Hello everyone, and welcome back to another movie review by EonTalk. This time, I’ve got the written review of the new horror animation, <Beauty Water>.
Directed by the first-time director Cho Kyung-Hoon, <Beauty Water> is an animated horror film based on a popular webtoon series titled “Tales of the Unusual – Beauty Water.” “Beauty Water” is just one mini-series inside the webcomic series “Tales of the Unusual,” a horror webtoon by Oh Seong-Dae. As the comic had massive popularity, there were a lot of excited fans for the release of “Beauty Water” on the big screens.
The film featured the voices of Moon Nam-Sook, Jang Min-Hyuk, Cho Hyun-Jung, Kim Bo-Young, and Choi Seung-Hoon, and revolves around a mysterious, magical water that can transform your face into the shape you want, as if you’re getting cosmetic surgery. Here’s the detailed synopsis of <Beauty Water>.
The synopsis is as follows:
Beauty Water Instructions:
First, check your face in the mirror. Taking a picture is highly recommended, as this will be your last time seeing yourself in this form.
Next, mix the “Beauty Water” with regular water at a 4:1 ratio.
Once you’ve mixed the liquids, dip your face in the mix for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, your skin and muscles will change to a clay-like texture. DO NOT BE SCARED. This is normal.
Mold your face into the form you would like.
And voilà! The new you.
The magical water that will bring you new life: Beauty Water.
Coming to theaters this summer!
Trailer
Source: EonTalk YouTube Channel
The Good
If you’ve read my other reviews of this genre, you know that I’m not a big fan of horror movies. But this was different. It’s a different type of horror where it doesn’t rely on jump scares, but gives its scariness from the theme/tone. The music definitely plays a big role in delivering this, as the BGM created and conveyed the mood to give it a freaky tone.
Also, there was more to the story than the trailers made it out to be. There were several trailers, and all of them basically outlined and defined what the “Beauty Water” in the movie is. Other than that, it didn’t give too much of the plot, and I think this was a positive, as it gives an element of mystery and shock value when you watch. After the “melting” scene, it got pretty freaky, and almost felt like a zombie movie at one point.
Moreover, the story had several twists. I won’t get into the details, as to not give away any spoilers, but the twist(s) at the end is (were) pretty epic. It was like absolutely “WTF…” moments.
The film is a little less than an hour and a half long, coming in at 85 minutes. I believe this was properly timed; it wasn’t too long, nor was it too short. It was just right in getting the story across.
The Bad
Moving along to the “Bad” parts about <Beauty Water>, the biggest downfall I found was the animation. Now, this is a huge negative, as the film literally is an animated feature film. The 3D animation felt sloppy and not fully developed. It almost felt like a moving webtoon; it wasn’t smooth and felt choppy. The mouth movements and dialogues weren’t in sync at times, and I personally would’ve loved to have seen it in live action.
Furthermore, there were some mismatches in its delivery. With the story and genre, the movie felt like it was targeting an older audience. However, from the animation, dialogue, and sounds, it felt like it was more for little kids, as if it was something you’d see on Disney Channel.
Finally, if you’ve seen the webtoon, then you’re not in for any surprises. The overall story was the same, and there were only minor differences in its detail. I personally would’ve preferred if they had something a little more compared to the comic, as that’s what would attract those that have already read the original (especially as I’d expect a lot of the viewers to have already seen the webtoon).
Verdict
All in all, <Beauty Water> was watchable because of its originality in story and topic. Without that, there really wouldn’t be much of a reason to watch. Thank goodness for its originality, as thats what made it an enjoyable watch. Also, I appreciated that the horror element wasn’t scary because of jump scares, but the derived the horror from the theme/tone. If you’ve read the webtoon, the film may not be as fun, as there aren’t any major differences. The lesson of the movie: Don’t be greedy.
Ticket Price Value: $10
(Ticket Price Value is the price I would pay to watch the film again for the first time)
What were your thoughts on the movie? Do you agree or disagree with my review? What would your ‘Ticket Price Value’ be? Leave a comment down below!
**Follow the Eon Talk Facebook page for more Korean movie content! ☞ @eontalk
Related Films (Click to View):
Disclaimer
Please keep in mind this review is composed of solely my own opinions, and should be taken with a grain of salt. I am in no way a professional writer, nor have I majored or studied journalism. This is for informative entertainment purpose only, representing my personal views. I do not own the images and/or videos used in the review. No copyright infringement intended.