The Grotesque Mansion ~ I Need Story Ideas

“The Grotesque Mansion” (aka “The Night Shift”) is a 2021 Korean film, categorized as Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, and Thriller; and streaming on Viki.

• Memorable Quote: “Honey! Don’t tell anyone I’m taking a shower here.”

SUMMARY: There was a fire at an orphanage. The adults saved themselves but left the children to die. A horror webtoon artist ran out of ideas and decided to interview the building caretaker because he had heard a lot of strange stories about unexplained events that had occurred after the fire. He was seeking inspiration.

♦ I Need Ideas for My Webtoon

In “The Grotesque Mansion”, Jung Ji-woo is a webtoon artist in need of inspiration for his next work. He heard about a run-don apartment complex called Gwang Lim Mansion loaded with ghostly legends and , strange occurrences. Hen he arrives at the mansion, Ji-woo meets the former caretaker (Kim Hong pa), who agreed to be interviewed. The caretaker tell him five linked horror stories that occurred in different units of the building:

1. A novelist tormented by unseen children.
2. A pharmacist entangled in an adulterous affair.
3. A real-estate agent whose prized living doll seems to take on an unholy life of its own.
4. Two students returning from abroad share a decaying room with mold and sinister wallpaper.
5. The fifth tale involves the caretaker himself.

As Ji-woo listens, he becomes captivated and gradually gets drawn into the horror. His artistic ambition drives him deeper and deeper. The horror stories begin to overlap: characters from one unit reappear in another. The caretaker hints that the mansion’s tragedies are cyclical, the building itself feeding on inhabitants’ fears and secrets. If Ji-woo can uncover the truth, he I certain he’ll enjoy success, but he may be confronting something he may not survive.

Main Characters:

• Ji-Woo (played by Sung Joon, “The Fiery Priest 2”, “Island 1 and 2”, “White Christmas”)
• Caretaker Kwon Ri-In (played by Kim Hong-Fa, “The Whirlwind”, “Shadow Detective 1 and 2”, “Juror 8”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.3 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 2.9 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated the movie 8.4 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as MDL.

“The Grotesque Mansion” captured my interest because the young guy said he was a horror webtoon artist. He certainly went to a “good place” to get story ideas. LOL.

If you like K-dramas that involve webtoon creators or artists, you might also like:

• Killer Toon (2013) ~ A famous webtoon artist becomes the prime suspect in a series of brutal murders that eerily resemble the deaths in her online comic. As a detective investigates, the line between fiction and reality blurs as both artist and investigator get pulled into a chilling mystery.
• 365: Repeat the Year (2020)~ Ten people who regret certain points in their life are given a chance to go back one year, hoping to change their fate. A webtoon artist is one of the ten. But when they “reset your life”, mysterious deaths and hidden conspiracies follow. The webtoon artist and a detective team up to uncover what’s really going on.

Twenty (20) Horror Korean Dramas For Your Halloween Watch List

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Movie Review: Ghost Mansion (괴기맨숀) | Howard For Film
• Movie reviews: The Grotesque Mansion. | AsiaTV4U
• Ghost Mansion (South Korea, 2021); aka The Grotesque Mansion – Review | AsianMovieWeb
• Ghost Mansion (2021) | Flick Attack
• Movie Review – The Grotesque Mansion | MIB’s Instant Headache

TRAILER/TEASER:

The Movie Data. “Korean Movie The Grotesque Mansion 괴기맨숀 – Trailer.” YouTube, Video, 12 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJoUKRcJvI.

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