Before anything else, there’s something special watching the people behind The Quiet Family. Not only was this the directorial debut of filmmaker Kim Jee-woon (who later created A Tale of Two Sisters and I Saw The Devil), it also had Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho just before stardom. But if the talent alone isn’t enough to convince anyone to watch this dark comedy, there’s a wacky sort of energy that makes this unfortunate mountainside stay much more humorous than scary. As the titular ensemble keeps bumping into so many unexplainable, gruesome freak accidents, the sheer number of bodies they have to hide become hilarious inconveniences rather than terrifying mysteries. The Quiet Family makes surprisingly humorous use of the usual cabin in the woods.
A family decides to buy a lodge in a remote hiking area. Their first customer commits suicide and the distraught family buries his body to avoid the bad publicity. But their luck gets worse, the bodies start piling up, and the family becomes frantic to rectify the situation.
After moving to the mountains, the Kang family struggles to get guests to stay at their lodge. However, their plans for peace and quiet go awry when the guests they do get end up dying in a series of unexplanable events.
Given their most prominent thriller roles, it’s so funny to see Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho act in comedic roles.
The real horror truly is having to work in the hospitality industry…
Berlin
1 nomination
