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| 2026-06-22 11:56:43
(Movie Review) The Eyes
(Movie Review) 'The Eyes' paints obsession, fear of fading sight with classical touch
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- Losing one's sight may be one of the most unbearable experiences imaginable -- especially when being chased by someone who knows how vulnerable you are.
In the mystery thriller "The Eyes," artistic twins Seo-jin and Seo-in (both played by Shin Min-a) slowly lose their sight due to a degenerative eye disease that runs in the family.
While both women pursue careers in the arts, it is the younger twin Seo-in, who loses her sight first yet succeeds in building a successful career as a ceramicist.
For Seo-in, the loss of her vision is a source of artistic inspiration, and she refuses Seo-jin's suggestion that she undergo surgery to restore her sight.
Seo-jin, the more responsible and realistic of the two, is a photographer. She faithfully looks after her sister but finds herself overwhelmed by conflicting emotions as Seo-in's career flourishes -- envy over her sister's success, frustration at her refusal to seek treatment and guilt over feeling that way at all.
The sisters eventually drift apart until one day, Seo-jin discovers Seo-in dead at her rural townhouse.
Knowing Seo-in, Seo-jin refuses to accept the police's conclusion that she died by suicide.
She sets out to investigate the truth behind her sister's death while also fleeing Hyun-min (Lee Seung-ryong), a model she used to photograph, who continues to stalk her despite a restraining order.
With the help of Do-hyeok (Kim Nam-hee), a local detective, Seo-jin begins tracking her sister's murderer as her own eye-related symptoms continue to worsen.
The movie introduces a series of unsettling characters who were each part of Seo-in's life in the countryside town, all uncanny in their own ways, gradually revealing the disturbing presence that had been lurking around the sisters.
"The Eyes" begins as a modern crime thriller, depicting the fear of a woman fighting off a stalker in Seoul. But as the film's main stage shifts to the rural town where Seo-in had settled, its mood swings.
The quiet and dark nights of the countryside, coupled with Seo-in's wardrobe of deep-colored palettes, create an atmosphere well suited to a mystery thriller that could have belonged to an earlier era, if not for the presence of mobile phones.
In fact, Director Yeom Ji-ho enthusiastically blends in scenes reminiscent of classic suspense thrillers and horror films, paying homage to masters, such as Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock.
While these elements imbue a classical touch to the film, they also create a theatrical mood that may feel unnatural to some viewers as the film reaches its conclusion.
Apt for a movie that centers on the fear of losing sight, the film shrewdly uses visual techniques, including blurring, unsettling viewers as they experience the world through Seo-jin's failing eyes.
Shin, who has mostly appeared in rom-coms and warm human dramas, delivers a solid performance throughout the film, trying to capture the subtle difference between the two sisters and the fear that haunts them.
"The Eyes" is a remake of the Spanish psychological thriller "Julia's Eyes" (2010).
It is set for release Wednesday.
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