TASTES OF HORROR -- Korean Anthology Horror Unexpectedly Unsettles

Review by Sean Boelman

Anthology horror is a notoriously hit-or-miss subgenre, but it has an incredibly passionate fanbase nonetheless. It’s clear that the Korean anthology horror flick Tastes of Horror is aimed at a younger audience with its tech-forward take on the horror genre.  While it doesn’t live up to the heights of the cyber-horror genre revitalized by properties like Black Mirror, Tastes of Horror has enough strong moments that it’s worth a watch for cinephiles who enjoy the macabre.

Tastes of Horror features six segments adapted from a webtoon series directed by five of Korea's most acclaimed horror directors. Anyone familiar with the anthology horror genre knows the drill: there’s some good and some bad. This one's success feels even more scattered than most.

From the first segment of Tastes of Horror, “Ding Dong Challenge,” viewers might be worried that it will get off to a rough start. The riff on The Ring for the TikTok era is as generic as it sounds, and while it’s never insufferable, it’s also not very entertaining. Thankfully, the anthology eventually picks up, but this opener does not set the pace well.

Other segments of the film verge on confusing.  “Four Legged Beast” feels like it doesn’t do enough — almost like it was destroyed in the editing room, with a final cut that feels rushed and doesn’t make much sense. “Rehabilitation” shows potential as a high-concept sci-fi horror, but it attempts to go too far into the world-building for what the runtime allows.

“Jackpot” is a lackluster mix of both of those tendencies. Its story is incredibly generic — a dull entry into the supernatural horror subgenre — yet it attempts to throw in an unnecessary number of twists and turns to subvert the audience’s expectations. This is the segment that is most likely to have viewers checking their watches.

However, where Tastes of Horror stands out from other anthology films is that its worst parts aren’t egregiously bad — just forgettable; and its best moments are anything but. “Residents-Only Gym,” while simple in premise and not entirely logical, contains some of the most effectively executed scares in any horror movie this year so far. And the mukbang body horror short “Gluttony” may not be scary, but it’s one hell of an unsettling note to end the collection on.

The commonality in all six segments — both the good and the bad ones — is impressive effects work. Admittedly, each short feels like it is built around one or two genuinely eerie images that the filmmakers wanted to pull off. However, those moments are so viscerally gruesome and impactful that horror fans will be satiated.

Tastes of Horror doesn’t defy expectations when it comes to the anthology horror genre — there are some strengths and some weaknesses. However, thanks to a focus on impressive visual effects and more than a few genuinely disturbing moments, Tastes of Horror is mostly a success. It probably won’t break out beyond its target audience that already appreciates anthology horror, but there are far worse horror movies to suffer.

Tastes of Horror is now available on VOD.

Rating: 3/5