The Eye

The whole film was heading for a three thanks to some of the acting and definitely the need to rise above the different mentality of the film and some of the screenwriting lapses. However, the camera work in this film is so evocative that one is on tenterhooks for some scenes, waiting to see where it’s going to come from. The scene in the elevator, for example, is fantastically horrific, and it gets by without jump scares. The ending is like something out of another movie and *SPOILER ALERT* quite reminded me of The Mothman Prophecies from the same year. However, I think that the burning bodies of people, children, and animals accompanied by a romantic piano melody make the fourth star. And the last shot is really nice. (04.07.2009)

A ghost in a hospital, a ghost in a room, a ghost in the streets, a ghost in a corridor, a ghost on a lift, and so on, and so on – that’s the entire first half of the film. And then the heroine sets out on a journey in search of the truth. (20.12.2007)

The Hong Kong-Singaporean rendition of The Eye is a more terrifying film than its remake. There are moments here that are genuinely frightening, not just because there might be a jump scare, but mainly due to how well some scenes are constructed. This ultimately leads to the overall impression of this film being more unsettling, which I definitely consider a sign of quality within the context. This is a horror film that works years later, and that’s despite me having seen the remake. (25.11.2015)

A great subject, filmed by two directors and the result is…on the one hand, a compelling drama with a strong but half-baked idea and, on the other hand, a sharp, chilling thriller that’s comparable to The Sixth Sense in its most suspenseful scenes. With more focus on the central character’s life story than on the haunting, The Eye could have been a blow to the soul. That said, it still works very well as a bit of shock therapy. (27.01.2003)

I have a problem with Japanese horror movies and their remakes. To put it simply, they don’t scare me, whether it is The Ring or, in this case, The Eye. And yet, can’t say they are badly made, quite the contrary, but emotionally, they just can't stir me up properly. The Eye has a novel, interesting story, but it has one pretty big flaw: two set-up endings, the second of which, while effective, is very awkward in its own way, and it would have been better if it hadn’t been there at all. Overall, based on the responses, I expected it to be much better. Which brings me back to the beginning of my review... (01.07.2003)