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Choi Ji-Yeon, Seong Hyeon-ah, Hyeon-a Seong, Da-an Park, Ho-bin Jeong ... see more see more... , Yu-mi Jeong , Jin Woo , Joo-na Lee , Na-woon Kim

A beautiful cellist attempting to regain stability after surviving a car accident that claimed the life of her best friend finds that her troubles have only begun when her personal life takes an omino... read more read more...us turn for the worse in director Lee Woo-cheol's harrowing tale of psychological horror. Physically bruised and mentally scarred, there's nothing that Mi-ju (Seong Hyeon-ah) wants more out of life than to let her recently departed friend rest in peace and heal from the pain of her past. When the memories of the accident become too powerful to bear and Mi-ju decides to forego her professional music career in favor of teaching cello to both her daughter and the students at a nearby university, the horrors of her past prove nothing compared to the terror that slowly begins seeping into every aspect of her quiet existence. As the music that drifts from her daughter's instrument begins to take on an ever more grim and unearthly quality, Mi-ju attempts to maintain some semblance of sanity after being attacked by a vicious student, trying to make sense of her sister-in-law's dangerous obsession with her fiancé, and struggling to pinpoint just what it is about her new housekeeper that makes her so uneasy at times. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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42% want to see it

2,228 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Woo-cheol Lee

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DVD Release Date: July 25, 2006

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Flixster Reviews (174)

  • lewiskendell
    September 11, 2011
    lewiskendell
    Cello is an atmospheric, emotionally-driven psychological horror/drama from South Korea. It's basically about a woman with traumatic events in her past that come back to haunt her and her family.

    I call it a horror/drama because it has its frightening moments, but a large part ... read moreof the movie is devoted to the relationships between the main character, Mi-ju and her autistic daughter, and the past relationship of Mi-ju and her very close friend, Tae-Yeon. I found myself caring a lot more about the characters (and any potential danger to them) in Cello more than I usually do in horror movies, because so much time was devoted to developing them as people and not just kill-fodder. There are so truly horrifying moments in this movie, which gives it a heft and impact that goes beyond just visceral thrills. Cello is a very sad film, and that wouldn't have worked at all without characters that you actually care about.

    It's not hard to figure out what's going on with the story, as Mi-ju seeming falls prey to either a malevolent ghostly presence or her own crumbling mind, but fortunately the plot throws enough curves to keep even veterans of the genre from being able to predict everything that's going to happen.

    Put plainly, I liked Cello. It was somewhat different from the recent horror movies I've seen, and undeniably well-made. I recommend it.
  • WrenchLT
    September 9, 2011
    WrenchLT
    Slow-moving Korean horror/melodrama with another pissed-off ghost out for revenge at the centre of the story. Not bad, but just not scary or lively enough early-on. It develops an unsettling atmosphere and some well staged death scenes, some bloody too. Worth a look for lovers of... read more Asian horror but it is similar in style and plot to others out there.
  • 76Majikat
    April 23, 2009
    76Majikat
    Hugely disappointing, very slow moving which was felt throughout, it may have some originality to it, but it was very dull.
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 3, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    Asia looks awful judging by its horror films. Apparently everything is haunted/cursed. Shoes, video tapes, mobile phones, cameras and of course cellos. This film is just a regurgitation of previous horror efforts. Of course there are nice suspenseful moments and some great visual... read more techniques but it doesn't add up to much.
  • newvogueravyn
    February 14, 2008
    newvogueravyn
    Like any Asian ghost story you've already seen, but a bit shit. Seriously, when it comes to Asian horror I'm easily pleased, throw in a Yurei or Onryou and I'm happy (I'm happy with the Ju On remakes, for God's sake, how easy to please is that?!), but this was just...a bit nothin... read moreg. I didn't care about any of the characters, and while there were a few quite beautiful creepy images they were lost the the whole pointlessness of it. Having suspense is a good thing, but there were seriously few payoffs to counteract the vast chasms of 'suspense'. Surely, suspense without payoff is nothing happening? You decide. The plot itself was not bad, but sometimes they don't need to be so overly complicated. It's a shame because the cover looks so good.
  • ceWEBrity
    June 20, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    Ugh. Cello is just maddeningly bad. Where do I start? The relentless cribbing from every other successful Asian horror ever? The fact that every single subplot dies in the water without contributing to the movie at all? The lousy performances? The cheap aesthetics and sloppy, off... read more-frame camerawork? The idiotic twist ending? The fact that it's not scary?

    You know, I really don't feel like starting at all. This movie is such a generic waste of time that it doesn't deserve any more of my minutes. The ones I already expended crawling through it and praying for it to get better are never coming back to me.

    If you've seen Ringu (black-haired girl ghost), Tale of Two Sisters (entire aesthetic sensibility), Phone (past rivalry gone sour), The Eye (plot with heavy musical themes), Dark Water (devotion to the daughter), Acacia (disintegration of the family unit), or even Suicide Club (remaining weirdness factor), this movie has absolutely nothing new to offer you. This might have some flash-in-the-pan value to an Asian Extreme virgin, but even those barely inducted into the genre have no need to see this movie.
  • alanjayh
    June 27, 2008
    alanjayh
    chiiling korean horror movie..to be honest..I got lost in the last 10 minutes..but the last frame is one heckuva money shot...should run a cold chill down your spine...a bit slow moving, but nice use of sound and acting is above par
  • bessonov
    April 12, 2010
    bessonov
    Has a particular foreign touch. Similar concept as 1408, but centered around revenge and family. Twisted plot.
  • heraklioncat
    April 7, 2009
    heraklioncat
    Wicked with shocking twists Some may find it slow going but the tormented characters are engaging and the film builds up a dream-like atmosphere. See this if you are into the spooky long hair asian girl genre.
  • vanillaricema
    November 25, 2008
    vanillaricema
    i found this movie pretty good. i love horror films and asian horror films seem to do better these days. i mean the ycome up with the most random plot and make it scary. like this movie for instance. there were a few parts i didnt expect and thats what i liked about it

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Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca
April 1, 2009
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Um roteiro terrível e repleto de furos que ainda ganha um tratamento óbvio e ineficaz de seu diretor estreante.

Jeffrey M. Anderson
November 3, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Competent, yet completely uninteresting. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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