Bloody Reunion is a mess. It doesn't really tell us what happens or who the killer is or who the killer might be or even if there is a killer. Well, I'm fairly certain that there is a killer, because people die, but why the killer does what he or she does, is still a little confusing.
I love a lot of Asian horror because they are either A) incredibly scary like Ringu and Ju-on, or they are disgustingly violent and gory like Men Behind the Sun or Audition. Bloody Reunion falls into the latter as the best part of the film is some of the killings. There is plenty of blood and several gut wrenching scenes as one unfortunate soul gets his mouth kept open by what looks to be protractors, then has tiny razor blades dropped into his mouth and boiling water dropped into his mouth. I shuddered watching this part as the pain he must have went through would be excruciating.
But beyond the gore, the movie cannot be recommended. The ending is just too strange and really doesn't make any sense. Is there a deformed kid running around killing people? Did he ever exist? ***SPOILER ALERT*** What really takes away from the film is that you think one thing and then it just confuses the hell out of you by making you believe one thing and then another. We find out that the story told to police by the surviving student is all a lie, ala The Usual Suspects. We are then told that these students all meet with their teacher once a year, are all successful and are all poisoned by her. We then find out that one of the students never really exists and (this is the most confusing part) all the nasty things described as being done to the students was really done to her. Then she has a menstruation problem in class that people made fun of her about and then her mom is on the way to the school to confront the teacher and she gets hit by a car.
It doesn't make a lot of sense. Stylistically the film is fine. The gore effects are wonderful and some of the women in the film are very easy on the eyes. But the script is much too confusing.
I'll continue watching Asian cinema. This film isn't terrible, it just could have been much better.
6/10
I love a lot of Asian horror because they are either A) incredibly scary like Ringu and Ju-on, or they are disgustingly violent and gory like Men Behind the Sun or Audition. Bloody Reunion falls into the latter as the best part of the film is some of the killings. There is plenty of blood and several gut wrenching scenes as one unfortunate soul gets his mouth kept open by what looks to be protractors, then has tiny razor blades dropped into his mouth and boiling water dropped into his mouth. I shuddered watching this part as the pain he must have went through would be excruciating.
But beyond the gore, the movie cannot be recommended. The ending is just too strange and really doesn't make any sense. Is there a deformed kid running around killing people? Did he ever exist? ***SPOILER ALERT*** What really takes away from the film is that you think one thing and then it just confuses the hell out of you by making you believe one thing and then another. We find out that the story told to police by the surviving student is all a lie, ala The Usual Suspects. We are then told that these students all meet with their teacher once a year, are all successful and are all poisoned by her. We then find out that one of the students never really exists and (this is the most confusing part) all the nasty things described as being done to the students was really done to her. Then she has a menstruation problem in class that people made fun of her about and then her mom is on the way to the school to confront the teacher and she gets hit by a car.
It doesn't make a lot of sense. Stylistically the film is fine. The gore effects are wonderful and some of the women in the film are very easy on the eyes. But the script is much too confusing.
I'll continue watching Asian cinema. This film isn't terrible, it just could have been much better.
6/10