 |
| A scene from “Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming” / Courtesy of Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
After more than a decade, the classic horror film franchise, “Whispering Corridor,” is returning this summer with its sixth installment.
“Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming,” which is set to hit local theaters in June, centers on Eun-hee (Kim Seo-hyung), who has no memory of her high school years due to a traumatic event, returning to her alma mater as vice principal.
One day, a student named Ha-young (Kim Hyeon-soo) hears a strange humming sound from the school’s bathroom and grows to believe there is a ghost inside. While trying to uncover the mystery behind the humming sound, Eun-hee suffers from visual and auditory hallucination as her memory slowly returns to haunt her.
“Whispering Corridors” began as a high school horror film that premiered in 1998 and has since expanded into a franchise. The film has also been recognized for its message that sounds the alarm on Korea’s repressive school culture, bullying and mental health challenges facing students. It also touched on LGBTQ issues in the second film in 1999, which was rarely seen in other films at that time.
Kim, who previously appeared in “Whispering Corridors 4: Voice” (2005) as a music teacher, said she readily accepted the role of a vice principal.
“I chose this film after shooting JTBC’s hit drama series, Sky Castle. It’s unusual for an actor to reappear in the Whispering Corridors franchise, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to appear twice,” she said after the film premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, July 10 last year.
 |
| A poster for “Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming” / Courtesy of Cine 2000 |
“There were moments when I felt extreme fear while filming it. Nearing end, I constantly felt like crying. I remember in the final scene where Eun-hee pulls her carrier to the bathroom. I couldn’t go inside because tears kept flowing.”
Director Lee Mi-young, who is making her feature directorial debut with “The Humming,” said she felt extremely lucky to have the chance to direct an episode of the popular franchise.
“Alma mater literally means the nourishing mother and it reminds us of our hometown. But what if alma mater was a hellish place where you had a terrible experience? Our protagonist Eun-hee suffered abuse at school in the past, and that unspeakable pain haunts her even to this day. There are cathartic scenes in the end, in which two poor souls punish a person who committed a crime.”
0 Comments