Body Parts review.
Body Parts keeps its anthology humming at a high level…including some standout ideas.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Streaming exclusively on SCREAMBOX July 30.
Body Parts
Directed by Won-kyung Choi, Byeong-deock Jeon, Jisam, Jang-mi Kim, Gwang-Jin Lee and Wally Seo
Starring Kwon Ah-Reum, Kim Ahyeon, Kim Chae-eun, Hyun-Jung Kim, Kim Min-Seok, Han Sang-hyuk and Jo Woo-ri
Body Parts Review
There are any number of ways to produce a successful horror anthology film. Sometimes one standout segment is enough. At least it can if that short story is strong enough. The best way to accomplish this however is the method that Body Parts employs. Consistent quality from start to finish. This allows the entirety of an anthology to provide enjoyment…and for the overall package to feel like one cohesive unit.
Body Parts is one of the most cohesive anthology features that we’ve come across. Even the framing device (usually a source of frustration) holds up its end. Mostly. While the device used here perfectly contains the film’s five short stories in a way that is both entertaining and logical…it does run out of steam in the very end. That’s a small price to pay for a package of this quality.
We review anthologies a bit differently than standard feature films. As usual, we will rank each of Body Parts’ segments from worst to best. Those distinctions don’t hold as much meaning when each (pardon the pun…) part is as strong as they are here. Worst in no way indicates bad. Every section contained in Body Parts is quite good. It’s just how we do things.
The framing story is about an undercover reporter. She infiltrates a strange religious group and finds them offering unique sacrifices at a special ceremony. The five short stories within the movie are the offerings given by the members of the church. The story’s pay off is probably the weakest aspect of Body Parts…but framing stories are mostly just a means to an end anyway. We won’t be including it in our rankings…but it is better than most.
Without further delay…let’s rank the segments of Body Parts from the bottom to the top.
5. Stink (segment 1)
When I say that every segment of Body Parts is strong…you’ll be able to understand why right away. Its opening segment is ranked at the bottom of this list. It’s a very good short story. That’s how much quality is on display here.
The opening story is about a girl who finds the perfume of a dead woman. When she applies it…everyone is taken with the scent. Except her. She smells something awful and can’t get rid of the stink. There are some body horror elements at work…and a great performance in the center of it. A dark way to open the proceedings…and a good way to prepare you for what Body Parts is all about. A short and sweet introduction to the film.
4. String (segment 5)
Another high-quality segment that would rank much higher in many lesser anthologies…String is Body Parts at its most Saw-like. A young man wakes up to find a wire tied around his neck. It’s connected to something on the other side of his bedroom wall. That something is his neighbor. The two are locked together for an unknown reason. When a countdown starts on his neighbor’s side of the wall…they have three minutes to figure it out.
String keeps the suspense high and delivers some brutal and bloody moments. The setup alone is a winner…but the final short story of the anthology reinforces that Body Parts isn’t afraid to go all the way with its most horrific moments.
3. The Boy Who Sees Ghosts (segment 2)
The first of two traditional ghost stories in Body Parts, The Boy Who Sees Ghosts is also an excellent revenge tale. A bullied kid who can see ghosts agrees to help his group of bullies see them two. He follows through with that promise…by unleashing vengeful spirits on them all.
The second story in the anthology ramps up the crazy. A group of targets are dispatched by until then unseen spirits. Spooky and violent at the same time. Full of energy and effective ghost imagery.
2. The Former Resident (segment 4)
The other traditional ghost story is the penultimate segment in Body Parts. A young woman moves into her new apartment only to be given an immediate warning from a previous tenant. Do not remove the talismans from the apartment walls. Doing so will allow the original owner to return.
The Former Resident is full of spooky moments and offers a shockingly violent climax. Needless to say, the talismans were removed from the apartment walls. There is an interesting backstory here about a murder that happened inside the apartment and the head that was never recovered. A great ghost story.
1. exorcism.net (segment 3)
The middle segment of Body Parts features its most interesting concept. In fact, of all five segments it is the one I’d most like to see turned into a feature film. It combines two notoriously difficult things (possession and found footage) and pulls off one great story. Two girls try to get help for their possessed friend by livestreaming her on the internet. As viewership grows…the girls find themselves in more and more danger.
There are some terrific effects in exorcism.net. While the possessed girl in locked away in a room…her powers extend far beyond her four walls. There is an excellent build of tension and danger leading to a fantastic payoff. All of Body Parts is good. exorcism.net is the cream of the high-quality crop.
Scare Value
The best horror anthologies are the ones that aren’t dragged down by subpar segments. Body Parts keeps things running smoothly and even elevates the proceedings more than once. This is a high-quality production with some dark and bloody ideas. Even the dreaded framing story holds up its end until the very last moments. Some top-notch South Korean horror stories without a weak spot among them.
4/5
Body Parts Link
Streaming on SCREAMBOX July 30
