(Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
A still from "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) The movie follows a filming crew, led by Soo-in (Kim Hye-yoon), tasked with capturing footage of the roads surrounding a reservoir before a deadline. Soo-in, played by Kim Hye-yoon, and her filming crew are featured in this still from "Salmokji: Whispering Water," provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) The fact that the filming location, Salmokji, is a real place, located in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, lends the film's horror an unsettling weight. Kim Hye-yoon plays Soo-in in "Salmokji: Whispering Water," in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) Actress Kim Hye-yoon delivers an outstanding performance as a horror lead, a departure from her role in the 2024 hit romance fantasy series "Lovely Runner." It would have been better had Soo-in been given a richer backstory to anchor her journey. A poster for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #Salmokji: Whispering Water #movie review Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (3rd LD) About 40,000 fans gather for BTS comeback concert in downtown Seoul Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees BTS to stage concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Saved Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees Downtown Seoul to enter security lockdown for massive crowd at BTS concert BTS to stage concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Viewed All Categories (LEAD) Lee hails homegrown KF-21 fighter jets as leap forward into world's top 4 defense powerhouse (LEAD) N.

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By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming film "Salmokji: Whispering Water" taps into a primal fear -- the horror of being lured by evil spirits that might lurk beneath dark, murky water.
For those who shudder at such a premise, it will send chills down their spine for the entire runtime. Others who need more logical, grounded explanations behind the haunting, however, may find themselves still hungry for more by the time the film comes to a close.
A still from "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The movie follows a filming crew, led by Soo-in (Kim Hye-yoon), tasked with capturing footage of the roads surrounding a reservoir before a deadline.
Soo-in, who reluctantly volunteers to lead the crew, taking over the unfinished work left behind by her senior colleague Kyo-sik (Kim Jun-han), seems to be possessed by some unexplained fear from the very start.
When the crew arrives at Salmokji, the reservoir tucked deep in a remote countryside, that unease quickly turns to dread.
Kyo-sik, played by Kim Jun-han, is seen in this still from "Salmokji: Whispering Water," provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The sudden reappearance of Kyo-sik, who had gone silent after his last visit to the very same place, heightens her fear even more. While she cannot quite put her finger on what it is, Soo-in senses that something is deeply off about him.
With his return to the filming location, strange and unsettling occurrences begin to happen, such as unexplained sounds echoing across the water, an eerie silence swallowing the air around them and the crew losing sense of direction, finding themselves circling the same spot again and again as if trapped by an unseen force.
As if on cue, a technical problem forces them to stay there overnight, leading them to sink deeper into an inescapable, swamp-like terror in the muddied landscape where the boundaries between land and the murky water blur.
Soo-in, played by Kim Hye-yoon, and her filming crew are featured in this still from "Salmokji: Whispering Water," provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The fact that the filming location, Salmokji, is a real place, located in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, lends the film's horror an unsettling weight. Well-known among anglers as a fishing spot, it also has a reputation as a paranormal hotspot with a history of reported ghost sightings. It has gained wider exposure after it was featured on a TV program dedicated to unverified accounts of the supernatural.
Long fascinated by the paranormal, director Lee Sang-min, who makes his directorial feature debut with this film, effectively captures the dread of an isolated location where patchy roads stretch into nowhere and connectivity is limited. The suffocating stillness of the unpopulated surroundings leaves the characters with nowhere to turn.
For an immersive viewing experience, the film is also available in ScreenX, a 270-degree panoramic viewing format that expands the image onto the left and right walls, giving audiences the sensation of being inside the scene and trapped there along with the characters.
Kim Hye-yoon plays Soo-in in "Salmokji: Whispering Water," in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Actress Kim Hye-yoon delivers an outstanding performance as a horror lead, a departure from her role in the 2024 hit romance fantasy series "Lovely Runner." It would have been better had Soo-in been given a richer backstory to anchor her journey. Unfortunately, without it, she remains frustratingly passive, failing to become a force that drives the narrative forward.
In the end, the film's horror rests largely on two pillars -- the eerie surroundings where bare tree branches protrude from the reservoir like grotesque sculptures, and a handful of largely anticipated jump scares.
"Salmokji: Whispering Water" will premiere on April 8.
A poster for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
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### Areas for Consideration
- As if on cue, a technical problem forces them to stay there overnight, leading them to sink deeper into an inescapable, swamp-like terror in the muddied landscape where the boundaries between land and the murky water blur.
- A poster for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #Salmokji: Whispering Water #movie review Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (3rd LD) About 40,000 fans gather for BTS comeback concert in downtown Seoul Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees BTS to stage concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Saved Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees Downtown Seoul to enter security lockdown for massive crowd at BTS concert BTS to stage concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Viewed All Categories (LEAD) Lee hails homegrown KF-21 fighter jets as leap forward into world's top 4 defense powerhouse (LEAD) N.

### Implications
- OK By Woo Jae-yeon SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming film "Salmokji: Whispering Water" taps into a primal fear -- the horror of being lured by evil spirits that might lurk beneath dark, murky water.
- For those who shudder at such a premise, it will send chills down their spine for the entire runtime.
- Others who need more logical, grounded explanations behind the haunting, however, may find themselves still hungry for more by the time the film comes to a close.
- Soo-in, who reluctantly volunteers to lead the crew, taking over the unfinished work left behind by her senior colleague Kyo-sik (Kim Jun-han), seems to be possessed by some unexplained fear from the very start.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers water, salmokji, whispering topics. Notable strengths include discussion of water. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 939.