User Reviews

Two reasons why I watched this. First, I've been recommended this film by a friend. Secondly, it starred Barbie Hsu - with a name like that, why shouldn't I want to watch this? OK, so I know she starred in the Taiwanese pop-drama television series Meteor Garden, and am just curious to see her in yet another horror movie. And since I'm in post-birthday celebrations, I also learnt she's a day older than me.

OK, so I'm digressing. Silk is a horror movie, and quite a decent one at that. Although it uses the all too familiar ghostly boy character, this boy, unlike recent predecessor seen in Dorm, is very much creepier and deadlier. He's the star ghoul, and exhibits a strange behavioural pattern of staying in a particular room and speaking to himself, or so it is thought.

A team of modern day paranormal investigators cum scientists, led by Japanese Hashimoto (Yosuke Eguchi), recruits a police hotshot with special powers of lip reading, sharp shooting, and that peculiar sixth sense, Ye Qi-Dong (Chang Chen), to unravel the mystery of the boy. However, Hashimoto has an ulterior motive into his research, which has spawned an anti- gravity device called the Menger Sponge, that can be used to entrap spirits, and in liquid spray form, allows the user to see the paranormal.

The movie relies on some hokey physics theories to bring across some ideas and its premise. It tries to explain the phenomenon of spirits and ghosts and how they come about, using some scientific explanation that they are forms of energy. Watch this movie to see if you agree to the conditions presented to turn someone into a spirit that roams the earth, rather than to dissipate into nothingness upon death. But don't get me wrong, it does make for some interesting story development (hey it's fiction/science fiction anyway).

At its core, this movie dwells on themes of existence, family, and again the human emotions of love and hate. I thought Chang Chen did well in the role of the officer who, despite his super abilities, still find it difficult to grapple with new inexplicable experiences, and at the same time, the critical illness of his beloved mother, and trying to maintain a relationship of sorts. The rest of the cast did OK, but in my opinion, noted more for their eye candy presence.

There are truly genuine scary moments in this movie, which was seriously lacking in recent horror releases. Although most are much ado about nothing, or relied on the usual tricks up the horror sleeve with smart manipulation of editing and music, it did provide what I thought was an explanation on how offerings to spirits are possibly handled, through the use of well placed and polished special effects.

In summary, what works for Silk is its semblance of a decent story, and the ending which was satisfactory, given its at times hilarious build up during the tense final (what's up with all these Ringu homages, made plain ridiculous and full of cheese) and unexpected twist of a logical flaw. It's also touching and sad at times, and for those who are of softer hearts, it might bring about some tears.

Do take note though, with its PG rating locally, much of the gore were censored out, in really ugly means. Very jarring to the entire flow of the movie.

In Taipei, the crippled scientist Hashimoto (Yosuke Eguchi) uses his invention of "Menger Sponge" to capture the energy of the spirit of a child in an old building. He invites the specialist in reading lips, Detective Tung (Chen Chang), to join his research team that is studying the phenomenon to understand the movements of the lips of the ghost. Hashimoto is trying to disclose why the energy of the ghost does not dissipate, and Tung discovers the identity and the dramatic story of the boy. He was sick with tumors and was killed by his own mother and buried nearby a nuclear plant. Hashimoto deduces that the rage of the boy for his mother associated to the location where the body was buried were the reason to keep the energy. When the government decides to shutdown the research, Hashimoto becomes insane and takes the spirit with him.

"Guisi" is an original and dramatic ghost story with characters well developed and great special effects. However, the confused screenplay is weird and flawed in some moments, with an absolute lack of explanation for many situations. For example, how Hashimoto walks in the ceiling of the director's bedroom? Why the ghosts kill when the person looks in their eyes? Why the mother dies exactly when Tung reaches her room? There are many other situations without a satisfactory explanation, but it is worthwhile watching this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Silk - O Primeiro Espírito Capturado" ("Silk - The First Captured Spirit")

Note: On 04 September 2015, I saw this film again.

This seems to be a sci-fi/ghost story mix-up. At the start of the film the plot seems very confused and it is a bit hard to actually understand what is going on and why.

However, things improve once the main crew has been set-up properly in the film, and the action can start to take more of a single main track. The main characters are working on a new energy source that will revolutionize the world. This is somehow linked to the existence of a ghost boy in a locked room. Why and the exact role of the ghost is unclear and the main plot is to figure this out.

The acting is generally pretty good, while this is plot slowly flows on - you definitely notice this is not an US film from the pace as it all has a kind of philosophical touch to it, contemplating the relation between a mother and her son as the story unfolds.

All in all this is well worth watching, even if it isn't the paradigm changing film of the decade.

First of all this is typical Asian sci-fi script: nothing really makes total sense, but they keep going with it anyway. The science is completely absurd, the acting is bad, the effects are laughable.

The idea is that this is a movie that tries to capitalize on the recent success of Asian ghost horror films. You have the ghost, but this time it is analyzed in a scientific way. And when I say scientific I am thinking Van Helsing :) Alas, it is a bad film, you can't sympathize with any of the characters and the "twist" of the end is obvious as a mile long silk thread.

Bottom line: it was an effort, I give you that, but it wasn't enough. Without being bad because it is full of clichés (and it is, anyway), it is bad because of a not thought out script. And if you expect to get scared, you will be sadly disappointed.

This is a movie with much creativity. It's not just about ghost, but also sci-fi and many other factors. Don't expect it to be a typical ghost movie. It's much better than ghost movies which just try to terrify people.

Many people will enjoy all the complexity in this movie, while some may feel it's too complicated as a movie. Especially, people who have engineering background will like this movie a lot.

The special effect is not as magnificent as the best Hollywood sci-fi movies, but it's good enough for a ghost related movie.

The actors are good as well, while they are mostly Asian.

I believe the comment for this movie will be polarized depending on the expectation & background of the watcher.

A scientist studying anti-gravity invents the menger sponge, which can capture energy. It therefore can capture a ghost. He lines a room with menger sponges and catches himself the first proven ghost in history. Once he does he then works to learn the story of the ghost's life and death.

Wow..., what a beautiful and sophisticated supernatural movie about life and death. Acting is superb, plot very interesting, music amazing. Very atmospheric, scary but also touching story about the ghost of a little boy who has a special bond with his mother, where love and hatred are synonyms of life and death. The direction is a real ART - innovative and unpredictable. Only one silly car crash scene (unnecessary and fake) but who cares!

Definitely one of the best supernatural movies in a long long time. Can't wait to watch it again!

Highly recommended. Enjoy!

This film has a very intriguing concept plenty of suspense and a well thought out story line definitely a film you must follow closely plenty of plot twists and turns along the way recommended 6 out of 10.

Silk was marketed as a ghost/ horror movie but actually goes the way of the sci-fi detective film-- you will probably enjoy the development of the story/ premise more than any way it tries to scare you. The science is bogus, of course, and merely a set-up/ device for a science-fictional exploration into the nature of death. Asian cinema has been gradually moving away from the "boo or boom" tactics that Hollywood still largely relies on.

But as a genre film, it barely gets the kind of special effects/ production values it needs to be fully effective. Except for the "silk" in the title, which needs a big enough screen to be seen properly, many FX are "iffy" and may actually take you "out" of the film at the crucial moments. Which is a pity, because its lighting and pacing does succeed in creating a special "mood" where the normal interacts with the paranormal.

I found the final third of the film where the pace changes quite exciting and the final scenes which puts a few new twists on the plot clever. But the things to think about after watching the film is really how the scientist and the detective had completely different ways of dealing with death, so it would have been more interesting to me if the film had been plotted more tightly around them and their conflicts. But then, it would have difficulty marketing itself as a ghost/ horror movie....

I rented this on DVD today and was pleasantly surprised. The DVD has an alternative ending for the movie, which I am glad had not been used. The ending that was chosen was the better choice.

I was immediately drawn into this movie with it's intriguing story. How each character approached the mystery of the captured ghost and their own agenda's made for more intrigue to see how each came together to finalize the story. On another plus for this movie was the lack of gore ... there was "some," but not of the type to ruin such a good movie. Of course, one scene was a bit bloody, but it was a necessary scene for emphasis. The two lead roles had seriously realistic depth regarding love, hate, compassion, suffering and death. Due to the creativeness and imagination that went into developing the characters, I lost myself into the film forgetting they were acting.

All aspects were done very well ... good timing, special affects, lighting (was a little too dark at the first of the movie), music score, cast ... everything was superbly done. Also, it was nice that the movie had a good ending and wasn't one of those that leave you hanging with "gee, there'll be a sequel." The one thing that did not come out well for me on my regular television was the strands of silk. If I had not watched the Special Affects on the DVD to know there was supposed to be silk threads emanating out of a bowl of noodles I would not have known (and didn't know when I watched the film) that silk threads were present. Then again, I watched this movie this afternoon, when the television gets more daylight obliterating fine details such as this, so I recommend watching this in a darkened room to fully appreciate it and maybe the first part of the film won't seem so dark. I recommend this movie and if more than a 10 rating could be given I would do so. It's one of the best "horror-thrillers" (go light on the horror) I've seen in a very long time with a story that's not been done before.

Loved the plot in this movie and the twists and turns that leave you guessing until the very end. If you don't like subtitles, I would suggest that you don't watch it, but if your love something a little different (e.g Purfumer)- this is the movie for you.

The director uses some very clever shots, and the overall dark theme is very well conveyed through gloomy lighting effects.

The characters are realistic and the subject matter of life after death is usually not dealt with in such a scientific sort of way in the vain of Flatliners. One of the main characters is dealing with the impending death of his mother while being engaged in this great adventure and learns through his experience to find peace.

In summary - A+ entertainment with a bit of a scare that has a deeper meaning. Enjoy :o)

This is not the best movie that I have ever seen, but it comes very close. In fact, I haven't had the experience of being at the edge of my seat for a long time now, but for this movie, I was constantly at the edge of my seat. And that's saying something.

The idea is effectively new, and interestingly captivating. The story itself is cohesive and very sophisticated, something that recent movies lack. The writer uses science to explain supernatural phenomenons like ghosts (no, it is not the Matrix assimilating a program that is doing what it is not supposed to do). And it's no simple science we are talking about here. Although I could understand the story, my friend who is a college IT lecturer couldn't. On top of that, the writer can even anticipates what the audience will ask. Every time I came up with a question, one of the characters on-screen asks that very same question. As can be expected from the writer who wrote Double Vision (although I didn't really understand that movie as a whole - but it was a good story nevertheless). Characters developments were immensely heart-wrenching, although it was only focused on two characters. There was a scene where I actually closed my eyes and turned away from the screen, and I was crying.

The editing and plot were superbly done. For a movie that could have bored the audience easily, this movie interlaced long explanation sequences with actions and scare scenes. This is the main reason why I was at the edge of my seat. I kept waiting for the answers but at the same time being caught in the action on-screen. Brilliant! The acting was the next commendable area of the movie. Chang Chen gave a very solid performance as both a cop and a son in distraught. Karena Lam also gave a memorable performance here as a woman who is willing to sacrifice for love. Yosuke Eguchi's performance reminds me of Tadanobu Asano's performance in Ichi The Killer. Although less masochistic, Hashimoto's character gave you the sense of someone who has a strong hold on his own believes, and he is willing to go further than most people to get what he wants. Yosuke Eguchi was brilliant as Hashimoto, being able to bring out that pain and stubbornness within the character. The casting director should get an award for this alone.

Art direction was very good. The building of the set was not only believable, but also gave out the correct atmosphere to compliment every aspect of the movie. There are no overkills like those you see in Pulse. The backgrounds were nicely done, and house decorations are kept to a realistic level. No unnecessary marks on the walls, no abundance of abandoned furniture, and definitely no worms squirming on leftover food or unwashed dishes. An abandoned apartment looks like an abandoned apartment. Just look closely on the beginning sequence and you will see what I mean.

Camera works were good and innovative, but more importantly, there were effective. The lighting was perfectly done. I got goosebumps just from the atmosphere alone.

With those said, let's look at the negative side of the movie. Directing was not very strong here. No fatal mistakes were made by Su Chao-Bin, but there were nothing much to impress either. My only major complain is the scare scenes. They were by far the worst ideas I have ever seen. It was still good in the beginning, but towards the end, they were downright funny and unimaginative. Those who came up with the ideas, and those who approved them, should be shot in the kneecap. This movie can be really scary if only the scenes were done right. What an unfortunately and unnecessary weakness.

The music was insignificant. I can't recall really, if there were any background music to accompany the movie. They just don't register. It didn't help the movie, but at least it didn't ruin it. Also, I don't really like the multi-lingual dialogs. More often than not, I find myself switching between listening to the dialogs and reading the subtitles, which in this movie where many explanations were essentials (and often very long), it can be easy to get lost. Why? Because the characters often switch languages right in the middle of a conversation! Also, I don't care much about the politics portrayed in the movie.

It could work just as well with only one country being involved in the case. How many Japanese can speak perfect Mandarin, and vice versa? Overall, the movie was good, very good, but it could have been great. Maybe if I directed the movie...

Silk is a Taiwanese film with a mixed cast of Taiwanese and Japanese actors. And often the Taiwanese actors will talk Japanese to make matters even more confusing. It does add an international flair or scale if you will. Chances are however you haven't even heard of this title. It certainly deserves an International audience. Find out why.

Silk very successfully combines science fiction, drama and horror. The pacing of Silk is just right. From the start you want to know what is going on. There are certainly enough scares and surprises. However you should keep in mind that this only is the case if you go in blind. Meaning if you know very little or nothing about the film. It could be stated that Silk is a little too ambitious for it's own good where one is trying to deepen the themes and characters. And the attempt is admirable. Ultimately it distracts somewhat and even falls a bit short. One example is the subplot involving Chen Chang (Tung). It's too melodramatic and illogical to make an impact.

The horror elements of the story are subtle but scary when it needs to be. There aren't many characters involved and that is a good thing so it's clear you should put the focus on. There are quite a few pivotal matters that are not explained in the story. Like for example the cube they are using in the movie. It's not necessary for the outcome of the main story, but it would have been nice had they actually given us a hint or two of what it's origins are.

But what really makes the film worth it is the acting. The cast is great. Chen Chang really carries the film. The actor who plays Hashimoto also is wonderful. You can see in his eyes that he is too obsessed with the case. You aren't quite sure whether too trust him or not. Yet you do feel like rooting for him since you can sense he is at the brink of discovering amazing.



It could be that some horror elements are a bit typical compared to other Asian horror films. Honestly, I never had a problem with this since the few scares in the films are very effective. But these scares are secondary to the mystery. The mystery itself is very compelling and you very gladly want to dive into it. Even upon a second viewing the mystery elements remain strong. The horror ones little less so. However there is a little sense of dread and tension felt throughout.

Overall this certainly will be worth your time if alone for the wonderful blend of genres.

Very original storyline. It's quite nicely written and imagined with sad moments and can scare you quite amazingly.

The movie is about a child's ghost and as we go along, we discover this little boy's story.

The acting is great and you can see good character development. The story also shows you how the main characters view death I really appreciated Yosuke Eguchi's part

The special effect is quite nice actually and good make up...

I think it's a great Asian movie with the cooperation of Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese actors

Hashimoto (Yosuke Eguchi) leads a team, consistent of Su (Barbie Hsu), Mei (Janine Chun-Ning Chang) and Ren (Bo-lin Chen), in an attempt to conquer Earth's gravity and achieve the ability to walk on ceilings and walls. This accomplishment is conceivable through the use of a device called the Menger Sponge, which traps energies capable of making this dream a reality. However, as with many science fiction films that employ elements of horror, there is always a catch, and in the movie Silk, that comes in the form of a young boy, whose ghost not only haunts an aged establishment, but is the key to the experiment, his inexplicably strong energies being capable of turning the science into reality.

Trapping the boy inside a room, the team invests the assistance of Tung (Chen Chang), a tactical expert, sniper and lip reader, who is able to read the lips of the ghost in an attempt to better understand his motivations and past. Mr. Chang is able to brilliantly carry the film alongside Mr. Eguchi, although the focus on their characters renders the others less memorable.

Tung is an interesting character to focus upon, his military background causing him to become a strong, driving individual, as confident as he is capable, though at the same time, this attitude of his leaves him prone to some unemotional instances in the field. The subplot involving his mother, whose sick in hospital, is the paramount reason behind his dilemmas regarding death and the afterlife, and the relationship he has with love interest Wei (Karena Lam), although portrayed over only a few scenes, is as fulfilling as the rest of the plot, providing the audience with an emotional story worth investing in.

Out of all the horror movies I've seen, Silk would have to be one of the most unique. Originally, the film seems unsure of its directionality, beginning with a stereotypical horror movie scene, before introducing a shoot out between police forces and terrorists. These changes in tone are eventually combined, producing an effective blend of entertainment.

One of the pitfalls of focusing so strongly on the ghosts in this film, which occupy more than half of the feature, is that through humanizing them, the sense of terror they exude is limited, although that's not to say it's non-existent, with a couple of great, unpredictable jump scares incorporated into the plot. What Silk does best of all though is suspense, with many scenes where either ghosts or humans are pursuing one another, resulting in many nail biting situations.

Moreover, the science is also effectively produced, with much of it being intelligently portrayed and carefully discussed, allowing this particular aspect of the story to be convincingly understandable and entertaining.

The special effects offer a mixture of decent and fantastic visuals, and the accompanying music during the scenes fraught with tension and emotion draw the viewer further into the plot, until, on many an occasion, you are haplessly glued to the screen, itching for a resolution to one of the many crises.

Thoroughly entertaining, suspenseful, gripping, and featuring a brilliant ending that fabulously concludes each of the stories developed over the course of the feature, Silk is an unmissable blend of action, science fiction and horror that deserves to be viewed.

Silk is one of the more heavily invested horror movies to come out of Taiwan lately. One brief look at the illustrious cast--Yōsuke Eguchi, Chang Chen, Karena Lam, Barbie Hsu (better known in Asia as Big S), Bo-Lin Chen--convinced me that Director ChaoBin Su had grand plans. Yōsuke Eguchi, Chang Chen, Karena Lam, are praised for their acting, while the remaining came to fame via idol dramas that require mostly pretty faces and good packaging. Thus, whether by intention or design, B0-Lin Chen left out no potential audience. The first category would attract viewers who value nuances and depth, while the second draws worshiping, screaming fans to the theaters.

In the movie, crippled Japanese scientist Hashimoto (played by Yōsuke Eguchi) heads a research team whose nominal work is in anti-gravity ""Menger Sponge." In reality, the research direction derailed once Hashimoto realized that the sponge can confine ghosts as well as allow the living to see the dead. To uncover secrets of life after death, the team captures the spirit of a young boy and drafts special agent Ye Qidong (Chen Chang) to find out his identity and cause of death.

The film is often times fraught with tension and suspense. The boy's mysterious past and even more mysterious death greatly complicate Ye's investigation. The special agent found himself at odds not only with the forces that made the ghost child but also with others on the research team, as differing motives cause members to fight one another for the possession of the young ghost. Together, the supernatural conflict and the more secular disunity give Silk depth uncommon in normal horror movies. Rather than non-stop exploitation of gore or cheap scares, the movie offers pensive reflections on life and death.

Obviously, Gui Si's premise is more involved than the typical horror movies on the market. In addition to an original plot line, Sci-fi elements combined with traditional spirit lore puts a new spin on the familiar ghost story. Although this mix-and-mesh is refreshing, jumps in logic are present. For example, the failure to convincingly explain how living transforms into ghost made an otherwise touching ending appear like a deliberate move to manipulate tears from the viewers. Some of the lackluster ghost scenes also detracted from the latter half of the movie, looking rather like washed-down parts from The Ring.

In all, Silk is a solid production that, because of some details, failed to become great. As a side-note, I also found the casting interesting. The amount of the time that each actor spent in the movie and his/her relative importance to the entire story is totally commensurate with the public perception of their acting skills.

This is the type of film I like to watch without knowing too much about the plot. When I know too much about films like this, I have expectations built from watching other movies and it takes away from its impact. So I'll just give a basic review.

This film is enjoyable. The acting and the plot are good. The special effects and the pace are decent. Lastly, I've not seen a film that is quite like it so it felt fresh and creative. I was really pleased.

Think The Grudge, Ringu, Cube, Hellraiser and GhostBusters rolled into one graphic film and that is Silk. Sometimes making a movie that is like other movies doesn't work, but it did in this one.

That ends the review. Doing these and managing to get ten lines is such a pain in the butt. IMDb must be controlled by a bunch of power crazy meat-heads... ten lines as a requirement, who has enough time in the day to think up ten lines!!! I mean common! Do you even want to read something that's two lines let alone ten? What kind of a lame brain mongoloid thought that guideline up for submitting these? My review is short, sweet, and gets to the point.

This is a complex, yet very creative film! It can best described as a combination of Del Toro's The Devil's Backbone and Vincenzo Natali's Haunter...with it's own original angle and a bizarre sci-fi twist.

The basic premise centers around a group of international scientists, who are responsible for creating the "Menger Sponge": a sort of cube- made up of smaller cubes, made of human protein- that have the ability to capture and store electromagnetic energy...ultimately providing the user with anti-gravitational abilities (though, this has yet to be fully achieved). As, one must find a source for electromagnetic waves, in order to capture them.

The group is led by a crippled Japanese man named Hashimoto- the first person to create a scaled up version of the Menger Sponge. The rest of his team come from various other parts of Asia...and they hire a Canadian photographer to travel around the world to search for ghosts.

They do this, because Hashimoto believes that ghosts are made up of electromagnetic energy, and, thus, they can be trapped inside a large scale Menger Sponge and harnessed for anti-gravity uses.

They eventually find a ghost in Taipei, and the Canadian photographer manages to "capture" him (using film coated with Menger Sponges)...but he doesn't make it out alive.

So, they send for a Taiwanese special forces guy named Tung to be assigned to their case- for he possesses an uncanny ability to read lips and react in tense situations.

Hashimoto wants to know who the boy is, how he died, where his body is, and what is the source of his energy- that allows him to kill people if they look directly into his eyes. And, thus, tasks Tung with the job of following the boy and uncovering this information.

He successfully manages to achieve this, but it turns out that Hashimoto has some ulterior motives for wanting to know this. Having suffered from birth, he has always wanted to die. Thus, he seeks to understand the nature of ghosts, so that he can haunt when he is dead.

But, Tung notices something else as well. A silk-like strand running from the boy to others. Others, who have become marked for death.

According to Hashimoto, it is this silk that connects two energies together. Though, his theory as to how this works is mistaken. For, he believes the silk is indicative of the hatred held by the deceased individual.

Meanwhile, Tung, is left trying to save himself, and the love of his life- who has become wrapped up in the whole affair- while Hashimoto seeks to trap the boy's ghost in the Menger Cube, for his own ends.

Inevitably leading to the film's violent conclusion.

When all is said and done, this is a pretty intriguing film that has all sorts of drama, mystery, haunts, and cool science fiction. For the most part, it's style is pretty culty. And the acting is fair. But what the hell is with that CGI...it's so poorly done...especially in that car crash scene- which is completely laughable, and overwhelmingly noticeable.

That aside, however...this film has so much originality and creativity...that it just might renew your faith in modern ghost films.

Wouldn't be surprised if Hollywood ended up remaking it.

Recommended.

7.5 out of 10.

SILK is a fantastic combination of horror, sci-fi, suspense, tragedy, and even some government conspiracy / action thriller thrown in for added flavor! This is yet one more example of Asia's innate grasp of all things supernatural and unnerving. The idea of capturing a ghost is interesting enough, but what this movie does with this concept is pure genius! SILK is fascinating and surprising throughout. If you crave intriguing terror, and think there are no more unusual stories left to be told, then give this movie a try...