I am usually the first to dissent from saying that a certain film is the foreign equivalent of another, but in this case the comparison helps me identifying the tone and target audience of who will appreciate this film.
It's a slow burn, devoid of any mainstream sensationalism that makes the horror genre suffer lately. It's definitely more of an arthouse work, that cares more about constructing a narrative than making the audience get a heart attack.
Like, as I learned, most of the latter horror films from far east, Roh draws from local folklore.
What makes Roh more interesting is the sense of mystery that sorrounds the events.
In a clear choice, the dialogue is minimal and there is heavy subtraction. In other words, much is implied, not said, assumed, and this makes the ending, although clear, with unanswered questions.
I mentioned "The Witch" because the tone is very similar, although the setting is somewhat radically different, and the different culture makes the seemingly similar plots very radically different.
Roh is Emir Ezwan's directorial debut, and as such, it is outstanding. I hope that we get to see more from him in the near future.
I have seen "Roh" at the Far East Film Festival Online. Despite the first "official" screening is on the 3rd of July, all the films of the films can be seen at any time during the festival days.
