2/5 stars
This debut feature from South Korean director Han Dong-seok broaches disparate themes, from nefarious supernatural forces to the filmmaking process itself.
These crowd-pleasing elements are too often eclipsed, however, by the artistic flourishes of a fledgling filmmaker still searching for a style to call his own – his film touches on various genres and shows a range of influences.
The Sin introduces aspiring ingénue Si-yeong (Kim Yoon-hye), who lands the role of a lifetime playing the lead in an experimental avant-garde film that hinges upon a hugely complicated dance routine, which she must perform perfectly on camera.
The production is to be shot on location at a remote, disused school, nestled deep in the woods far from the rest of society.
The film’s director, Hwi-wook (Park Ji-hoon), has been lauded on the international festival circuit, but Si-yeong soon discovers that he is woefully out of his depth and has no idea how to bring his bizarre vision to fruition.
Luckily for Si-yeong, she finds some consolation in the company of her on-screen counterpart, Chae-yoon (Song Yi-jae), but their on-set troubles pale into insignificance when set against the series of bizarre events that beset the production.
Si-yeong is plagued by unsettling visions, including her own suicide, but when a crew member stabs a colleague and throws herself off a roof, gets to her feet and mounts a frenzied attack on a bystander, the film shoot – and arguably Han’s own movie – goes spectacularly off the rails.
Mistaking confusion for genuine mystery, Han confronts his audience with a series of increasingly inexplicable events. He introduces cults, curses, gangsters and corrupt police officers on top of what appears to be a zombie outbreak.
Long-gestating revenge plots and convoluted backstories are thrown into the mix, all while Han maintains a surreal air of suspense that is aesthetically pleasing but narratively incoherent.
In many cases, these filmmakers were able to move past their delusions of artistic self-importance and go on to make engaging and accessible movies.
The Sin shows glimpses of promise, but falls apart under the weight of its compounding twists and turns. Only time will tell if Han can achieve a creative balance and make more coherent films in the future.