App The Horror

Directed by • Go Hee-seop (고희섭) • Hong Seung-gi (홍승기) • Hyung Seul-woo (형슬우) • Kim Dong-ha-IV (김동하) • Kim Seung-tae-I (김승태) • Lee Sang-min-VI (이상민) • Son Min-jun (손민준) • Sun Jong-hoon (선종훈)

Written by Hyung Seul-woo (형슬우)

Release date in South Korea: 2026/02

Synopsis
When the app is launched, a ghost appears. Developed by four young adults, the app becomes the centerpiece of a livestream where they venture into a supposedly haunted mountain to prove its authenticity-only to meet a grim fate.

This chilling event kicks off "Unlock", a horror anthology composed of seven short episodes.

The series begins with "Unlock", followed by "The Night Bus", which unfolds on a long-distance bus: "Ominous House", which features a ghost-conjuring ritual: "The Collector", about the brutal fate of a man who watches an illegal video: "Snuff Film", revolving around a vengeful director whose footage was censored: Sweat Home, where a woman's return to her family turns into a nightmare: "Haunt", featuring a man paralyzed from head to toe who begins to see ghosts; and "Dawn Call", about a group tasked with cleaning up a murder scene in the dead of night. Each episode, 15 to 20 minutes in length, centers around the theme of women. Instances of gender-based violence, inequality, and discrimination in society serve as the backdrop, with the vengeful spirits of female victims using the app as a portal to the living world to exact bloody revenge. While the settings and stories may not be entirely novel, the eight directors involved bring a shared aesthetic of confined spaces and oppressive darkness to create consistent, atmospheric horror. Moreover, since the app plays a central role, the film incorporates mise-en-scène that mimics smartphone screens, adding a youthful and stylish visual aesthetic that aligns with its title. HUH Namwoong

29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival