This is an interesting take on the classic Pied Piper tale, but be warned, this is not for kids. The film's acting and atmosphere was really great. It is the type of film where you never know what to expect and will not be prepared for what is to happen. The bond between Father and son was excellently portrayed, and made the film's ending that much more effective. It is a very dark tale of revenge and the film's ending might leave you a bit disturbed, knowing what will ultimately happen.

I recall watching the American movie Willard more than thirty years ago. Roddy McDowell was the star. He befriended a bunch of rats who obeyed him like trained dogs. This time around, a man travelling with his ten year-old son through the Korean countryside, stops at a remote village where the people are hiding from the war. They have a major rat infestation and the stranger agrees to rid them of the rodents for the price of a pig. He uses an ingenious method to extract the vermin. Betrayal follows soon after and that is when the fun begins. Revenge is sweet and I will leave it at that. The film is a bit too long but it is a fun ride nonetheless.

THE PIPER is another dark fairy tale from South Korea, following in the wake of HANSEL & GRETEL. It's a gruesome and queasy horror outing with a rural village setting similar to that of BEDEVILLED. The story is that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit with plenty of new twists for anyone familiar with that tale. A piper and his ailing kid turn up at a rural village after the end of the Korean War and promise to help out with the local rat infestation. All goes well until the villagers renege on their deal, with disastrous consequences. This is generally an atmospheric and well-made little production, with typically strong photography and performances. It's gruesome without being over the top gory, and the main characters are sympathetic. The use of CGI rats can be a bit distracting but they're hidden in the shadows for the most part. The first half of the film is all set-up and thus a little slow, but it soon builds to a jaw-dropping crescendo at the climax.

A piper and his sick son stay the night at a remote Korean village. They have a rat problem which he cures, but when it's time to pay for his services the villagers turn on him cruelly. This is quite a slow but engaging and nicely filmed movie. It's not until the final quarter that it becomes a horror film, with the piper using the ousted rats to get his bloody revenge but it is well worth the wait.