Synopsis
This follow-up to the successful original, Whispering Corridors, was distinctive in its eschewal of the predictable formula of repetition and variation expected of most sequels. Perhaps for this reason, it received mixed reviews and failed to score commercially. Nonetheless, a handful of moviegoers and critics cited it as the best movie of 1999, and it’s still remembered by many.
Co-directed by KIM Tae Yong and MIN Kyu Dong, Memento Mori also established the franchise’s unique formula: the use of unknown directors and actors, the inclusion of high schools and female students, and the focus on horror. Regardless of the intentions of the production company, with each new installment the horror in the Whispering Corridors franchise oscillated between the genre’s conventions and the director’s originality. Although Memento Mori is less terrifying than other movies in the series, it contains some startling moments. For instance, the scene in which the entire student body prepares a party for the two protagonists leaves the uneasy yet touching feeling that such a scene may not be possible in Korea’s reality. The movie’s subtitle, Memento Mori, is a more fitting descriptor than the franchise title Whispering Corridors. (KWON Yong Min)