Ji-oh to paint and compares the performances of the pretty So-young Park (Jin-hie Park) and the weird Jung-sook Kim(Ji-hye Yun), raising a barrier between the two former friends. Miss Hur misses her former friend Jin-ju, who committed suicide, and while trying to contact her, she discloses a dark secret about the past of her friend and Mrs. Park.

I believe that the first point that impresses in "Yeogo Goedam", a.k.a. "Whispering Corridors', at least for Westerns, is the abusive treatment spent by the teachers with their students, brutally spanking and offending the harmless girls. I do not know if it is usual and acceptable this behavior of teachers, or if the intention of the director is to criticize and denounce how terrible this type of education might be. The story about friendship, needy and revenge has a magnificent cinematography, movements and angles of camera and some subtle insinuation of lesbianism. The performances are very convincing and my vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

A sample to realize How important the Pre-production phase of a Raw Production movie material is

[CihanVercan · 7/10 · 15 August 2009]

The look of the murky and desolate school corridors where sunlight cannot reach during the afternoon lessons had always given me the creeps. This movie was on the silver-screen while I was in Grade-10, in Turkey. My friends have gone to see it, yet they were so indisposed afterwards. However couple weeks before its screening, we've seen a Jennifer-Love Hewitt flick "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" that was when we had finished that horror movie with belly laughs and roll in the aisles. I was curious to see and to know what was not to laugh of somebody's frightening of ghosts. Somehow, even though my friends were irritated of it, Whispering Corridors made a good box-office hit in Turkey. It must have inspired some serious masses, that in the first decade of 2000s' Turkish Horror-Suspense Fiction have used remarkable pieces from Whispering Corridors whether directly or indirectly. Then Taylan Brothers adapted a low-quality copycat from this already adapted adaptation. Making double adaptation for a piece of art didn't make sense on the payoff and the viewer felt it thoroughly. No one ever liked this adaptation; and it remained as a pathetic Turkish version: Okul(2004). That failure of Turkish cinema made me search for its origin. Yet till yesterday I hadn't have a chance to see this psycho-horror.

Now watching it for the first time after 10 years of its release, it's clear to realize that Horror is no Horror if there is no Psycho in it. Whispering Corridors is para-psychologically successful and realistic. People know in secret that these types of extra-ordinary and super-natural happenings do really occur in real life.

The story takes place on a country-side all-girl private school in South Korea, the year 1998. Presumably on a Sunday, the day before the new semester starts, the president of the teachers' committee of the school(Mrs.Parks) is getting killed right after the killer stole the 1993 and 1996 student yearbooks. We -the viewers- get 3 clues of the killer that she has the capitals P.C. from her desk, she commits her murders barefoot and she carefully leaves no evidence making the murders seem like suicides. After the semester starts, one of the male teachers of the school entrusts a class of girls with a task to hush up the rumours about the suicide among the students of the whole school. For this purpose, every week the committee of teachers choose "the clerk for the week" out of students of the same class. Meantime, there is a very strict racism storming in the air among the teachers for the student children of the Shaman families. A girl from the chosen class, whose mother is a Shaman priestess, begins getting affected while she used to call spirits to reveal the exam scores before they're announced or reveal whoever is virgin or not among her friends. That way, her friends always show respect to her, frightening of her but loving her at the same time. Soon, we get more clues about the murderer after she kills the night guard of the school. The murderer is very unpredictable, and the best thing is that each time when the mystery takes control on us trying to solve the murders; the murderer is getting killed. So, technically the spirits which curses the school and those students who are cursed-each time a new student- were the actual offenders. One by one girls of the chosen class lose their minds and in order to kill their victims they must trade their souls in with the spirits, so that the spirits can manipulate them kill their victims.

Technical aspects are very low due to the low budget. Even though the audio quality is considerable. To capture the actors' voices more clearly I don't think the film crew had a boom operator though. The tensioned atmosphere is the true accomplishment of the camera movements, some degree of lighting adjustments, camera locations and chosen angles. Storytelling is very ambitious that despite the editing is mediocre, still the film keeps its fluency. Only watch out for the last 20 minutes! It becomes a captivity of total paranoia.

While I was staring empty-minded at the closing credits, witnessed on how easy the deepest emotions of a human heart can destroy everything in one's life; I asked myself how in earth can someone make a movie like that so as to reveal what's unseen of the psychopathic murders. What a brave and hard job! What an amazing concept! If only it could have been produced more attractive to the viewer with a better screening quality, a better acting, a better screenplay, a better editing. The total commitment and self-belief of the production crew carries its importance to the highest standards; there we are taught how important the pre-production phase of a raw production material which was based on a very widely known and so told school rumour.

If producers who are only looking for gaining box-office receipts with a horror movie and they hesitate to scratch and scrabble the concept of the fear; then they cannot reflect the reality or it just remains unreasonable as a work of imagination. For Yeogo Goedam didn't fall into this trap, it's a must-see cult horror.

Old, but new

[derekmasuda · 7/10 · 18 June 2005]

Whispering Corridors has much in common with the current tide of horror movie offerings from Japan. However, it is hardly derivative. The material may be recycled, but the filmmakers present it in a way that is different and anything but stereotypical. Don't watch this film expecting to see a massive body count and flying limbs. There are moments when you will see why this movie is classified as a horror film, but like most ghost stories, the power of this movie is demonstrated by what the filmmakers chose not to show us. The pace is slow and deliberate. I found it almost hypnotic, but it never lags. Some of the story elements are very convoluted, but ultimately this does not detract from the overall appeal of Whispering Corridors. A movie for the thinking horror fan.

B-. Must try harder.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 13 February 2009]

The malevolent ghost of a teenage suicide victim haunts the corridors of a Korean school, murderously attacking members of staff. New teacher Eun-young Hur (Mi-yeon Lee) investigates, eventually discovering the shocking truth behind one pupil's mysterious past.

Spooky Korean ghost story Whispering Corridors was released the same year as Hideo Nakata's Ringu, but unlike its Japanese counterpart, it failed to become an international hit and never received the dubious honour of a Hollywood remake. To be honest, I find it easy to understand why: it's extremely slow moving and not very scary.

That's not to say that there is nothing to like about the film: there's loads of lovely cinematography, quality acting, a haunting soundtrack, a nice array of easy-on-the-eye Korean cuties, and the story explores several interesting themes, including loss of friendship, coping with loneliness, and abuse of power. But with very little to set the spine a-tingling, I still cannot not help but feel a little disappointed—after all, this is supposed to be a horror film, isn't it?

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

What's the Matter with Jin-Ju?

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 15 February 2006]

Whispering Corridors is a slow moving, but engrossing, ghost story set in an all-girl's school in Korea. There have been a number of Asian horror films released in the U.S. in the past few years, but as this one was made before most, I think of it more as a trend-setter than a copycat. While much of the horror is subtle and implied, there are moments where the horror slaps you in the face with some very vivid imagery. The rest of the story dealing with the relationships between the girls and the teachers is not the normal kind of thing I go for, yet here it's very well done. It doesn't seem as clichéd as most American films dealing with teens seem to be. The acting is top drawer and adds a lot to making the film work. I wish I could point out one or two of the performances that really stand out, but I don't speak Korean and all the names look alike to me.

Whispering Corridors probably wouldn't work for those not patient enough to allow the film to slowly unfold. And while I may not have enjoyed it as much as some of the more recent Asian offerings like A Tale of Two Sisters, it's an enjoyable enough experience.

Integuing

[steve_b33 · 14 January 2002]

Now here's a curious movie - a supernatural ghost story from Korea. Set in an all girls school(thought that might have got your attention)its the story of a class being haunted by the ghost of a classmate who dies in mysterious circumstances and seems to return every 3 years.

It seems to be heading in obvious directions - Carrie one moment ,endless teen slasher movies the next but it neatly sidesteps these cliches and becomes something more interesting.

Yes there are creepy corridor moments and a couple of spectacular deaths (that owe more than a nod in the direction of Suspria - as does the soundtrack)but it is fairly gripping throughout and there are some schocking scenes of male teachers beating the pupils - The Korean educaution Minisrty tried to get it banned.

The ending is unexepected and quite enigmatic- so much so that I watched it 3 times (the ending that is) and am still not too sure.

Well worth a look

Not Scary Enough; "Phone" Is a Better Movie

[reyalvarez · 6/10 · 4 August 2005]

**Some spoilers in this comment**

South Korean movie "Whispering Corridors" is a horror movie which is not scary enough. Unlike "Phone" from the same country, the screenwriters of this movie did not succeed in maintaining the terrifying suspense throughout the movie. After the death of the sadistic female teacher and brutal male teacher "Mad Dog" Oh, the movie dragged on and on until its rather disappointing climax. At the climax an average-looking school girl apparition, who was in no way scary, appeared and explained the motivation behind the haunting. Convinced by the sincerity of her former friend Miss Hur, she goes back to the netherworld. This was not even one-tenth as scary as the climax of "Phone" where the apparition of Jin-hee, a murder victim, emerges from a wall and stares at her victim with her horrifyingly angry eyes. Jin-hee was a totally unforgiving monster. She has an uncompromising grudge, which even an average moviegoer can feel from the screen. How can the average-looking female ghost in "Whispering Corridors" measure up to Jin-hee of "Phone?"

The only matter of note in this movie was the incredible brutality of the Korean teachers. The teachers slap, punch, whip and sexually harass the students, but the students take it with obedient "Yes, sir." These teachers make some U.S. Marine Corps drill instructors look like cream puffs. If these teachers acted like this in the U.S., they would have been thrown in jail.

According to my Korean acquaintance, teachers are allowed to use corporal punishment in South Korea. He also told me that the root cause of the brutality of Korean schoolteachers is the generations-old Confucian ideology. Followers of Confucian ideology believe that teachers can do no wrong and give teachers absolute authority over his or her students. And many modern Koreans pride themselves as being obedient followers of classic Confucianism. Just as the adage "Absolute authority absolutely corrupts." states, the absolute authority given to Korean schoolteachers make many of them to act any way they want. Many resort to intolerable violence while some resort to sexual harassment. (Of course, I strong believe that there are many kind, respectable Korean schoolteachers like Miss Hur in this movie.)

In conclusion, "Whispering Corridors" is just an OK movie. It should be obvious to any competent movie fan that "Phone" from the same country is a much better crafted horror movie.

Brilliantly shot.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 8 August 2006]

But still falls short in providing a coherent storyline. I have no doubt that this film is more intelligible to those who speak Korean but I was a bit lost at times and couldn't keep up with all the characters.

The story is about the angry ghost of a dead student at an all-girl school who periodically turns up in the guise of someone new...or something. Like I said, it's hard to follow. But the eerie photography and reliance on practical scares make it worthwhile. Far too many horror films these days are too slick and well-polished for their own good. Whispering Corridors features a certain rawness in it's grainy film stock and editing that gives the film a rather unique atmosphere.

The gore isn't terribly excessive, nor is the film extreme in any way. But if you're in need of something different and with a weird edge to it then go for Whispering Corridors. Try hard to keep up though.

The start of a Korean horror saga

[KineticSeoul · 5/10 · 23 April 2010]

I found this to be a pretty boring ghost/horror movie overall, but it was a good start for it's time. But maybe that is cause I seen way too many horror movies to the point I have seen everything in this movie in other films, except done better. This really wasn't a scary movie, in fact the teachers in this were more frightening than the ghost, they act more scary than drill sergeants and the girl students seemed like they were in military school. The movie was made in 1998, so I don't know how the school system was like back then, but I sure hope they toned it down a bit. I thought the build up was alright but not that good either, but the ghost is so not intimidating what so ever and there is more students and teachers talking amongst themselves about the rumors of a ghost roaming the school that it gets sort of boring. And if you want to be frightened more than go with the mystery and drama like scenarios, you probably won't enjoy this as much. But I could tell it did pretty well for it's time and I did like some of the themes in this, it could have been better if it was a bit more faster paced though. Just because it's a classic film, doesn't mean it has to be brilliant.

5.6/10

Creepy Korean high school ghost story avoids most clichés

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 4 December 2016]

WHISPERING CORRIDORS is a pretty interesting South Korean ghost story, set in a girl's school haunted by the spirit of a dead student. Released in the same year as RING, the Japanese hit that was to inspire dozens of derivative knock offs, its pleasing to see that this film avoids the clichés for the most part. There's no long-haired, white-faced girl ghost here, just a melancholy spirit with a knack for bumping off brutal teachers in increasingly violent ways.

The film is full of atmosphere. Indeed, the story is stretched out almost to breaking point, and the pacing extremely slow – especially around the midsection. The eerie atmosphere keeps you watching, along with an effective soundtrack full of those low, almost distorted notes (also used in RING) that instantly send a shudder down the spine. The low budget here is evident, and some of the performances are a little rough around the edges, but there was nothing that stopped me enjoying this.

Even the 'Hollywood style' stalk-and-slash moments are well portrayed, especially an extended showdown between cruel teacher Mad Dog and the unseen spirit. Things get a little muddled at the climax – as they do in so many of these films – where twist comes upon twist in a short space of time. Personally, I would have preferred the surprises to be more spread out, but nonetheless the denouement impresses. This isn't grandstanding horror, and indeed it's not a film that I'll rush to watch again. But as an example of Asian horror, you could do a lot worse. A sequel, MEMENTO MORI, followed.

Another "good" film. Not very scary though, more upsetting.

[TheBlackVoodoo · 5/10 · 24 September 2007]

*very minor spoilers*

Do watch it if:

-You've wanted to for ages and can't wait any longer.

-Your girlfriend can't handle seeing much more than the odd school girl at the end of corridors and a few hangings.

-You're scared easily or more scared by subtlety.

Don't if:

-You can't tell one Asian girl from another. Maybe this makes the film better, I don't usually have a problem with it but did here!

-You hate happiness and love in horror films.

-You don't respond well to subtlety.

-You really want to be terrified by the film you watch tonight. IE I recommend it, just remember it was made 9 years ago, and if you're looking for terror today, stay away.

Unlike usual, after watching this film tonight and then reading some love and hate reviews, I'm somewhere in the middle, agreeing with points from both sides. The social aspect of Korean schools in this film is interesting and done well, and it is creepy, but I watched it alone and it didn't really scare me at all. I'm not a snob and I don't think I have bad taste, and it doesn't mean its a bad film, it just didn't scare me. There just wasn't enough ghost action. I know everyone's sick of CGI in Asian cinema, but it can be done well and a useful tool when dealing with the supernatural.. just not so much yet.. I've loved (been fascinated by) horror since I saw Child's Play when I was 7, and for some reason feel I have been waiting all my life so far for "the one" in terms of a ghost horror film. I enjoy subtlety and slow moving pace for effect, but in my opinion you should back it up with more in the way of storyline and twists (I liked A Tale of Two Sisters for these reasons, It's incredibly long, yet I'm never bored.) I mostly prefer ghost-horror to slasher-horror because of what is potentially possible. There's a wide scope. I like films about psychos because there's a wide spectrum of neuroses to explore there. I loved The Devils Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses and alike, their graphically depicted tales of insanity made my heart ache, much better than a film packed with jumps with some random guy who never gets much of a back story and you never meet, running around with an axe. But with ghosts... there's no way out... I haven't written off their existence and therefore these films disturb me.

I don't usually "spoil" but I wanna talk a bit about the end "twist". I felt like there were a few girls who would manifest as something "more" but who seemed later obsolete. Throughout I was thinking "Who's gonna end up being a ghost?" Maybe two of them? Maybe one cant be seen, maybe the teacher's a ghost, I didn't know, but thought more would happen than did after some of the scenes were so drawn out, I expected a bigger rush of information toward the end.. In ATOTS, its just so raw, the acting, the scraping of the bag on the floor, the looks of terror, and then an ending which almost makes you doubt yourself.. Nothing much happens here ghosts wise, but as a social commentary it's good. I can relate to the friend aspect but it all seemed rather shallow from what had actually happened and what was said.. I was expecting more from the ending, It would have put more meaning into the needless mild violence.

In summary, It again depends what you're looking for, see top.

Right I'm off to watch Shutter now, hopefully that'll be good and I expect I will write about it.

Successfully intertwines horror and social commentary

[ThrownMuse · 8/10 · 15 March 2005]

In the haunting opening sequence, we witness the mysterious death of a teacher at a South Korean all girls school. She is discovered by her pupils (her hanging body is a nightmarish image that will tattoo itself on your memory), and their abusive principal tells them it was a suicide. Before she died, she telephoned her young coworker and told her that "Jin-Ju is here. She's still alive!" Baffled by this, the young teacher embarks on an investigation to figure out what exactly is going on at this school. She finds that the ultra-competitive students are not what they seem on the surface.

In its trailer, "Whispering Corridors" is credited as being the film that started the "Asian Horror Explosion." I'm not so sure about that, as Ringu is far better known and appears to have been released first. However, this truly is an excellent supernatural story that deserves as much recognition. While the movie leans heavily on drama and mystery, the frightening scenes are very effective. Those that take place in the long ominous hallways in the empty school at night, as well as in the condemned art studio, are incredibly creepy and atmospheric.

The performances by the entire cast, especially the young actresses, are excellent. Throughout the film, we are introduced to several of the repressed but competitive girls. There's the insecure nerdy girl who believes in magic, her best friend who is desperate to be popular and secretly wants to be an artist, the prettiest girl who is also at the top of the class, and the vicious-eyed girl who is second in rank and never utters a word. As the body count increases, the viewer is given several hints as to why each of these girls (as well as the violent and lecherous principal) could be a suspect.

The film culminates with a sappy sequence that will likely cause you to eyeroll through it is duration, but it is easy to forgive this melodrama after seeing the chilling final shot of the film. The chronology may be confusing for some (though it is much easier to follow than many Asian supernatural horrors!), but all the sideplots are nicely tied together in the final sequences. What makes "Whispering Corridors" especially interesting is its strong underlying message of solidarity above competition in young women. Not only was I surprised to find social commentary of this type successfully incorporated into a horror movie, but I was doubly astounded to find it in one from South Korea. Yet, the messages here are especially potent because they are universal. I wish this unique horror film could find a larger audience because it deserves to be seen by more people.

My Rating: 8/10

Smarter and better acted than others of its ilk.

[dave13-1 · 7/10 · 14 April 2012]

Asian horror movies love to set ghost stories in all-girl schools, since that gives the movie lots of eye candy for gore junkies who also like to ogle hot teens in school uniforms. Unusually, the setting was more sharply drawn than is typical, with the harsh discipline, regimentation and repression of individuality so common throughout the educational world of the Far East playing a major functional and contextual role in the film. The high school setting provided a world of gossip, frustration, rivalry and threat in which the presence of ghosts was simply one other unpleasant aspect. The characters were drawn with an equally sharp pen, giving the movie more dramatic depth and impact than one usually sees as well. Normally, once the undead start knocking off the living in movies of this type, the horror is blunted by the fact that weak, uninteresting characters are being slaughtered, so who really cares? Here, good use of the setting and characterization made me interested in the goings on.

Watchable and recommended.

Sooooo boooooring.

[frankblack-79961 · 3/10 · 20 August 2020]

I was shocked at how boring this was with all the high praise in the reviews here. This was so incredibly boring. Nearly fell asleep 3 times. Theres some blood and a misunderstood ghost. Yaaaaawn.

This review is mainly for personal purpose, don't bother reading as it offers nothing useful, sorry!

[nitzanhavoc · 19 November 2012]

I'm only writing this review on account of a personal project of mine. I decided a few months back to write reviews about all Horror films I'd watch, in order to have sort of a library of reviews and remember my experiences with each film. Unfortunately, I am unable to be objective nor subjective about Whispering Corridors.

While watching, I was unintentionally and uncontrollably hindered by two things. The first - I'm not sure if I found a bad translation, or if the Korean language is really as such. I'm afraid it was the first option, as I have no idea how 3 sentences could be summarized in 5 words. Half the time of most dialogues the screen was empty of text. As a translator, a poet and a former teacher - I know that no translation ever captures 100% of the original meaning, but in this case I couldn't help but feeling that I wasn't being exposed to lots of information, however redundant. And the second problem I experienced was my inability to differentiate the Korean female students. I am not at all racist, but they all seemed too much alike, and their names sounded too much alike... I guess I haven't seen enough Asian films and/or Asian people in my life, and I realize this is a shortcoming of myself and my life, and not the film.

Taking all the aforementioned into account, I was completely robbed the film's twist, as I could barely understand. I was only able to interpret the music (which was excellent, by the way) and the event, but not completely experience the twist as someone who'd been successful in following and keeping up with the entire film would have. Therefore, I feel I cannot with a clear conscience rate this film. I can say good music and interesting dramatic shooting and cinematography, but that's all. And without being able to have an opinion of the acting,and most importantly the story - one cannot rate. So I can't recommend the film, and I can't criticize it. It did, however, feel to me like I missed out.

Not impressed

[MAXIMUMMOVIE · 6/10 · 30 March 2005]

I picked up "Whispering Corridors" hoping it would be as impressive as the other top notch South Korean horror movie that have come out over the past five years or so but have to say I was disappointed. Although not an awful movie it seemed to move along as is just waiting for the right time to end. It lacked any real "scare" value. The story wasn't bad but not overly interesting. Given I always watch subtitles I tend to avoid judging the acting as much as possible because I think the delivery of a line is a large part of acting, therefore me not understanding it in whole seems unfair to the actor. In the case of "Whispering Corridors" the acting was notable sluggish and at times annoying. If you're an Asian film buff it's a movie to check out but don't get to excited about. If your not an Asian film buff I wouldn't suggest it for you.

Not bad but also nothing too impressive either.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 18 August 2011]

It's funny how the movie does nothing really bad but at the same time it also really isn't being a great or effective movie within its genre.

Guess it's all because the movie isn't really being tense enough. Like I said, it does really not a whole lot wrong and I think it actually was a very deliberate choice to not make this movie a standard, formulaic horror flick. It instead went for the more intelligent approach, which however doesn't make this movie a very interesting watch though. It works for the mystery but a bit too well, you could say. You really have no real idea what is going on in this movie and the viewers are left in the dark for too long, without giving them really anything. This really doesn't make this the most interesting or spectacular genre movie to watch. It only builds up to its finale, in which everything falls together and gets explained. This however means that you first have to endure watching this movie for 90 minutes, or so, without getting an awful lot out of it.

I just wasn't too impressed with the entire way the story before that point progressed. It progressed in a very uninteresting way, without any well build up tension and mystery to it.

And I for one would had preferred it if this movie would had taken a bit of a more standard horror approach at times. It really would had added much more to the movie its tension and atmosphere. Some more killings and scary moments or gore could had already been enough for this. I'm not too sure about it that the movie now will make lots of horror-fans happy.

Still it seems like the movie is popular and also was a success at the time, at least in South Korea, since the movie has so far already 4 sequels. I'm still going to watch those but I'm just not expecting too much from them, after having seen this movie.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Great little movie with lots of mystery!

[SaltaSaurusRex · 7/10 · 26 July 2013]

Very interesting movie to say the least. I was expecting a lot of death and thrills, but this is more of a soft toned mystery, mixed into a school where male teachers hit the high school young adults. There is very little blood, death, ghosts, and violence.

I enjoy Asian Horror, and this is a little bit older, and kind of outdated. Wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I still liked it. It was not a master piece like we are use to.

Basically you follow around students and teachers at a High School, after the opening sequence of death. It pretty much sets up the movie to uncover what happens in beginning, and most importantly "why". I honestly kind of got lost in the end, but it ended on a typical soft toned end.

This movie just did not work for me

[Tokyo-1997 · 5/10 · 12 October 2010]

After watching this movie, I was relatively disappointed. This movie has got a decent storyline, but there are just too many plot holes in this movie that made this movie bad. The movie starts of very well, with an extremely frightening scene that kept me glued to the screen. A student wanted to take revenge because a teacher did something to her. The way this Mrs Park got hanged was frightening. After the first twenty minutes the movie just got really bad. There were just really very long boring conversations between the two girls. They just seem to keep on talking forever. Then there was one silly part where another girl in the art room pretends to say maybe I am the ghost and smokes to act cool. Then another long boring conversation was carried out between the two girls again. This show was not scary at all. It didn't even build enough tension and fear to the climax. The violent acts of the teachers were the scary ones. A really big plot hole for this movie is who locked Jin-Ju in the art room. This was not explained at all. I am still confused what 1989,1993,1996,1998 is all about. And why this pattern? The girls rang and rang and rang the bells so many times and is just so repetitive. At least there was one scary scene showing Jin-Ju attacking Mad Dog. This movie really shows the school system in Korea very well. The last few scenes of this film were unsatisfying. I could not figure out many stuff that were happening. Why did Jin-Ju turned her head back at the end? Why was the classroom empty? Why was blood being all over the classroom? Lots of questions just come to my mind. The acting towards the end of the film was not good, it was not convincing. When Jin-Ju was about to kill the teacher in the end why did the teacher frown? Was she frustrated? Sad? happy? I cannot understand her weird expression. This teacher also acted in Bunshinsaba and her acting did really improve a lot in that film. I could not understand anything towards the end of the movie. However some of the good merits to this movie includes, cultural interest, mystery and so on..... I have so far only watched wishing stairs and this movie and wishing stairs is by far a much better film than this. If you are interested in the whispering corridors series, watch wishing stairs. My rating for this movie:5.5/10

Fairly bland and forgetable...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 31 January 2021]

As I sat down here in 2021 to watch the 1998 South Korean movie "Whispering Corridors", I must admit that I was expecting this to be a horror movie. I was familiar with the franchise by its title, just never had the chance to sit down to watch them.

While writers Jung-Ok In and Ki-hyeong Park made a script and storyline that was watchable enough, this movie just didn't really delivered the goods for me. The movie was lacking vital horror elements that you usually see in the South Korean horror genre. Instead, "Whispering Corridors" (aka "Yeogo goedam") was more of a supernatural mystery than it was a horror.

The storyline was a bit slow paced for my liking, but there definitely were aspects to the storyline and script that were interesting enough. However, the movie as a whole, just felt less than mediocre in my opinion. I am sure that if you are an Asian schoolgirl then you will find something scary in the storyline here, but for the rest of us, not so much.

Visually then "Whispering Corridors" had some nice elements to it. But keep in mind that there is actually nothing scary about director Ki-hyeong Park's 1998 movie.

The acting performances in the movie were adequate, and the actresses and actors managed fair enough, despite having some rather mundane and often faceless characters to portray. As the movie has ended, I must admit that most of the characters - even by name - elude me. A bit too bland and neutral in this aspect.

My rating of the 1998 movie "Whispering Corridors" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars. While I managed to sit through the entire movie, I wasn't overly entertained. And I can in all honesty say that this is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time.

Whispering Corridors is a classic Asian Horror Film

[racecaraddict2400 · 9/10 · 15 April 2005]

Whispering Corridors is a totally scary, and entertaining horror flick from Korea. It's easy to see why this was the first of an explosion of Asian Horror films like the Ring and the Grudge, because the director, Park Ki-Hyung is definitely well versed in American horror and uses his understanding of the genre to make the movie really appealing to any American horror fan. Whispering Corridors is the first in a trilogy of films. The first death in the movie and all of the rest are really reminiscent of the slashers like Friday the 13th and other late 70's early 80's American horror which are the staples of the genre. If you like horror films and have seen the best ones, you'll immediately see why this one fits right in to that group. What's really cool about it, is that there's no CG (computer generated effects). All of the blood and deaths etc. are all done with real actors, and it's almost more believable than the over-the-top current American horror genre. There's something so tangible about the blood in the film. It's bright red, and creeps the viewer out in a way that CG children running around (like in the Grudge) could never fully achieve.

The whole film takes place around an all girls school-- and with girls in uniforms and mysterious murders, you've got the makings of a great horror narrative. The first 20 minutes really suck you into the story as Ki-Hyung moves the camera much like 70's DePalma or Hitchcock--It's seductive. The school building becomes horrifying in and of itself. The way Ki-Hyung presents the school makes it like an evil edifice similar to the Overlook Hotel in Kubrick's The Shining.

The tone is similar to Rosemary's Baby in that the girls are consistently trying to figure out what the problem is-they want to get to the bottom of it, but the forces out of their control, i.e. the school teachers, get in their way, and they get in trouble. The grainy look of the film and the way the sound design/score are used is totally an homage to the classic horror films of the 70's. In the movie, the Korean school system is depicted as an evil force that represses the girls, abuses them, and ultimately is the motivating force that makes the one girl commit suicide and become the ghost who murders her enemies throughout the film. The performances by the girls are great. And the colors of the film are so dreary, that you can't help but feel like you're there. The end of the movie has a really amazing image of the two main girls alone in the classroom with blood pouring out of the walls and the ceiling. Overall, this film is really entertaining, and psychologically interesting, and will scare the crap out of you. The Tartan DVD release is pretty awesome. It has trailers for a lot of Asia Extreme films, 5.1 surround sound, photos, and English/Spanish subtitles.

The ending disappointed

[ashfordofficial · 5/10 · 10 March 2023]

Impressive direction, music and cinematography. Harsh and most realistic school setting in a movie. I loved every single performances. They were all outstanding and committed to the craft. Especially Kim Gyu-ri and couple other actresses.

Up until the ending the movie was so good. The ending was disappointing because it lacked surprise and shock. Also the ending lacked solid or satisfying reason why all this happened.

Impressive direction, music and cinematography. Harsh and most realistic school setting in a movie. I loved every single performances. They were all outstanding and committed to the craft. Especially Kim Gyu-ri and couple other actresses.

Up until the ending the movie was so good. The ending was disappointing because it lacked surprise and shock. Also the ending lacked solid or satisfying reason why all this happened.

Come a long way...

[white pongo · 27 May 2001]

Once upon a time you weren't even allowed to play Japanese music on Korean radio and now we get Korean cinematic copycats of the traditional Japanese haunted school story.Humdrum stuff competently made but lacking in excitement or originality.

Classic must mean Average in Korea

[ticktock-7 · 4/10 · 11 November 2005]

My summary can be found at http://www.docticktock.com. In summary this movie is average at best. This movie takes the average Asian horror film plot and does nothing with it. Whispering Corridors is neither scary, thrilling, or even entertaining. The best part of this movie is its social commentary. Korea has long struggled with student -teacher relationships which are often cold and sometimes even brutally violent and oppressive. W.C. does address this in a very superficial way (ie it just acknowledges that it is happening) and never gets into why or how. But it shouldn't. This is a horror movie, but since they didn't decide to pursue the horror aspect they could have at least developed the naturally interesting thread of the story line.

Social Criticism as well as a Horror Film

[Soucriant · 8/10 · 8 January 2009]

'Whispering Corridors' is set in a South Korean all-girls high school, focusing on a senior class and four of its students. Although it's a horror film, Whispering Corridors seems to be a drama at heart. The school building is very atmospheric and eerie, and there's some spooky shots of long corridors and deserted classrooms. Along with that, we also explore the extremely competitive and harsh South Korean education system, identity and reputation, and the relationships between the four students and one teacher.

After the suicide of Mrs Park (or 'Old Fox' as she's known amongst the pupils), rumours begin circulating around the school about what caused her death. Girls fall out, and come together; there's a ghost who apparently haunts the old, disused art room, and people aren't who they first appear to be...

A thinking man's film indeed, this will have you scratching your head in some parts. Not a lot of blood, but some tense scenes of violence. A chilling atmosphere and setting endures throughout, the director certainly knows how to set a scene. He also gets the best of the cast, who are all exceptional. Mr Oh; aka Mad Dog, is a particular stand-out as a vile, abusive teacher. Altogether a very character and theme driven story, with interesting social commentary. If you like slow-burn, atmospheric, subtle horror, you'll like this.

P.S. There's an intriguing quote towards the end, where a character says "It didn't matter who I chose as long as I filled the seats." A comment on the emphasis upon status and reputation in the classroom, and thus, lack of identity? Or a jab at the thought that Asians look really similar? (At least to those from outside Asia.) Or both?