The cursed lesson

Asian cinema fascinates by its audacity and its willingness to constantly seek to astonish whether it is action films that have forever marked world cinema, intimate dramas reflecting the failings of society, giant monsters and other horrific creatures, this cinema never ceases to amaze and seduce us with a different approach to current American cinema that vampires our movie theaters leaving little room for independent French films. During the Gérardmer fantasy festival we were able to discover The Cursed lesson by Kim Ji-han and Juhn Jai-hong. This film is based on a simple theme : what price are we willing to pay to be young, to have a dreamlike physique and to be adored by an audience.

We discover the online fashion model Hyo-jeong who is threatened with unemployment because of a rival of a younger and trendy generation on social networks. While looking for surgical treatments, Hyo-jeong hears about a mysterious yoga class from one of her old friends. Out of curiosity, Hyo-jeong decides to sign up for these yoga classes with three classmates: Ji-won, who has an unstable mental state, Mi-yeon, a boxer who has been unable to keep her body in shape, and Ye-na, a movie star who is obsessed with her appearance. While the police are investigating a murder committed by a woman named Bo-ra (a former student of the yoga class), they realize that all the elements lead to this yoga class being held by people with unethical practices.

The cursed lesson could have become a successful horror movie if it hadn't been based on a hesitant and slow tempo script. It is easy to understand that the search for eternal youth and a perfect body can give life to successful horror films, but in the practical case, this film lacks originality, strong scenes and above all does not manage to create an agonizing atmosphere by multiplying the axes of evolution of the story and by not giving the characters a strong psychology. Certainly some effects work but they drown in a boring film that doesn't manage to really scare us.

The Cursed lesson
Directed by Kim Ji-han & Juhn Jai-hong
Produced by Kim Ji-han
Written by Juhn Jai-hong
Starring Lee Chae-young, Jo Jung-min, Choi Cheol-ho, Kan Mi-youn
Music by Park In-young
Cinematography: Lee Du-hun
Edited by Jung Jin-hee
Release date: November 26 2020 (Singapore)
Running time: 93 minutes

Seen on January 29, 2021 (Gerardmer Festival)

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