Memento Mori (1999) User Reviews

Best of the three Whispering Corridors movies

[thither · 7/10 · 25 April 2005]

I saw this movie after having seen the first and third installments (except for a common setting at an all-girl Korean school, the three have no plot connections). While I found the first film uninspiring and the third yet more uninspiring, this one was actually pretty engaging.

As other reviews have noted, there is not much here in the way of horror or scares. There are some horror elements, but the film is more successful when it focuses instead on character development and on unfurling its back story (largely through flashbacks, which can sometimes confuse the narrative a bit). The acting is good as a whole, and most of the minor characters seem fully-realized, resulting in a film that has a rich setting behind it.

There are some bad sides to Memento Mori. As mentioned, if you come in expecting a Ju-On-ish scare-fest you will be disappointed. Some of the scenes towards the end (in particular, one involving mayhem and panic at the school) dragged on a little long, and began to nag at my suspension of disbelief. I didn't find the ending to be terribly satisfying, either--it wasn't terrible, but I wanted a little bit more.

Overall, though, this is an enjoyable film, one that inhabits its small world completely and doesn't try to be more than what it is.

Intriguing, Tragic and Eerie Love Story

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 8 June 2007]

In a Korean high-school, the teenagers Hyo-Shin Min (Yeh-jin Park) and Shi-Eun Yoo (Young-jin Lee) are lesbian lovers that decide to write a diary together and expose their love to their schoolmates. When Hyo-Shin has one night stand and gets pregnant of a depressed teacher, the love of Shi-Eun dies and she breaks up with Hyo-Shin leading her to commit suicide. Shi-Eun's classmate Min-Ah So (Min-sun Kim) finds and reads their diary, disclosing the innermost secrets of the two lovers, and becomes obsessed for Shi-Eun. When a close friend advises that Min-Ah would die because she was reading the diary of a dead girl, she wants to return the diary to Hyo-Shin.

"Memento Mori" is an intriguing, tragic and eerie love story, with a confused screenplay. The plot is built like pieces of a puzzle, but without chronological sequence, and in the end there are many parts without explanation that I have really not understood. I saw in IMDb that there is an 186 minutes running time director's cut version where probably I would find the resolution of my questions, but unfortunately I have just found the imported DVD with 97 minutes. In the end, this film is a good supernatural romance but not recommended for fans of the traditional horror genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

This is not a Horror Movie

[ManicMuse · 5/10 · 12 February 2005]

Yeogo Goedam II starts out as an interesting story about adolescent love and turns into a nonsensical "horror" film. I felt mislead by the first part of the film. The way Hyo-shin and Shi-eun's relationship is revealed to Min-ah through their diary gave me the sense that this film would be far better than it turned out to be (the diary is pretty cool). Instead the film has a lot of amusing school moments that are fun but distract from the plot, and adds a few subplots that are not only confusing but boring. I don't know how this can be defined as a horror movie when nothing really horrible happens outside of one tragic event. Even the supposedly scary moments at the end of the film do nothing but stall the ending of the film.

I would not consider this film a waste of time - there are many great moments in it,but they lead nowhere.

out of 10 I give it a 5 - an even split - >

the Drama part of the film was great - the Horror part of the film was terrible

An impressive, chilling High School drama.

[Pedro-37 · 19 January 2002]

"Memento Mori" is a well acted mix of ghost thriller and lesbian drama - a strange union, but a very succesfull one. The young leads deliver strong performances and make the subtle relationships believable. As another user already stated, there are some similarities (especially atmosphere-wise) to "The Virgin Suicides" and although I liked VS better, "Memento Mori" remains a strong movie.

Did it have any flaws? Yes it did. It got a little weird towards the end and I thought that the ghost-story part of the whole thing turned out rather silly. That said, "Memento Mori" remains a strong movie with a great atmosphere of sadness and foreboding.

8/10

Intriguing premise, somewhat fumbled

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 8 August 2006]

Memento Mori, as a sequel to Whispering Corridors, ditches the grainy, atmospheric feel of a gloomy autumn for a slick-looking summery feel. It may be incongruous with the nature of the film, but if it were to be shot exactly the same as Whispering Corridors then I would moan.

A lonely student at an all-girl Korean school finds a diary out in the schoolyard and is sucked into the world of the soon-to-be dead who has left behind. The film jumps around in time as the girl reads stories from the diary. A think a lot more could have been done with this concept since it has so much potential. But the film seems to take place all in a couple of days. Which doesn't give it enough of a change to develop. However, the version I saw was the 99-minute version of the film and since there is a 186-minute cut out there it may well contain a helluva lot more interesting story.

I didn't have a lot of trouble keeping-up with the characters this time though, but the story still seemed kinda incomprehensible. The flashbacks to the past could have been made a little bit more obvious.

Aside from this, it's an enjoyable time-waster.

"On your lips I've smelled the blood, that touches my tongue."

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 22 February 2006]

Although the Korean name for Memento Mori would lead you to believe it is a sequel to Whispering Corridors, other than the setting, the two films have very little in common. Having seen the first film is not a requirement to see and enjoy this film. The story in Memento Mori involves a love affair between two students at an all-girl's school. One of the girl's, for various reasons, can't take it when the other girl "outs" their relationship and decides to break things off with tragic consequences. A third girl finds the diary the two girls wrote together and, through its pages, begins a horrifying journey to understand what happened to her classmates and how one of them could end up dead.

Regardless of how Memento Mori has been marketed to American audiences, it's not a horror movie. Instead, it's a poignant look at young love and the consequences taken to the extreme of a relationship that doesn't work out. Sure, there are moments of terror to be found in the movie, but even in what should be the final chilling moments of the movie, the horror is never as front and center as the drama. It's not a movie for those who demand a new adrenaline rush every five minutes. Memento Mori moves slow and allows you to get to know the characters, their fears, their problems, and to really develop a sense of caring for them.

I haven't rated the movie any higher because this type of film and this subject matter don't appeal to me on an entertainment level regardless of how well made the film is. As with the majority of the other Asian films I've seen recently, Memento Mori is technically very sound. The direction and cinematography are solid. The movie presents numerous uniquely filmed scenes that really standout. Although the special effects are used sparingly, they are very realistic when employed. The music is fitting for a movie like this. And the acting is rock solid.

One question that has bothered me after having recently watched both Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori is: Do teachers in Korea really treat their students in the manner presented here, with physical and emotional abuse? I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it's just now what I'm accustomed to seeing in teacher/student relationships.

OK but not a horror

[MAXIMUMMOVIE · 6/10 · 15 April 2005]

Rating: 6 of 10 stars Genre: Horror, Drama. Scare Factor: 3 of 10 Acting: 5 of 10 Story: 5 of 10 Nation of origin: South Korea Viewed on: Tartan Asian Extreme DVD Video Format: Widescreen Audio Format: 5.1 DTS

"Memento Mori" is the second of movie in the "Whispering Corridors" trilogy. I wasn't all that crazy about "Whispering Corridors" but I thought I would give this a shot (as I'm sure I will give the third in the series (named "Whishing Stairs") a try once I can get a hold of it. "Memento Mori" really had little if anything to do with "Whispering Corridors" and could be watched by itself. "Memento Mori" like many Asian movies time warps back and forth throughout the course of the movie making it, like most Asian movies, more confusing than need be. It however doesn't spin and twist so much you can't follow it.

If you simply accept the fact that "Memento Mori" isn't a movie with any horror value I think you will find it somewhat enjoyable. Despite some extremely slow spots I never really felt unattached to what was happening which is a positive change from "Whispering Corridors". The story itself was nothing special however and wasn't one that I was really curious about what was going to happen next.

pretty darn confusing and the film should have stuck to one genre

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 10 July 2006]

I am apparently one of the few dissenting voices here. While I liked some aspects of the movie, I also found it to be VERY confusing and disjoint due to the odd style in which the film was constructed. In addition, it was hard to know exactly what the point was of the movie. Was it a horror film? It COULD have been a CARRIE-like film about an outcast seeking revenge after death (that would have been so cool). Was it a coming of age film? The relationships between the girls were interesting but then the film changed direction so often it was hard to follow the individual stories. Was it a film about lesbianism and betrayal? It seemed like it wanted to be in places, but then it abruptly changed. Really, the film's message was so muddled, it was as if someone took two different films and just randomly glued portions of them together. I would have loved if the film had just stayed focused! And while I know it is supposed to be a Korean cult flick, I think it did a poor job on all levels. Just because a film is a cult film doesn't mean it's necessarily a good one or without many problems that could be eliminated with a good editing.

Nothing like the original, but brilliant nonetheless!

[Iguanatic · 9/10 · 26 June 2003]

Fans of the original "Whispering Corridors" will be disappointed to learn that this is a sequel in name only; it shares absolutely no connection with the original movie apart from its title. The story tells of a girl, Min-ah, who finds a diary kept by two lesbian lover classmates at her boarding school - and soon begins suffering from strange hallucinations whenever she reads from it. Shortly after, one of the lovers is found dead and it's up to Min-ah to discover whether she killed herself or whether someone murdered her; before her spirit returns to the school for revenge.

"Memento Mori" is a wonderful movie, but it isn't an out-and-out horror flick as some have suggested. It's actually a cross between "The Virgin Suicides" and the original "Whispering Corridors", ie. a school ghost story ridden with teen love and infatuation, and the result is a beautifully crafted dreamlike feature which is a true delight to watch.

Acting is phenomenal from all concerned, with the actress playing Min-ah using a wide range of skills to play the different states her character finds herself in to perfection. The directors do a commendable job, too, even if their choice of camera angles is sometimes confusing - and the storyline occassionally lacks a clear narrative - I haven't enjoyed a Korean movie as much as this for quite some time.

Basically, "Memento Mori" is excellent from start to finish and seamlessly blends horror, suspense and romance to create a truly unforgettable feature. You'll need to think about some plotpoints carefully in order to fully understand what's happening - but it's totally worth the extra effort. Highly recommended. ****.5 / *****

Surprisingly much better than the first movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 21 August 2011]

This sequel got released only just one year after the first movie, which normally really isn't a good sign but surprisingly enough this movie is not only different from the first movie, it's also a much better one.

I really wasn't too impressed with the first installment out of the Yeogo goedam movie-series. Luckily its sequel is a superior one, in about every way possible. It's still not a perfect movie but it at least is a greatly watchable and refreshingly original one.

It must be because this movie is being directed and written by two new fresh persons. It makes this movie quite different from the first one, which only works out positively for this movie. Their fresh new take on this movie ensures that the story works out better this time around, as well as its tension and mystery,

It still is mostly being a movie that mostly consists out of buildup, without too much happening in it but at least the movie this time remains a far more interesting one. It's also really because the characters work out real well.

The movie has some very convincing characters in it. They all behave like real schoolgirls and you actually believe that these girls have known each other all for years. I really liked their relationships and how they and the teachers got portrayed in this movie. It gave the movie a real realistic touch, which made the movie a compelling one.

Visaually the movie is also definitely an improvement over the first. The camera-work and lighting all seems far more professional, as if they also had an higher budget to spend. My guess is that both Tae-Yong Kim and Kyu-Dong Min had watched lots of Japanese horror flicks in preparation for this movie. Yes, it's a South-Korean movie but it really got done in the style of a typical Japanese horror flick, that has supernatural tendencies in it.

And it's also perhaps better to call this movie a supernatural thriller instead of an horror flick, in order not to create any false expectations for this movie. It's one that really builds on its atmosphere and mystery, rather than having scare moments and gore in it. I don't mind this, since this movie handles it all really well and effectively.

Yes, the story and the movie can get quite confusing at times but I like that this movie tries to be different and more creative and original with all of its story elements.

A surprisingly good sequel.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Not scary at all... >.<

[yachiru-chan · 4/10 · 7 March 2006]

This film was quite disappointing really. Not much happens in it, and it certainly wasn't very scary at all. The freakiest thing in the film will be the fact that the diary was very densely written in, and it reflects a very obsessive personality of the writer. At the beginning, the intrigue of the diary barely keeps you on your toes, and as the film dragged on, you just start losing any other interest in it.

Acting was pretty OK, but by no means amazing. I guess the film does reflect on the compulsiveness of the characters within it - this is the only interesting bit I think.

If you wanted to see a film scarier than this, and leave you with something to think about, I suggest 'A tale of two sisters' instead.

Remember "that day"? (very minor spoilers)

[celia_cyanide · 10/10 · 5 February 2005]

Memento Mori, aka Yeogo Goedam II, is an in-name-only sequel to a film by the English title, Whispering Corridors. Although this film bears no real connection to the first, they share a common theme of supernatural happenings in a girls' school. Additionally, both are horror films with strong character exploration. In my opinion, Memento Mori far exceeds the enjoyable Whispering Corridors.

A high school girl named Min-ah finds a very elaborate and colorful diary belonging to two of her classmates. She is fascinated by the contents, and the way it is put together. This is no ordinary diary. It doesn't just open one way and read left to right. There are nooks and crannies everywhere, and words going in every direction. At first, Min-ah is interested, faking sick so that she can learn more about the special bond these two girls share. Until the diary takes over her mind and seems to inspire hallucinations.

This movie is excellent all around, but my personal preferences dictate that the best thing about it is the fact that it portrays a part of school life that I will henceforth refer to as "that day." I'm not talking about anything so obvious as that day your lesbian lover "outed" you to your classmates by bringing you milk (that's so GAY!) and then kissing you on the mouth in the middle of school (not THAT gay--we've all done that). Nor am I talking about that day your roommate inexplicably committed suicide (and you learned that, sadly, that automatic 4.0 thing is just an urban myth) and started possessing everybody at school. I'm not talking about either of THOSE coming of age milestones, because, although they are also portrayed in Memento Mori, they are such obviously universal themes that they have been ingrained into collective consciousness in films too numerous to list. "That day," which is only portrayed, thus far, in Memento Mori, is much more obtuse than that.

"That day" is the day of school where they take all the girls into one room and make them stand around in their underwear. (This is an all girls' school, but if you went to a co-ed school, which I did, they separate the boys from the girls. You just know that the boys are somewhere doing some wild partying while you're standing in your underwear, suffering.) They check your hearing, eyesight, check for scoliosis, check your height and weight, and yell it out in front of everyone, so the whole class knows how how short, fat, and hunchbacked you are. Of course, I was, like, the coolest kid in school, so I never had that problem. (Although, in Memento Mori, when one girl identifies another as "the class nerd," her friend replies, "Really? I heard it was you! Real nerds never know they are." This movie really opened my eyes. Is it possible that all those years, I was not as popular as I thought I was?!?) And I know boys never went through this, because when I try to describe this scene to them, they never know what I am talking about. Somebody should make a movie about what the boys were doing while all of this was going on...

I was pretty impressed by all of this, because I have never seen a film portraying "that day" in any genre before. So the coolest thing about this horror movie is not that it is particularly scary, but for portraying "that day" of pointless humiliation...did you ever stop to wonder why the school even needed this information? Isn't it common sense that students would be getting taller and heavier with each passing year? Why check for scoliosis, and not TMJ? Isn't it a doctor's job to do physical exams? Does the school just like the fact that they don't have to adhere to those annoying "medical privacy" rules? Hmm...upon further reflection...I guess this movie is a lot scarier than I thought it was.

Something else very significant occurs on "that day" as well. (Something much more significant than having your height and weight broadcast to the student body, but in my opinion, something much less scary.) One of the students who kept the elaborate diary is found dead, apparently from suicide. Rumors begin to fly about what happened, why, and even if there is a reason why she chose "that day" to take her own life. One girl speculated that the girl was afraid people would find out she was pregnant, and so she killed herself before being examined. (Do you need further proof? "That day" should be abolished!)

Min-ah continues to read from the shared journal, and her visions become more intense. She witnesses scenes from the past, and seems to be visited by the dead girl, who wants her diary back. Now that's the part that gets me, though. If she really didn't want people reading her diary, why would she make it so colorful and elaborate and tempting? If you don't want someone looking into your private stuff, write your diary in a plain brown notebook with a no. 2 pencil. It's very easy to see why Min-ah would take the diary in the first place, and why she would continue reading even after her visions began.

The horror doesn't really get started until the second half, but the buildup is very effective. The relationship between the two girls, as well as the way the class sees them, is very well realized, and interesting to watch, even when it isn't scary. The biggest complaint about horror is that it's all shock and quick jumps, and not enough plot and character development. This one has so much character buildup, that it may seem like two completely different movies stuck together. But the two styles flow well into each other. And if more horror movies used character like this, Memento Mori wouldn't feel so unfamiliar.

A tad over-rated

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 27 October 2005]

Much more interested in the relationship between two schoolgirls than being a true ghost story (though it is that to at the behest of the Producer) This Korean film has to do with a mysterious diary that has been found by one of the students detailing the developing lesbian relationship between the two girls, which is handled extremely well and brought to mind Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures" in a way. The supernatural aspect is relegated mostly towards the ending of the film and no doubt will be disappointing to some. It's a pretty good film and very nicely acted, I just feel that it may be the tiniest bit overpraised by the 'proffesional' reviewers

My Grade:B-

Asia Extreme DVD Extras: A 25 and a half minute Making of; Photo Gallery; Music video; Theatrical Trailer; and Trailers for "Phone", "Koma", " Tale of Two Sisters", "Heroic Duo", "Whispering Corridors", & "Oldboy"

Girls in Uniform.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 10 July 2006]

I have to admit that this one got past me almost completely. I had genuine trouble following it. It takes place in a Korean girl's boarding school. One of the students finds the diary of a dead girl. (That diary is great, a creative collage full of hidden pills, mirrors, strange powders, odd sayings, including the eponymous Latin expression.) Another girl jumps to her death for reasons we don't know. The girl who finds the hidden diary swallows a pill from it, follows clues, discovers a veritable treasure trove of similar goods secreted in the bottom of an upright piano by the dead student. Among these items is another pill -- "This is the antidote. Take it if you trust me." She takes it, feels unwell, flops on a couch, the camera bores into her pupil, weird events take place for the next half hour, the camera removes itself from her aqueous humor, the weird events continue anyway, it rains a lot, students run around in an overhead shot looking like streams of ants, the face of the suicidal girl appears gigantically above the skylight in the gym like Woody Allen's mother in "New York Stories." I got the girls mixed up and had a difficult time telling them apart, especially when they are shot from a distance or upside down, as happens from time to time. It's almost the case that they all look alike. They're all kind of pretty. They dress the same. They all have lank long black hair. Their voices sound identical. They're built alike -- gangling, narrow-shouldered, small-bosomed, slim-hipped -- their slender legs ending in clumsy black boots. And although they are in their mid-teens, they have the restless magic energy of children. They run around, shrieking and playing grab ass everywhere they go.

When the movie was over I felt as if I'd just stepped off a souped-up merry-go-round, exhausted and a little dizzy.

All that confusion aside, which may reflect lacunae in my interpretive apparatus, the story plays true. With a couple of exceptions -- profanity and pregnancy -- I could believe this is how girls might act in a place as alien to my sensibilities and experience as a Korean girls' boarding school.

The intentionality behind the film is a very feminine one. Whoever was involved in putting it together understood girls. It's loaded with intrigues, jealousy, the uncovering of secrets, and worries about physical appearance. Teenaged boys have the same concerns of course, but probably not to the same extent. If this were a story about boys there would be more open arguments and fist fights.

There's a homosexual element too. It isn't just friendship. One of the girls is clearly in love with another and there are hints of other affairs. But I'd hesitate to call it lesbianism. It's situational homosexuality, the kind you find in prisons. The girls have lost none of their femininity and one or more of them appears to have had an affair with the teacher -- handsome, young, very fortunate Mr. Goh.

What "horror" there is, is slapdash and confusing. It would probably have been a better story of the horror had been either hinted at or eliminated entirely, and the narrative hung entirely on a few well-differentiated students.

I gather that others have found this really entertaining, so I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing it. It's not my bowl of bul-kogi but it might be yours.

Remembering=grief and guilt

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 11 April 2009]

In the 1990s, a strain of cinema came out internationally that played fast and loose with structure and time. Most of the names connected with that movement, Tarantino and Nolan among them, are American, but it could also be seen in the international realm, as indicated by this South Korean film. Memento Mori is actually a pretty basic ghost story built on guilt and grief, but transcends the genre through digital video techniques and a lot of creepy ambiance.

It's set in a girls school where hormones run rampant and can barely be contained within the walls. Two girls, Hyo-shin and Shi-eun, spark a friendship and then a relationship, writing it all down in a shared diary that is later found by Min-ah. After Hyo-shin kills herself, though, things go quickly awry, and figuring out what is going on is put secondary to the emotional trials the girls have to go through, both individually and as a school.

Now not everything in this movie works, but the whole is definitely better than the sum of its separate parts. The watery imagery of the beginning sets a tone but doesn't actually come to mean anything to what happens later in the movie. The two girls, apparently, have ESP, but it's not really indicated for what purpose other than that it helps them communicate without others listening. There's this strange shot of the dead girl staring from the roof down on the panicking school that's not nearly as effective as the flash of judgment in her eyes right as her body is found outside. Some moments are legitimately creepy beyond typical horror tropes, such as the hands going over Min-ah's body, whereas others are clichéd flashCUT! shocks that have less resonance than the cut piano wire. In terms of building suspense, this movie is all over the place, and yet overall it is a chilly and atmospheric shocker that will more than keep your attention.

Fans of the Tartan Asian Extreme label will definitely enjoy it, fans of Korean cinema should definitely check it out, but I'm not too sure everybody would like this one. I wish more focus was put on the internal world of Shi-eun, who is losing her hearing and feels the most alienated from the day-to-day life of the school. Her story was a lot more interesting than Min-ah's, and her guilt much more emotionally compelling than the thrill-ride it causes.

--PolarisDiB

Well it's a improvement from the first

[KineticSeoul · 6/10 · 11 October 2010]

This is a improvement from the first movie in the saga, but it still has a lot of flaws. The subplots in this film is pretty much boring and didn't really add much to the story. The plot is basically this, this two lesbian girls decide to both make a diary, but when one of the girl doesn't show the same feelings as the other lesbian girl things start to go bonkers. With one girl who finds the diary and investigates it caught in the middle. So this time around it has more to do with being an outcast than teacher brutality. Almost the first hr of this movie has hardly no scary or even creepy scenes, just two lesbian girls doing stuff and one girl who finds the diary investigating. Most of the horror elements come near the end, but it wasn't executed very well and seemed sort of lame than actually scary. The drama aspect of the film wasn't too bad, but the horror parts wasn't done that well. Let's just say I slept like a baby after watching this movie. What started out okay, just became a kinda boring horror flick, with hardly any horror elements in it. One a positive note, most girls will be able to sit through the whole movie with little to no screams. It's basically a supernatural revenge flick from being a outcast by the other girls for being lesbian. The main negative thing I can say about this movie is that it really felt, all over the place at times and didn't stick to a more fluid method and direction. In another words it leads to a simple story to be more confusing that it should be at times.

6.3/10

A confused movie

[Atavisten · 3/10 · 8 May 2005]

It starts out as a drama about being lesbian at high-school level and ends up as a "horror" in which the students and in particular the lesbian partner who she felt let down by feels the wrath of the dead. The drama was OK because of decent actors, but is amateurish in its selection of scenes, there is too much unnecessary things happening here, bad subplots and too much looking into the past. It looks like everyday high-school cruelty though. The horror is laughable. The story weak.

I will leave the other films in the series alone. For a better film on young lesbianism, go see the Swedish 'Fucking Åmål' by Lukas Moodyson.

I don't know why I love it so much, but I do.

[supernova88 · 9/10 · 23 September 2001]

I have seen Memento Mori twice at the Melbourne International Film Festival and I think it's a very good film. My first impression of it was that it's quite like Virgin Suicides meets Carrie. And i maintain that it weaves between the romance and horror genres very effectively. I have not seen the original Yeogo Goedam but i assume it was more of a straight horror.

Because of it's genre crossing, Memento Mori adds to the horror theme of Shi-eun's return a sadness and tenderness that coagulates very strangely, but effectively with the terror-filled images of Shi-eun's body on the ground, and her haunting of the school. I really like the love story, but i see it as a horror film about adolescent love.

I had the privilege to speak to one of the directors, Kyu-Dong Min at the festival, and he said the film was supposed to tap into the horror of being an adolescent. Which i think he and his co-director do very well. the school-girl scenes are all extremely realistic. Some parts are humorous but humour is placed so tightly in the middle of horror that things shift so quickly.

the production design must be commended. I particularly love the piano design at the end of the film. With the diary, however, (i know, it's really good), but Kyu-Dong Min actually mentioned that they researched heaps of teenage girls' diaries and many were much more elaborate than the one they made for the film. just a sneak.

The cinematography too, should gain praise. Most parts are shot with stark whites, blacks and deep greens and it's really effective in bringing out the emptiness of the school in the lives of Shi-eun and Hyo-shin. But it is also the photography of the two girls on the roof during sunset really got me. when you first see it, it's a love scene - they walk left and right, playing with socks and all. And when you see it at the end of the film, it becomes a nostalgic scene.

Lastly, i must praise the acting of all three leads. Kim Min Sun is really likeable as Min-ah. Lee Young-Jin showed great control as the living dead girl and Park Yeh-jin arguably holds the whole film's acting performances together, both in terms of performance and narrative.

I really like Memento Mori. So far, it's in my top 3 films of the year. It's not exceptional. It's not one of those films with fantastically rapturous visual imagery, complex structure, or profound philosophical narrative. In fact, i don't know why i like the film as much as i do - apart from what i've just mentioned above. but i do. if i could see it again, i would. 9 out of 10.

Not my kind of Horror,

[nitzanhavoc · 5/10 · 21 November 2012]

Unlike the first Yeogo Goedam, this time I managed to follow the plot and the characters, although I still found it quite difficult to differentiate the characters (for someone like me who doesn't meet Asian looking people in their lives - their appearances look similar and their names sound similar).

Whispering Corridors 2: Memento Mori is a film I've heard and read was great and highly recommended, and maybe that's why I was slightly disappointed. From I've seen so far, Japanese Horror likes to combine psychological thrillers with ghost stories, and Korean Horror likes to combine Horror aspects with Drama. Good Drama, sometimes great - but Drama nonetheless, and I'm not such a Drama fan, especially not when I set out to watch a scary film.

Memento Mori's absolute best scene was the poem/speech in the very beginning. As a poet myself, I found it to be absolutely genius, it definitely joined the my favorite quotes list. From then on - like I said, a slight disappointment.

The relationship described between Hyo-shin and Shi-eun takes the audience through all the emotional spectrum one can imagine, but when it comes to moments of bone-chilling fear I've learnt to expect from Asian horror films - it fails to deliver. True, there is a ghost involved, but nothing like The Grudge or The Ring, or even the newer slightly less frightening films like Alone.

All in all, I think I've learnt that Korean Horror simply isn't my style, and am probably not going to continue watching the Yeogo Goedam series. Objectively - you might enjoy this film, if you like to combine Drama with not so scary Horror. I personally - don't.

It's OK to love a person, but not too much.

[lim_su_jeong · 9/10 · 2 December 2005]

Ever since the released of Ringu, many Asian horror movies competing to give a scary but nifty horror films. But nowadays Korea gave us more nifty horror films than Japan but Korea don't have a "classic" style that Japan have. Because most of Korean movies looks so fresh and it's a bit tired to look.

But what we want on a movie if it give us a good story. Memento Mori is one of that movies. I just bought only a VCD of it and I've never disappointed on it. Even it falls at some point it still one of the best movie I've ever seen.

What I like on the are: the story, of course. They done it very concrete and unique. As if you were reading a novel, really. Second, the cinematography. It's very stylish. Third, the soundtrack. It's the most beautiful music I've ever heard, it really touch my heart. And last the performance. It's very natural acting and at some point I really felt the actors acting. My problem about Memento Mori is that you like a great revelation on the end of the movie, you like more depth. You know, at some point, the movie makes me laugh... and it's not bad to love a person but not too much.

Well, I really recommend this film because it's a very unique and stylish movie. It scares you, it touch your heart at the same time it makes you laugh. It was one of a kind movie!

A school drama and romance story with some artificial and poor horror moments

[kluseba · 5/10 · 6 May 2011]

First of all, let me tell you that this movie has no connection to the first part of "Yeogo goedam" and has also a quite different style. While the first movie was a psychological suspense movie with some creepy elements, this movie is rather a drama or romance story of a lesbian couple and its fate. Even though the main story line is intriguing and seems to be courageous for its time, there are too many unnecessary subplots that are not only less addicting but distract from the well done parts of the movie.

The supernatural elements in this movie had to be included to please the producers and are absolutely redundant. Don't expect a creepy horror movie with a twisted ending. This drama is very human and philosophical. It's a lot easier to follow than you might think while watching this flick. The movie is full of details and entertaining anecdotes but in contrast to similar Korean movies such as "A tale of two sisters", those details are not of a big interest in the end and everything is relatively clearly revealed.

The problem is that all those details let this movie go nowhere and add nothing interesting to it. The flick seems stretched and sometimes a little bit empty and built on a weak plot. Some characters are also acting in a weird and not quite credible way and the ending of the movie crowns this hazardous development.

If you want to see a realistic and visionary school drama, this flick may be partly interesting for you but doesn't go profound enough to truly convince. If you are expecting something as creepy as the first part of the series, you may be completely disappointed. Compared to the third movie, I must say that this second part doesn't really fit into the series at all and would suggest to simply skip it if you are not a big fan or collector of the "Yeogo goedam" universe.

Tragic love story masquerading as horror

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 15 November 2011]

MEMENTO MORI is a South Korean ghost story and follow-up to the similar WHISPERING CORRIDORS, although the two films are unconnected in terms of plot. They're both set in girls' boarding schools and involve similar situations with female bonding and sadistic teachers, but there the similarities end. While watching MEMENTO MORI, it soon becomes apparent that this is an extremely atypical horror film: it's more of a touching, tragic love story between two lesbian school friends rather than anything else. It turns out that the director had no desire to make a ghost story featuring any of the traditional ghostly stuff from Asia, but the producers forced him to add some ethereal menace to appeal to the ready fan base.

I found the film to be one of two halves. The first forty-five minutes is stodgy, dull and slow: it's a depiction of school life full of interchangeable characters and unappealing sequences. I found little to keep me watching, but persevered nonetheless and was rewarded by an improved second half, which actually features intriguing plotting and some intelligent, well-filmed moments. The ghostly stuff is kept to a minimum other than in a few situations, and it works better that way. It's not a film which I can actively describe because doing so will spoil it; but if you're looking for an unusual take on a usually familiar genre then this might be up your street.

The First Korean Cult Movie

[hideone · 10/10 · 26 January 2001]

The movie was very impressive, it had some minor flaws, but overall I appreciated devotional efforts by two bright young directors. I really liked raw and realistic dialogs between characters, and the superb art work of that mysterious diary. However, the biggest mistake of this film I found was that it had to follow a big commercial success of Yeogo goedam I, so it turned out as a confusing half-horror or half-romance genre. Actually, this version is totally different from the first one. I don't understand why the film was named after the previous one. I'd rather prefer to see this film as more focused on the romance between two high school girls, because the chemistry of two had a potential to be a sad and heartfelt lovestory. However, this is very well-made one, more like an art film. Nice use of camera work, intense soundtrack, and good performances of young actresses brought a fine result. I have never seen no other Korean films like this in an unique and artistic way.

Good first half, terrible second half

[http-www-nixflix-com · 1/10 · 7 March 2002]

The first 40 minutes is very good when it focuses on the love story between the two girls. And then the second half shifts in and the movie completely falls apart. The greatest sin is that the movie's writers/directors have no sense of common sense. The ghost that appears in the second half haunts and assaults the ONLY NICE GIRL in the whole movie and completely IGNORES the characters that needs to be brought down a notch -- like the cruel classmates (God knows there's plenty of them) that picks on and abuses the main characters (and the ghost before she dies), as well as a teacher who slaps one of the girls so hard she bled. And who DOES the ghost pick on? Gee, let's see. How about the nice girl who helps them out and feels sorry for them? If that wasn't enough, the ending is all sound and fury signifying NOTHING.

Fantastic film, nothing like Whispering Corridors and not a horror flick.

[rooprect · 8/10 · 21 January 2020]

"Memento Mori" (1999) is loosely associated with the first in the quadrilogy "Whispering Corridors" (1998), but aside from being set in an all girl's school and centering around the harsh social stigmas and stresses of Korean education... with a ghost or two thrown in... it has nothing to do with its predecessor. Not only is the story completely unrelated but more notably the cinematic style and approach is totally different. While "Whispering Corridors" was a plot-driven thriller with suspense and a few scares, "Memento Mori" is more of an art house film with a poetic quality that may be hard to follow at first, but it's ultimately a very impressive film.

The story is about a girl who mysteriously dies at school, evidently having fallen or been pushed off the roof. What follows is a very cryptic piecing together of the puzzle. It happens in disjoint flashbacks, dream/fantasy sequences and frequent wtf departures from reality, so you better be prepared to be confused. However, even if you don't grasp the entirety of what's being told (and if you're struggling to keep up with subtitles), the film masterfully conveys enough of a mood that you feel what's happening even if you don't grasp every plot element.

The presentation is very stylistic with interesting camera angles and perspectives, often using hyper closeups on seemingly trivial items. But this is precisely what gives it a poetic quality. The visuals are crystal clear even on my 480p DVD player, so even though this hasn't been released on blu-ray, it's very pleasing to the eye. So if you were less than impressed by the grainy, murky DVD release of "Whispering Corridors" this will wake you up.

It's definitely not a horror flick. In case you missed that in my title I want to repeat it again because anyone expecting jumps & scares will be very disappointed. Although there's a creepy, menacing vibe throughout the whole film, it's more along the lines of "The Others" or "The Sixth Sense" or (the original) "Wicker Man".

Oh, I have to mention the acting is incredible. Unlike "Whispering Corridors" where many of the characters were (deliberately) two-dimensional, "Memento Mori" presents characters who are extremely complex and hard to figure out. There's no clearcut good guy/bad guy approach; it's truly a mystery as we piece together who's who. "Memento Mori" demands your full attention as it doesn't always spell everything out for you. But if you like a challenge, don't miss this one.