Kang Min, a TV producer, wakes up disoriented in a forest. Spotting a cabin in the distance, he makes his way over, only to come across the brutally murdered body of a middle-aged man and his own girlfriend. Devastated, he is about to go for help when he glimpses someone running away, and gives chase. Unfortunately, he himself is attacked and the next thing he knows he is regaining consciousness in hospital. The police check out the cabin and find the bodies, and before he knows it Kang Min is being accused of the murders. But there are gaps in his memory, and not everything seems to make logical sense. The only way of clearing up the confusion and getting to the truth is to return to Spider Forest...

This is an intriguing film which appears to begin halfway through the tale, when in actual fact it's just that most of the plot happens retrospectively. The structure is very similar to that of The Machinist, in that the key character slowly recovers snippets of his lost memory, until his recollection and the efforts of the police department uncover what has taken place. The spider of the title is a metaphor reflecting the psychological thriller approach that this movie adopts.

Although I guessed the 'surprise' final twist well before the conclusion, I found it didn't detract from what is essentially a solidly-scripted and ultimately enjoyable film. With strong performances from the entire cast (including two from R-Point and one from The Isle), this is another worthy addition to the Asia Extreme catalogue.

7

Ty Power