Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If you’re a struggling artist juggling two jobs to make ends meet, would you jump at the chance to marry someone wealthy? Margaret Cho plays a sinister doctor named Mrs. Moon, who offers Hannah (Lyrica Okano), a friend’s daughter, the opportunity of a lifetime in the 2021 short horror film “Koreatown Ghost Story.”
The fifteen-minute film opens with Hannah visiting Mrs. Moon, a family friend she hasn’t seen in ages, to return a gift that appears to be an antique box. But to Hannah’s surprise and discomfort, the older woman, who seems to have not aged at all, has disturbingly grand plans for her. First, Mrs. Moon offers Hannah an acupuncture session to relieve her pain. Thus, the tone of “Koreatown Ghost Story” is an interesting blend of dark humor and old school horror. There’s irony in how Mrs. Moon offers temporary relief from physical pain while potentially trapping Hannah in a lifetime of misery, despite the promise of a hefty payoff.
Directed by Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum, “Koreatown Ghost Story” unfolds in a beautiful but aged mansion and takes place on a Korean holiday that Mrs. Moon describes as “Halloween meets Thanksgiving.” Margaret Cho is wickedly good as the creepy Mrs. Moon, a character symbolic of all Asian mothers who want nothing more than to see their children ‘settled.’ She pins down a helpless Hannah in a macabre bargain, and the screenplay wittily captures the sheer terror and desperation of the young woman cornered under unexpected circumstances.
Will Hannah give in to Mrs. Moon’s demands, or will she find a way to fight back against both the old woman and the ghosts lurking in the mansion? “Koreatown Ghost Story” cleverly foreshadows its quirky climactic twist and ends in an almost satisfying manner. I say almost because it feels like it could’ve been slightly longer and scarier.
You can watch “Koreatown Ghost Story” on YouTube.
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