Chelsea Lupkin
If you have a fear of marriage, Koreatown Ghost Story by Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum may just unlock a whole new level of nightmare fuel. This haunting tale dives deep into the supernatural, exploring the generational intersectionality of Korean cultural traditions and modern Americanism. Perfect for spooky October, this film playfully balances camp and true horror, delivering an altogether personal commentary on what it’s like to live as a new generation of Asian-American.
Based on a Korean ritual during Chuseok, the autumn festival, Koreatown Ghost Story centers around a woman who is presented with a rather macabre marriage proposal from an old family friend who is particularly good at acupuncture. Said acupuncturist is none other than comedian Margaret Cho, who you may recognize from her stand-up or television appearances (Drop Dead Diva, 30 Rock). Cho’s performance brings the film’s dark comedic side to a whole new twisted level, alongside Lyrica Okano (Marvel’s Runaways), who portrays Hannah with such a level of charm that it’s hard for anyone not to be concerned about what unravels on screen.
Margaret Cho stars as Mrs. Moon in Koreatown Ghost Story.
While those aforementioned layers of campiness and humor shine from the performances of the film’s leads, and their general banter, visually Park and Tenenbaum cleverly utilize the photography and visual effects to really drive home the horror. Cinematographer Jon Keng gradually darkens the tone with an eerie color palette, drawing viewers deeper into the short’s atmosphere, making you feel like you’re in a haunted house. In one chilling moment, the camera passes by a creepy figure so candidly that it makes you wonder what kind of house of horrors our protagonist has entered.
However, the most compelling use of camera in Koreatown Ghost Story is Park and Tenenbaum’s choice to hold its position below the massage table, staying on Okano’s face as she receives acupuncture from Mrs. Moon, whose intentions are nefariously self-motivated. Needless to say, this approach from the directors makes the viewer feel that much more trapped when Hannah becomes incapacitated by the needles. We are paralyzed alongside her, as there is nothing she can do but accept the offer of marriage to Mrs. Moon’s son – too bad he isn’t living. It’s in this way that Koreatown Ghost Story is layered with fear after fear – needles, ghosts, loss of control – with its narrative expanding beyond that feeling of being trapped in just a marriage, that’s for sure.
“In many ways, they are ghosts floating through the American landscape”
Speaking of feeling trapped, Koreatown Ghost Story explores generational horror through the experience of children of American immigrants and those who immigrated at a very young age, highlighting the internal conflict they face between their family’s cultural heritage and the modern American culture they now live in. “In many ways, they are ghosts floating through the American landscape, not belonging to their past or their present,” Park and Tenenbaum tell Short of the Week. Using the horror framework, the filmmakers channel their personal feelings of what it’s like to be Korean-Americans, bringing authenticity to their project by assembling a cast and crew that included a majority of underrepresented minorities in the film industry.
With the short screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival and receiving Best of Fest at PanicFest and the Palme d’Gore at the Knoxville Horror Film Fest, Park and Tenenbaum are now working on a television series for Ubisoft, based on one of their properties. The pair are also developing a horror feature and everyone here at S/W can’t wait to see more of their spooky film projects in the future!