Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel play Anne and Alex, respectively, in “The Uninvited”

“The Uninvited,” the latest Asian horror remake, is decent, but loses something in translation.

She finally comes home to find her father is living with Rachael, Anna’s mother’s former nurse. Anna’s sister Alex smells a rat: Why would Dad shack up with Rachael so soon after Mom’s death? Then when Anna’s dead mother visits her and cries “Murderer!” the two sisters find themselves getting into something much deeper than they had planned.

From where I’m sitting

“The Uninvited” is a decent, by-the-numbers Hollywood horror movie. It’s scary enough, but it’s nothing that you haven’t seen before. It uses the tried and true scare tactics of the well-worn Hollywood arsenal, like talking corpses and ghosts jumping out of dark corners.

The family tension caused by Daddy’s new girlfriend moving in is one of the better aspects of the film, though the needs of the genre soon push this tension aside. Although the big twist near the end genuinely freaked me out, I felt a tad cheated since the filmmakers had tried too hard to lead me in the wrong direction beforehand.

In short, if you’re the type that always figures out the ending of a movie fifteen minutes into it, you may want to steer clear of this one. But if you enjoy allowing movies to take you where they will, this is a decent horror flick with a satisfyingly chilling ending.

“The Uninvited” is a remake of a Korean film titled “A Tale of Two Sisters.” By most accounts, the original was a more successful film, both financially and creatively. It unfortunately succumbed to that too common fate of excellent films not made in English – the mediocre Hollywood remake.

Who made it?

Roy Lee (executive producer): Lee is the Hollywood king of Asian Remakes. He specializes in buying the rights to movies that are big hits in Asia then producing the remakes back in the States. He’s responsible for “The Ring” (originally “Ringu,” from Japan), “The Grudge” (“Ju-On,” also from Japan) and “The Departed” (“Infernal Affairs” from Hong Kong – a riveting movie, highly recommended), along with numerous others.

Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes (producers): This long-time Hollywood producing team is behind many hits from the last two decades, including “Men in Black,” “Gladiator” and four films by Stephen Spielberg. They also teamed up with Roy Lee to make “The Ring.”

Technically speaking

Upon closer inspection, it is clear why this is a decent movie, but nothing special. A successful film needs not only skilled technicians, but also one or a few individuals that have a vision and give the film creative life. All of the experienced filmmakers in the project, namely the producers, are of the former category. They’ve found success when teamed with visionary directors and writers, but that unfortunately isn’t the case here.

The closest thing this film has to creative inspiration, rather than competence of craft, is the original Korean film it is based on. “The Tale of Two Sisters” was a huge success in Korea, eventually becoming the largest grossing horror film in Korean history.

There are significant differences between the two films. “Sisters” is a more ambiguous movie, with less explained, but in turn is much creepier. It is not as episodic, so the twists and turns of the plot feel organic rather than gimmicky, as they do in “Uninvited.” Its lack of clear-cut explanations and its slow-cooker, meandering feel are decidedly un-Hollywood. The writers of “The Uninvited” seem to have Americanized the movie for their Western audience, sacrificing its uniqueness along the way.

Don’t take my word for it

The producers of this movie have not been able to duplicate their impressive box office track record as “The Uninvited” has taken in only US$28.5 million in US box office receipts since January 20th. It hasn’t faired too well by the critics either, winning over just 36 percent of them on Rotten Tomatoes.

On the other hand, when the Korean original was playing in the US, critics were impressed. “The Tale of Two Sisters” was certified fresh at 88 percent. If you want to check it out, go to your local DVD shop and flip through the discs on offer. If you’re lucky, you’ll see it. On the cover it will show two teenage girls sitting on a couch in white frocks splattered in blood with their parents standing behind them.

By Aaron Toronto
Aaron Toronto is an independent filmmaker living and working in HCMC.
Questions or comments? Email me at toronto.aaron@gmail.com.