This fall's top horror Homecam (director O Se-ho, distributor/studio Studio Santa Claus Entertainment, production M Pictures, co-producer A-Cut) has revealed three must-see viewing points to watch for upon its release.
Homecam, a 24-hour close-contact horror about insurance investigator Seong-hee (Yoon Se-a), who, while investigating a mysterious death, witnesses a strange presence on the home camera she installed and becomes trapped in fear, finally opens today, the 10th, and introduced viewing points that will heighten the film's thrill.
The first viewing point is the everyday, lifestyle-centered subject of the "homecam," which has quietly become deeply embedded in our daily lives. Director O Se-ho said, "I believe that horror begins in the cracks within the everyday life we live in. In modern society, homecams are the most commonly used security devices. If the thing closest to us and that makes us feel safe becomes a gateway to fear, I thought it would be a good medium to make the audience feel real-world fear," explaining his choice of the unusual subject. In particular, the direction effectively used various features such as footage actually shot with homecams, motion detection, signal tones, and sensors to add realism. While watching the film, audiences will experience ultra-close immersion as if they are one with the protagonist, and after returning home they will feel a lasting, intense afterimage that makes their house feel even scarier.
The second viewing point is the acting duel among three actors that fits like a tailored suit. Yoon Se-a, who has showcased new performances with outstanding character versatility in each work, delivers an intense portrayal of the rational insurance investigator Seong-hee, who, after seeing the woman captured on the homecam, becomes engulfed by fear and changes. Child actress Yoon Byeol-ha, a confident newcomer who chose Homecam because she wanted to try possession acting, plays Ji-woo, an adult-child whose heart is older than her age as she balances work and parenting, freely shifting between deep, composed moments and eerie behavior after the homecam is installed that unsettles her mother, announcing the birth of a prodigious actor. The role of Su-rim, who injects tense energy from the early part of the film, is played by actor Kwon Hyuk. With an unreadable expression, a sharp gaze, and ominous words that could be either advice or a warning, he pressures Seong-hee and drags the audience into endless deduction and twists, making it impossible to look away until the end. The press also praised the overwhelming synergy produced by the three actors, saying, "Yoon Se-a showed the potential to be a 'horror queen,' reminiscent of Vera Farmiga in the Conjuring series," "Child actor Yoon Byeol-ha's wide gap between her innocent face and the eerie expression when possessed makes it even more chilling. Kwon Hyuk creates a unique atmosphere as a shaman with a dual nature, making Homecam feel fresher," and "Yoon Se-a excellently portrays the character's gradual descent into madness under extreme terror, Kwon Hyuk builds tension as a figure who suspiciously watches Seong-hee and her daughter Ji-woo portrayed by Yoon Se-a and Yoon Byeol-ha, and Yoon Byeol-ha, despite her young age, shows presence by fluidly moving between innocence and cruelty."
The final viewing point is the chilling behind-the-scenes stories from filming Homecam. First, Kwon Hyuk, who played the shaman, shared that he actually experienced a spiritual contact. On the day they shot the film's climactic exorcism ritual scene, he suddenly suffered a severe headache. It was hard to continue filming, but because so many colleagues had coordinated schedules, he tried to endure it as much as possible. Then the shaman who advised on folk practices approached and said, "Are you dizzy? A ghost briefly brushed past," and when the shaman shook his body, the headache disappeared as if by magic. He said it made his entire body crawl with goosebumps for the first time in his life and felt like a good omen for the film. The homecam footage that appears in the film was actually shot with a homecam, but this work proved more difficult than expected. In particular, mode switching did not go smoothly, so that day they also decided to shoot in normal mode and determine postproduction later. In a scene where the homecam ghost wanders the house holding a knife and then looks at the camera, when the actor turned their head, the normal mode suddenly switched to night mode and the actor's eyes flashed eerily. The director and staff, watching the monitor and locking eyes, were startled, stopped filming, and checked the homecam again, but the initially set normal fixed mode remained unchanged. Although it was an NG take, the shot was so terrifying that they ultimately decided to include it in the film. Audiences will enjoy finding out exactly which scene it is while watching.
Revealing three chilling x fun viewing points to whet audience appetite, Homecam is now being enthusiastically screened at CGV theaters nationwide.
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