2025-07-04

App the Horror

Kim Young-jae,Kim Ju-a,Park Seo-ji

When the app is launched, a ghost appears. Developed by four young adults, the app becomes the centerpiece of a livestream where they venture into a supposedly haunted mountain to prove its authenticity—only to meet a grim fate. This chilling event kicks off Unlock , a horror anthology composed of seven short episodes. The series begins with Unlock , followed by The Night Bus , which unfolds on a long-distance bus; Ominous House , which features a ghost-conjuring ritual; The Collector , about the brutal fate of a man who watches an illegal video; Snuff Film , revolving around a vengeful director whose footage was censored; Sweat Home , where a woman’s return to her family turns into a nightmare; Haunt , featuring a man paralyzed from head to toe who begins to see ghosts; and Dawn Call , about a group tasked with cleaning up a murder scene in the dead of night. Each episode, 15 to 20 minutes in length, centers around the theme of women. Instances of gender-based violence, inequality, and discrimination in society serve as the backdrop, with the vengeful spirits of female victims using the app as a portal to the living world to exact bloody revenge. While the settings and stories may not be entirely novel, the eight directors involved bring a shared aesthetic of confined spaces and oppressive darkness to create consistent, atmospheric horror. Moreover, since the app plays a central role, the film incorporates mise-en-scène that mimics smartphone screens, adding a youthful and stylish visual aesthetic that aligns with its title.