‘There must be something in this mountain’
Mount Chiak is a 2023 horror film set around the urban legend that there were murders in which the bodies were chopped up and buried at a real location in Wonju.
Written and directed by Kim Sun-Ung [aka Seon-Woong Kim and 김선웅].
The South Korean production stars Yun Kyun-Sang, Kim Ye-Won, Yeon Je-Wook, Bae Geu-Rin and Lee Tae-Hwan.
Plot:
Min-Joon (Yun Kyun-Sang) is the leader of the Sangaja mountain bike group with four other members: Hyun-Jin (Kim Ye-Won), Yang-Bae (Yeon Je-Wook), Soo-A (Bae Geu-Rin) and Yi-Sak (Lee Tae-Hwan).
They go to Mount Chiak where Min-Joon’s uncle has a vacation home to ride their bikes. There, they enjoy their time cycling in the mountains, but a mysterious event takes place.
After initially enjoying the off-roading ride, strange things began to happen to the party and it seems that something unidentified is chasing them. A desperate game for the Sangaja party to survive on Chiaksan Mountain begins…
Reviews:
” ….reminds me a little of Evil Dead or thanks to the cameras somehow also of Blair Witch Project and others. However, at the same time, it is also very different, probably due to the fact that it’s not a typical Western horror movie and therefore has its own unique style. The movie has some nice scares, isn’t too gory but succeeds in creating a mysterious and captivating at times scary atmosphere. And it offers a nice twist.” 7.4 out of 10, Chanty22
“Borrowing elements of The Evil Dead, Cabin Fever, and even The Ruins, among other films, Mount Chiak doesn’t add anything new to the “dumb kids in a cabin” subgenre, but it’s got some freaky imagery, an acceptable level of gore, and a pretty good sense of humor […] Occasionally, the characters act like ignorant buffoons in order to move the plot along, but the final third is a rip-roaring orgy of chaos and bloodshed.” ★★★½ Nick Flix
” …it’s a bold, ambitious, and fun ride along the way, complete with plenty of dramatic drone shots of people riding mountain bikes through the woods. The buildup may sometimes be too random and chaotic to have the effect that it’s going for, but when the climax comes, it lands deftly and leaves more implications lurking in the wings than the number of specifics it actually spells out.” The Pitch
Release:
In South Korea, the movie was released on September 13, 2023.
Controversy:
The Wonju City government and local social groups protested that the film could hurt the public image of the mountain and the region. They filed for an injunction to ban the film’s opening. However, the Seoul Central District Court turned down the application.
“It cannot be said that the reputation of Chiak Mountain will be damaged or that viewers will have a negative impression of the location just because it appears in this film, which contains clearly fictional content,” the Court said. “It is difficult to say that there is a risk of significant damage to the rights or property of Wonju City and its citizens.”
Social groups from Wonju had previously held a protest in front of the cinema at the Konkuk University entrance of Lotte Cinema in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul where the press conference for Mount Chiak was held on August 31, 2023, calling for the cancellation of the film’s opening.
Director Seon-Woong Kim had previously posted an image of a body that he drew himself on his personal channel, causing many netizens to reject it. He said, “I love designing. I’ve been making posters whenever I’m doing an independent or low-budget film.” If you saw it and felt disgusted, I sincerely apologize.”
“The post has been taken down,” he added, adding, “I decided not to use it so that it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Trailer [1080p HD]:
Technical specs:
1 hour 25 minutes
Original Hangul title:
치악산
