The Eye

Ein tolles Thema, das von zwei Regisseuren verfilmt wurde… Das Ergebnis ist einerseits ein wirkungsvolles Drama mit einem starken, aber nicht genutzten gedanklichen Potenzial, andererseits ein scharfer Gänsehaut-Thriller, den man in den angespanntesten Szenen mit The Sixth Sense vergleichen kann. Wenn man sich mehr auf die Lebensgeschichte der Hauptfigur konzentriert hätte, hätte es ein Schlag in die Seele werden können. Als eine Häppchen-Schocktherapie funktioniert der Film aber auch sehr gut. (27.01.2003)

I have a problem with Japanese horror movies and their remakes. To put it simply, they don’t scare me, whether it is The Ring or, in this case, The Eye. And yet, can’t say they are badly made, quite the contrary, but emotionally, they just can't stir me up properly. The Eye has a novel, interesting story, but it has one pretty big flaw: two set-up endings, the second of which, while effective, is very awkward in its own way, and it would have been better if it hadn’t been there at all. Overall, based on the responses, I expected it to be much better. Which brings me back to the beginning of my review... (01.07.2003)

A ghost in a hospital, a ghost in a room, a ghost in the streets, a ghost in a corridor, a ghost on a lift, and so on, and so on – that’s the entire first half of the film. And then the heroine sets out on a journey in search of the truth. (20.12.2007)

The whole film was heading for a three thanks to some of the acting and definitely the need to rise above the different mentality of the film and some of the screenwriting lapses. However, the camera work in this film is so evocative that one is on tenterhooks for some scenes, waiting to see where it’s going to come from. The scene in the elevator, for example, is fantastically horrific, and it gets by without jump scares. The ending is like something out of another movie and *SPOILER ALERT* quite reminded me of The Mothman Prophecies from the same year. However, I think that the burning bodies of people, children, and animals accompanied by a romantic piano melody make the fourth star. And the last shot is really nice. (04.07.2009)

"The Eye" in the Hong Kong-Singapore version is a more terrifying film than its remake. There are moments that are genuinely scary, not only because there could be jump scares, but mainly because some scenes are constructed very well. This ultimately leads to a more unpleasant overall impression of this movie, which I definitely consider a sign of quality in this context. This is a horror film that still works years later, despite knowing the remake. (25.11.2015)