Shudder continues to impress fans with its exclusive content. Shows like The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs and Cursed Films are getting considerable buzz, while the films they’re securing exclusive streaming rights to are reliably worth a look. Such is the case with one of the newest offerings, Warning: Do Not Play.
This South Korean horror effort is from director Kim Jin-Won (2007’s The Butcher). It follows Mi Jung, a young director who’s been preparing a new film for 8 years. She finds herself entangled in pursuit of an infamous banned film that was supposedly made by a ghost. Her search for the film leads her into a web of horror and deceit that she and those around her may never escape.
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Warning: Do Not Play is often effective in its use of tension and atmosphere, despite some distracting use of jump cuts and close-ups. There is some imagery that is also quite chilling. With that said, much of the creepy elements of this film feel a little recycled. There’s nothing particularly cutting edge with the design or style of Warning: Do Not Play, and it ultimately ends up not being very memorable visually.
Much of the film’s strength is in its story. Not without it’s blemishes, the plot of this film spins a bizarre web of history behind the infamous ghost film and the theater that is central to the narrative. It almost feels like a dedication to the passion for movies. A scary statement about how far a filmmaker is willing to go to complete their films.
Shudder’s newest exclusive is definitely worth a look. The story is engaging and the atmosphere is effective. What it lacks in style, it makes up for in execution. If Warning: Do Not Play and the recent Japanese cult hit, One Cut of the Dead, are any indication, Shudder will be a good place to see new buzzworthy Asian horror films that are worth the watch.
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