Goedam (2020)

Goedam (2020)

Dir. Hong Won-ki | 8 episodes, various lengths (approx 74 mins total)

A Korean horror anthology based around the idea of urban myths, with episodes of various lengths, the shortest being approx seven minutes and the longest around fifteen minutes. The individual incidents aren't connected to each other, but a few of them do take place in the same location.

It's an interesting experiment, but the result is only 12.5% successful. That might seem like an odd figure to have choosen, but it’s exact and easy to calculate: seven of the eight episodes are dire.

The only exception is the final episode, Birth, which is the most complete, the most beautiful, the most terrifying (i.e. the kidnappings), and the best edited short of them all. The picture that I've chosen to accompany this post is taken from that episode.

If you're new to the genre — and I mean brand new, having never seen a single Asian horror in your life (or even a US remake of one) — then you may feel differently, but for me it's a series of derivative ideas that have minimal contextual framework and barely any plot. In that respect, I suppose you could say they at least reflect the structure of the urban myths that inspired them.

Many of the episodes occur in daylight hours, with genuinely good cinematography, but the snippets of story have little to offer beyond that. If you want to experience the best of them only, my advice would be to go direct to episode eight. I know that taking advice from an opinionated stranger with unknown credentials on the internet isn't a wise idea, but on this occasion it may save you some time that could be better spent watching something else.

Alternatively, use the time to read a book; do some housework; tell someone you love how you feel, etc. I can think of hundreds of things that are better than spending time with Goedam.