Directed by Kim Do-young (South Korea, 2019, 118 min.). Korean with English subtitles.

Based on the bestselling novel by Cho Nam-joo, this powerful drama follows Ji-young, a woman who seems to become possessed by the spirits of her mother and grandmother after giving up her career to become a stay-at-home mom. But make no mistake, this is not a horror film: rather than eliciting terror, these possessive episodes serve to empower Ji-young and illuminate her complicated familial relationships. This woman-directed fable polarized audiences upon its release, sparking “fierce protest by male spectators and applause by female spectators,” due to its exposure of patriarchal culture in South Korea (Fan Yang, Feminist Media Studies vol. 22).

Watch the trailer.