Plot: What’s it about?
Cho (Han Suk-Gyu) is a detective, but he is in the middle of multiple mishaps and hasn’t been of much use to the police department. He finds himself on the edge of madness, as he is being investigated himself and his mother has just died. So his emotional state is an unstable one, not the best time to become involved in a sick, twisted serial murder case. But he is the best officer to handle the case, so Cho is asked to return and head up the investigation, which involves a string of bloody, offbeat murders. The victims aren’t being left at the scene of the crime, nor tossed in obscure places to be hidden, instead the victims have been placed in normal locations, the kind of places normal people frequent on a daily basis. The bodies have been stuffed into black garbage bags and left around Seoul, but there is another dark twist to the case. Inside the bags, the body parts don’t all match up, as the limbs, torsos, and heads have been mixed and matched. In other words, each bag holds various parts of several victims and of course, this makes things very, very hard on the police to identify the remains. Cho is able to produce one victim’s name however, which leads him to the victim’s ex-girlfriend, Suyeon Chae (Shim Eun-Ha). But what is her connection to the deaths and more to the point, can Cho put all the needed pieces together in time, or will even more black garbage bags begin to surface?
The serial killer movie has been bled dry here in America, thanks to a virtual tidal wave of uninspired suspense thrillers. But elsewhere in the world, some great examples have been produced, including this Korean project, Tell Me Something. This movie has all the elements you need in such a thriller, with eerie atmosphere, thick tension, stylish visuals, and of course, moments of shock and twisted violence. But unlike lackluster pictures like Along Came a Spider and such, Tell Me Something manages to blend all the elements together just right. So this is by no means a blood drenched shock picture, but it does have some blood and violence. Is it enough to shake timid viewers? Maybe, but in a movie like this one, that’s to be expected. The shocks can also be found in the storyline and characters, which yields some moments of terror more horrific than simple gore. In other words, Tell Me Something has a brain and creates a world of intense tension, it makes you think while you’re freaked out, which is why it turns out to be so effective. As in most thrillers, some plot holes are evident and you have to reach at times with your imagination, but not as much as you endure in most Hollywood thrillers. In the end, Tell Me Something is a step above the crowd and for fans of the genre, it shouldn’t be missed.
Video: How does it look?
Tell Me Something is presented in 1.77:1 widescreen, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The lack of anamorphic enhancement is obvious here, as jagged edges, moire patterns, and shimmering are all common elements. This can prove to be quite a distraction in some scenes, while others look more than acceptable. But when the flaws are serious, it can be a real pain and I wish Kino would have went the extra mile with this treatment. The print is clean however, though some softness can be seen at times. I found contrast to be solid, but on the soft side in some scenes, while colors have a bright, natural appearance. I do wish this was anamorphic however, as I think that would have cleared up some of the transfer’s problems.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Korean soundtrack is preserved here, via a better than expected Dolby Digital 5.1 option. I had minimal expectations in this case, as most Korean soundtracks have a bland, basic presentation, but not here. In recent times, Korean releases have been getting better and better with dynamic audio and that’s more than evident here. This track might not be reference level, but it has some great presence and provides an active, effective experience. The surrounds see ample use and in those moments, the presence is natural and realistic, as opposed to thin and forced, as I had expected. The dialogue is clean and clear also, with no muffled vocals or overly loud elements to drown out the words. This disc also includes an English language track, as well as optional English subtitles, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some still photos, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
