Cello (Chello hongmijoo ilga salinsagan) (2005)

46% of users liked it
(2,229 ratings)

A beautiful cellist attempting to regain stability after surviving a car accident that claimed the life of her best friend finds that her troubles have only begun when her personal life takes an ominous turn for the worse in director Lee Woo-cheol's harrowing tale of psychological horror. Physically… More A beautiful cellist attempting to regain stability after surviving a car accident that claimed the life of her best friend finds that her troubles have only begun when her personal life takes an ominous turn for the worse in director Lee Woo-cheol's harrowing tale of psychological horror. Physically bruised and mentally scarred, there's nothing that Mi-ju (Seong Hyeon-ah) wants more out of life than to let her recently departed friend rest in peace and heal from the pain of her past. When the memories of the accident become too powerful to bear and Mi-ju decides to forego her professional music career in favor of teaching cello to both her daughter and the students at a nearby university, the horrors of her past prove nothing compared to the terror that slowly begins seeping into every aspect of her quiet existence. As the music that drifts from her daughter's instrument begins to take on an ever more grim and unearthly quality, Mi-ju attempts to maintain some semblance of sanity after being attacked by a vicious student, trying to make sense of her sister-in-law's dangerous obsession with her fiancé, and struggling to pinpoint just what it is about her new housekeeper that makes her so uneasy at times. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Woo-cheol Lee
Genres: Horror, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

On DVD: Jul 25, 2006

Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um roteiro terrível e repleto de furos que ainda ganha um tratamento óbvio e ineficaz de seu diretor estreante.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Competent, yet completely uninteresting.
Michael Ferraro, Film Threat
This film is frightening enough for die-hard fans of the genre but those seeking a quicker pace or more gore should seek elsewhere.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lewis C

Cello is an atmospheric, emotionally-driven psychological horror/drama from South Korea. It's basically about a woman with traumatic events in her past that come back to haunt her and her family. I call it a horror/drama because it has its frightening moments, but a large part… More
Cello is an atmospheric, emotionally-driven psychological horror/drama from South Korea. It's basically about a woman with traumatic events in her past that come back to haunt her and her family. I call it a horror/drama because it has its frightening moments, but a large part of the movie is devoted to the relationships between the main character, Mi-ju and her autistic daughter, and the past relationship of Mi-ju and her very close friend, Tae-Yeon. I found myself caring a lot more about the characters (and any potential danger to them) in Cello more than I usually do in horror movies, because so much time was devoted to developing them as people and not just kill-fodder. There are so truly horrifying moments in this movie, which gives it a heft and impact that goes beyond just visceral thrills. Cello is a very sad film, and that wouldn't have worked at all without characters that you actually care about. It's not hard to figure out what's going on with the story, as Mi-ju seeming falls prey to either a malevolent ghostly presence or her own crumbling mind, but fortunately the plot throws enough curves to keep even veterans of the genre from being able to predict everything that's going to happen. Put plainly, I liked Cello. It was somewhat different from the recent horror movies I've seen, and undeniably well-made. I recommend it.
Lee ?

Slow-moving Korean horror/melodrama with another pissed-off ghost out for revenge at the centre of the story. Not bad, but just not scary or lively enough early-on. It develops an unsettling atmosphere and some well staged death scenes, some bloody too. Worth a look for lovers of… More
Slow-moving Korean horror/melodrama with another pissed-off ghost out for revenge at the centre of the story. Not bad, but just not scary or lively enough early-on. It develops an unsettling atmosphere and some well staged death scenes, some bloody too. Worth a look for lovers of Asian horror but it is similar in style and plot to others out there.
Lady D

Hugely disappointing, very slow moving which was felt throughout, it may have some originality to it, but it was very dull.
Luke B

Asia looks awful judging by its horror films. Apparently everything is haunted/cursed. Shoes, video tapes, mobile phones, cameras and of course cellos. This film is just a regurgitation of previous horror efforts. Of course there are nice suspenseful moments and some great visual… More
Asia looks awful judging by its horror films. Apparently everything is haunted/cursed. Shoes, video tapes, mobile phones, cameras and of course cellos. This film is just a regurgitation of previous horror efforts. Of course there are nice suspenseful moments and some great visual techniques but it doesn't add up to much.
Kylie B

Like any Asian ghost story you've already seen, but a bit shit. Seriously, when it comes to Asian horror I'm easily pleased, throw in a Yurei or Onryou and I'm happy (I'm happy with the Ju On remakes, for God's sake, how easy to please is that?!), but this was… More
Like any Asian ghost story you've already seen, but a bit shit. Seriously, when it comes to Asian horror I'm easily pleased, throw in a Yurei or Onryou and I'm happy (I'm happy with the Ju On remakes, for God's sake, how easy to please is that?!), but this was just...a bit nothing. I didn't care about any of the characters, and while there were a few quite beautiful creepy images they were lost the the whole pointlessness of it. Having suspense is a good thing, but there were seriously few payoffs to counteract the vast chasms of 'suspense'. Surely, suspense without payoff is nothing happening? You decide. The plot itself was not bad, but sometimes they don't need to be so overly complicated. It's a shame because the cover looks so good.
Drew S

Ugh. Cello is just maddeningly bad. Where do I start? The relentless cribbing from every other successful Asian horror ever? The fact that every single subplot dies in the water without contributing to the movie at all? The lousy performances? The cheap aesthetics and sloppy,… More
Ugh. Cello is just maddeningly bad. Where do I start? The relentless cribbing from every other successful Asian horror ever? The fact that every single subplot dies in the water without contributing to the movie at all? The lousy performances? The cheap aesthetics and sloppy, off-frame camerawork? The idiotic twist ending? The fact that it's not scary? You know, I really don't feel like starting at all. This movie is such a generic waste of time that it doesn't deserve any more of my minutes. The ones I already expended crawling through it and praying for it to get better are never coming back to me. If you've seen Ringu (black-haired girl ghost), Tale of Two Sisters (entire aesthetic sensibility), Phone (past rivalry gone sour), The Eye (plot with heavy musical themes), Dark Water (devotion to the daughter), Acacia (disintegration of the family unit), or even Suicide Club (remaining weirdness factor), this movie has absolutely nothing new to offer you. This might have some flash-in-the-pan value to an Asian Extreme virgin, but even those barely inducted into the genre have no need to see this movie.
alan j

chiiling korean horror movie..to be honest..I got lost in the last 10 minutes..but the last frame is one heckuva money shot...should run a cold chill down your spine...a bit slow moving, but nice use of sound and acting is above par