RV: Resurrected Victims is a supernatural South Korean drama and thriller. It convinces with a creative story line, sinister atmosphere and intriguing characters. The film however suffers from being too melodramatic and lacking realism.
The movie tells the story of a young prosecutor whose mother was killed in an armed robbery seven years ago. The prosecutor has become a bitter man who often recommends the death penalty instead of believing in redemption. One day, his sister calls him to tell that their deceased mother has come back home. The prosecutor hurries home in disbelief and gets attacked by his own mother. He learns that she is a resurrected victim that wants to avenge her own death. The prosecutor fails to understand why his mother attacked him in the first place. He starts digging in his own past in order to clear his name and give his mother peace of mind.
On the positive side, the unusual story line is filled with unpredictable twists and turns that keep the movie interesting from start to finish. The characters also have certain depth as we learn more about the prosecutor's past and the mother's motivations. The film has an eerie and uneasy atmosphere between the mystery and horror genres even though the movie remains a supernatural crime investigation at heart.
However, the movie has a somewhat dull pace in the middle section. The opening sequence is memorable and the conclusion is very emotional but everything in between has considerable lengths. The movie is also highly emotional and at times quite melodramatic. It attempts to be a tearjerker but goes a little bit overboard at times which can actually be observed in many Korean movies. The fact that the movie tries to connect human emotions with supernatural spirits sometimes seems like a contradiction. It's an unusual approach which makes it difficult to find an emotional connection to the story, especially since the mother turns out being not the only resurrected victim in the story.
If you like supernatural dramas with surprising stoy lines, you should certainly watch this movie. If you don't like emotional movies with philosphical depth, you might find that film annoying. RV: Resurrected Victims has a quite unique style but attempts to accomplish too many things at once in my opinion. It was entertaining to watch but hard to digest. I don't regret watching it at all but wouldn't watch it again.
