The Mimic (3/5)

The Mimic is one of those Korean horror thrillers that really delivers on so many levels. The only downfall is the fact that it’s too long, but the story and acting makes up for most of it!

Yes, The Mimic really does have a lot going for it. Especially the acting along with beautifully timed horror elements. When you’re watching it, you might be able to guess some of the scares, but the movie should still catch you off guard a few times.

Also, while The Mimic does feature child actors in prominent roles, they work beautifully. They are absolutely believable and your heart will go out to them. One of the kids have been through an absolute nightmare.

And the nightmare is far from over, but she’s a tough little kid.

You can watch the trailer for The Mimic right here or continue reading our review below.

What’s up with grandma?

During this movie, some awesome distractions are used. The grandma character is one of them. She suffers from dementia, which is scary in itself. But in the case of The Mimic is also means you don’t necessarily know when she’s talking sense.

However, grandma also poses a very big plot issue. You see, the entire family moves back to grandma’s old home to help her feel more comfortable. Yet we don’t really see grandma a whole lot. She seems to be left alone a lot, which is obviously pretty dangerous.

This irked me personally – maybe because I’ve known people with severe dementia – and did take away from the actual story. It’s just sloppy writing. Or at the very least sloppy editing. Either is simply not good enough, when you need to stay on board with the plot.

And when a shaman who wants to turn into a tiger is more real than the dementia storyline, then you have a problem!

Korean filmmakers know horror

No matter my issues with certain plot points, The Mimic definitely knows how to get the most out of a horror story. We’ve mentioned it many times here at Heaven of Horror, and we will continue to do so; We love Korean horror movies and thrillers. We even made a list featuring must-see movies from Korea, which you can find here >

There’s this creepy vibe that saturates almost every moment of The Mimic. Of course, it does let up a bit every now and then, but never too much.

And yes, they do actually tend to stay away from using too much CGI – or do it really well as it was the case with The Host. However with The Mimic, they use more CGI than I’d like since it’s not really up to their usuals standards.

The Mimic is perfect for a fun night

If you’re not usually into foreign horror, where you’ll need subtitles, then The Mimic should still work for you. The story is much more in the eerie feeling than in the dialogue.

Of course, the storyline itself does require some dialogue and actual storytelling, but it’s not that much. As for the main plot, I found the story to be both engaging and truly heartbreaking [for the little girl]. You should definitely check out The Mimic and enjoy it in the cool darkness of your own home.

THE MIMIC will be out on Digital and Blu-ray June 12, 2018.

Details

Director: Jung Huh
Writer: Jung Huh
Cast: Jin Heo, Jun Hyeok Lee, Hyuk-kwon Park

Plot

The mother of a missing child takes in a lost girl she finds in the woods and soon begins to wonder if she is even human.