The first tip Im going to give you when watching Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum is that you watch it at night, with the curtains closed. and in a dark room. Why you may ask? It’ll give you an even better experience than you’ll get if you watch the film in daylight.  Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum is a super creepy atmosphere building movie and so you should treat yourself to the best viewing environment to accompany the film itself. That includes trying to avoid distractions- so put your phone away and give this movie 100% of your attention. 

Released in 2018, the Jung Bum-Shok (who would go onto direct 2022’s New Normal) Korean ‘documentary style’ film takes us behind the scenes of ‘Horror Times’ a Korean YouTube channel who decide to head out on a haunted experience to a long closed asylum and live stream their experience which will also includes unlocking cursed Room 402, the only locked room in the building.

Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum wasn’t a film I had heard of until I saw it show up on the Second Sight Films website and social platforms but reading about it, it did grab my attention. There are gaps in my horror viewing and this  was one of them. So what did I think of the film itself? I really enjoyed it! Its a really creepy, atmosphere building  experience and whilst I’m sure some will compare the film to The Blair Witch Project due to its storyline, and the way the film is shot. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is definitely its own thing. YouTube live streaming wasn’t a thing back in 99 when the kids went off into the woods to find The Blair Witch, and so when the Horror Times characters in Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum are explaining to the ‘guest’ characters what type of cameras are being used and why, this all helps the audience join in with the experience of this haunted experience. It is a slow burning film and all the better for it, so don’t expect 94 minutes of carnage and scares The film smartly takes its time, helping you get to know the characters, what their mission is and turns the heat up bit by bit until it has you in the palm of its hand. The films sound design is also a huge part of its success so make sure that you have your volume up as loud as you comfortably can get away with.(don’t annoy your neighbours! or freak out your pets) Id definitely put Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum up there as a horror film to see, alongside titles such as Rec, and Lake Mungo (if you haven’t seen those two films- please do check them out)

The new collector’s edition is excellent, and the picture quality and sound quality is top notch! The film is also presented in a rigid slipcase with brand new artwork by Luke Headland and comes complete with a 70-page book with new essays (I haven’t read those yet but they are on my list) and as always with Second Sight Films, the disc comes loaded with  special features including: a new audio commentary and archive featurettes and more. The full list of them is here.

Special Features

New audio commentary by Mary Beth McAndrews and Terry Mesnard
  Fear the Unknown: Zoë Rose Smith on Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (Running time 22 mins)
  Archive featurettes: (Korean language with English subtitles )
 The Beginning of the Rumours, (Running time 5 minutes)
  The New Faces (Running Time 6 minutes)
 The Sanctum of Horror (Running Time 11 minutes)
  The Truth of the Ghostlore (Running Time 7 minutes)
  The Live Recording (Running Time 13 minutes)
 The Press Conference (Running Time 16 minutes)
  Trailers

Limited Edition Contents

  Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Luke Headland
  70-page book with new essays by Sarah Appleton, James Marsh, Meagan Navarro and Amber T
  Six collectors’ art cards
  Limited Edition Contents

I had mentioned at the start of this article the first tip about watching the film in the dark to get the best atmosphere possible for viewing Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum. Well I will follow up that with the second tip, and that is. If you want to watch a creepy as hell film that’ll sit with  you after you’ve finished watching it, and want to take a break from Hollywood Horror, then my second tip is that you do check out Gonjiam:Haunted Asylum.  You can order the Limited Edition Bluray HERE and the Standard Edition HERE