Not even bad in a good way

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A facial reconstructionist for the police department, having turned in his resignation due to stress and a sick daughter whose lost her smile, is receiving visitations(..as does his ailing daughter)by a dead woman's spirit urging him to pursue the face of a skull that will lead to the identity of a serial killer surgically removing hearts from young women for a doctor who doesn't question where the donated organs come from.A certain twist in "Face" is gonna take a leap in logic for folks to accept it. The film shows our hero, Lee Hyun-min (Hyeon-jun Shin), being plagued by a demanding ghost and an "assistant", Jung Sun-young (Yun-ah Song) motivating him to continue his work. He first believes his mission in finding the identity of a skull will lead to his daughter's health rejuvenating(..the film points out the possibility that the ghost will not let his daughter's heart function properly unless her killer is apprehended). When our facial reconstructionist desires to know the identity of the donor whose heart resides in his daughter, the master heart surgeon's resistance proves that there might be a corrupt means of obtaining these organs. Soon the surgeon is found hung by a noose and the whole film takes on an even greater hunt for the killer whose identity still remains unknown. An assistant shows up at our hero's door step claiming she's to help him put the face on a specific skull. When that skull isn't of the woman he was hoping, a vision leads him to yet another one, buried under sand, rotted partially. Whose identity of the skull this entails is yet another twist that'll have you going, "Huh?!" The whole film is really this building of a mystery..who is killing these poor girls, and who is the ghost haunting Hyun-min. The pay-off certainly is a stunner. Like I said, this twist might be a bit too much for some viewers to accept. I liked this film, myself. I thought it built the story along nicely, with a lot of heart behind such a grisly premise. Not that violent as you'd expect. Does work more as a hunt for a killer with Shin and Song working beautifully together on screen as we witness their characters' blossoming love for one another. And, I thought the film's following a facial reconstructionist was a great idea..it's rare that we get a film designed from this character's point-of-view. Too often it's the detectives and forensic teams, yet this film significantly focuses on the importance of a man who can put the face to a damaged skull. His role is even more important because the killer melts the bodies after removing the hearts. There's enough spooky ghost stuff(images of the female ghost pop up around Hyun-min as she appears in mirrors, her shadows on the floor, coming towards him, crawling on the ceiling, etc) to hold viewer's interest, I believe..that is what draws the audience into checking out the film and it's plot.

This film reminded me of what happens when horror films meet CSI. Some things were really obvious but if you are in fact new to Korean horror start with this. Some may see it was a boring movie but to me Face was a fairly good story with a decent plot, and an all around shock, not scare, factor. If they just changed a few things around it might have been better. The overall ghost originality, though complained about, is understandable. Onryo are use a lot in the Asian culture.Their appearance is White burial kimono, Wild, unkempt long black hair, White and indigo face make-up called aiguma. Some of this appears in this movie of course. Now as for PLOT originality it was a smart plot, and it you are in fact only watching the move for its horror aspect you more then likely not like it.

This is just another Asian horror where white painted ghosts are seen from "scary" angles with their heads bent down. There aren't any frightening scenes whatsoever, only clichés and repetitions from earlier (and better) films. The story isn't that bad really, but this would have been a lot better film without the supernatural bits. I mean, what is it with the Koreans and ghosts when it comes to horror? The Japanese and the Chinese have made a lot of good, creepy and gory movies without using ghosts in their stories. However, "Bloody Beach" is one good example of a Korean horror film sans ghosts. "Face" on the other hand is a typically dull example of just how one-note the Asian horror industry of today has become.

The very well acted South Korean supernatural thriller tells the story of Hyun-min an expert in facial reconstruction. His expertise is used by the police to help give faces to murder victims who have long reverted to skeletons. He reluctantly helps with a case that seems to be the work of a serial killer but how and why does it tie into his daughter, who is sick after having a heart transplant? What is an apparition trying to steer him to? Can Hyun-min solve the murder and save his daughter… A slick drama with supernatural overtones is at the heart of this thriller. A bit of a twist in the end too, which I must say I wasn't expecting when it came out of left field. Excellent acting and an interesting story are punctuated by a good sound design that helps to creep you out when the time is right.Face a solid and engaging thriller with a few creepy moments. The overall atmosphere is a bit weak since the scares are a little bit sparse and far apart.