Plot: When Su-mi and Su-yeon come home after a stay in hospital, they have an uneasy feeling. As their stepmother stalks around their mansion, and a mysterious spirit possibly living in the mansion begins to make it’s presence known, their dreams may or may not be a just fantasy.

Review: A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is not a conventional horror film. It is a psychological drama than supernatural horror film. However, even though the horror moments are few, it will haunt audience long after the film’s end. 

Director Kim Jee-Woon’s great deal of attention to detail is one of the main reasons that the film works amazingly well. His direction is very subtle but very effective. From the rich, atmospheric space he created to the deliberately calculated pacing of the film, he has perfectly harmonized the supernatural, fantasy and realistic elements perfectly to create a very cinematic and heartfelt film. It will leave audiences wanting to go back for a second viewing to put all the pieces together.

The performances of the two girls are as marvelous as the film’s direction. It is fascinating to watch and discover the intricacies of the two sisters and their relationships with each other and their parents. They do have totally different personalities. But as the story starts to unfold and their emotions and behavior begins to shift gears, it becomes obvious how marvelous the performances are. They provide the film nothing but true believability.

That said, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is one of the most unique psychological / horror films to be released in recent years. The ending is both heartbreaking and genuinely surprising. From the moment the first frame of beautiful cinematography appears on the screen, you will be hooked and the film will keep you fascinated long after the end credits roll.

DVD DETAILS

Video: presented in an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the transfer does look amazingly beautiful. Images are crisp and detailed with no specks, marks or dirt. The film’s beautiful color palette appeared accurately without any fault.  Another excellent job done by Tartan Asia Extreme.

Audio: This disc supports Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 and Korean DTS with optional English subtitles. Only viewed with DTS track for this review, it generated good response and especially the rear channels do a great job of highlighting ambient atmosphere. Dialogue is very clear and centered. It is a great mix.

Special Features

Disc 1

Audio Commentary with director and DP and lighting director:

Audio Commentary with director and stars:

Original Promotional Footage: original US theatrical trailer

It listed that it included hidden feature, a letter from Su-yeon but unfortunately I wasn’t be able to find access to it.

Disc 2

Creating Tale of Two Sisters: divided into 5 parts, it takes a closer look into the whole production of the film.

- Behind the Scene: in this 25 mines making of, it covers from Prep, Principal Photography to Music scoring using mostly interview with director as narration.  It is very nicely done, one can wish it would be longer than half an hour.

- Production Design Featurette: In this 12 mins short, Production designer discuss on initial concept, use color palette, space and their strategy on designing the look of the film.

- Music Score Featurette: In this 6 mins short, composer discuss how the director wanted music to play out, importance of music, and how he prefers to work when he writes.

- CGI Documentary Featurette: In this 6 mins short, they discuss from testing, pre visualization, to actual CGI process.

- Creating the Poster Featurette: In this 5 mins short, a photographer discuss a process of photo shoot for the original poster art.

Deleted Scenes: a collection of 12 deleted scenes with director’s audio commentary. Mostly they are very short scenes that could actually fits nicely in the film. Also included here is outtakes.

Interview: A collection of interviews with main cast members, director and a psychiatrist’s perspective.

Still Gallery: A collection of production stills

It is listed that the 2nd disc includes a hidden feature, a letter from Su-mi but unfortunately I wasn’t be able to find access to it.