Synopsis and Review
"The Eye" follows the story of a violinist named Mun, who had been blind since she was three years old.
At the beginning of the film, Mun undergoes a surgery to have her vision restored. However, once she had her sight back, she was able to see, and hear, more than she wanted.
Mun begins to see ghosts as well as figures who escort the dead. Because of this, she becomes able to foretell death and disaster. She also begins to have visions of changing rooms, and every time she looks in the mirror, she sees another woman.
For a good portion of the film, Mun does not know that what she is seeing is not normal. She believes she is just not used to the way things look because she is not used to having sight. After consulting a psychologist, Mun realizes that she's having visions.
Spoilers
Mun finds out that Ling, a Thai woman who committed suicide, was the previous owner of her corneas. The film then reveals the details of Ling's life.
Ling was also able to see the dead and the figures, and she was able to foretell disasters. Because of her ability, she was strongly disliked--even when she was just a child. People were afraid of her because she always seemed to be around when someone died. Some dubbed her a witch.
One day, Ling foresees an explosion that would wipe out her entire village. She tried to warn the residents, but they just drove her away. The explosion occurred, and many people died. Ling blamed herself for the disaster and hung herself.
Mun travels to Ling's village and visits her mother. She stays the night in Ling's room.
Mun realizes that Ling's spirit is restless because her mother won't forgive her for hanging herself. Because of this, she recreates her suicide every night. That night, Ling posesses Mun's body and leads her to attempt to recreate her suicide. Ling's mother hears her daughter's screams coming from Mun's mouth, and she rushes to help her. She eventually saves Ling and Mun, and she makes up with her daughter, allowing her spirit to rest.
While Mun is on her way home, she sees hundreds of dark figures, which by now she has realized escort the newly dead during a traffic jam. She realizes a disaster is about to occur and tries to warn the drivers stuck in the jam. However, they all ignore her.
An explosion occurs, and hundreds of people die. Glass flies into Mun's eyes, and she is once again blind.
Review
"The Eye" has a special place in my heart because it is the film that made me want to explore the Asian horror genre. Although a bit repetitive, I found this movie to be creative and entertaining. It also had some very creepy and scary moments. In fact, if I remember correctly, one scene made it onto an American "Top Scariest Movie Scenes" countdown. This scene, which took place in an elevator, is so slow and creepy. I rather not explain it because I don't want it to lose its effect. If you're curious about this scene and other scary moments in the film, check out this video a YouTube member created.
I rate this film 4/5.