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MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 7% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
A Tale of Two Sisters
"Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth."
2003 1h 55m KO
👍
7.1
SOLID
★7.1TMDB · 1,404
DramaHorrorMystery
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Two sisters return home after a stay in a mental institution, only to face disturbing events and a strained relationship with their stepmother. As eerie occurrences unfold, dark family secrets begin to surface, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
“Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth.”
Where to watch · US
Cast
Im Soo-jung
Su-mi
Moon Geun-young
Su-yeon
Yum Jung-ah
Eun-joo
Kim Kap-soo
Moo-hyeon
Park Mi-hyeon
Birth Mother
Lee Seung-bi
Mi-hee
Woo Ki-hong
Sun-kyu
Lee Dae-yeon
Doctor
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Kim Jee-woon
- Writers
- Kim Jee-woon
- Languages
- Korean
- Countries
- South Korea
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 23 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Kim Jee-woon, shot by Lee Mo-gae. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Lee Byung-woo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Ko Im-pyo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Im Soo-jung and Moon Geun-young and Yum Jung-ah carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0365376 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Kim Jee-woon directs. Lee Mo-gae behind the camera. Lee Byung-woo scores. Ko Im-pyo cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in South Korea. Dialogue in Korean.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Earned back only 7% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 2Released 23 years ago.
- 3Directed by Kim Jee-woon, shot by Lee Mo-gae. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Lee Byung-woo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Ko Im-pyo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Im Soo-jung and Moon Geun-young and Yum Jung-ah carry the top of the cast.
- 7Marketing tagline: "Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth.".
- 8IMDB entry: tt0365376 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 9Classified under 19 themes, including "amnesia", "drug abuse", "loss of loved one", "homicide".
- 10Released under 20 different titles around the world.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Lee Mo-gae
- Original score
- Lee Byung-woo
- Editing
- Ko Im-pyo
- Production design
- Cho Keun-hyun
- Costume design
- Choi Sun-ok
- Makeup / hair
- Kim Do-hee
- Sound
- Lee In-gyu
- Runtime
- 115 min · 1h 55m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $15,100,000
- Box office
- $1,100,000
- Return
- 7% of budget
- Original language
- KO
- Certification (US)
- R
Also by
Kim Jee-woon
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Alunauwie★ 8/10
A Tale of Two Sisters is a psychological horror that delves into the trauma and repressed guilt of Soo Mi, whose return home with her sister triggers eerie events tied to their cruel stepmother. As layers of memory, grief, and hallucination unfold, the film cleverly reveals how unresolved emotional wounds can distort reality. Despite a slightly underwhelming horror execution, the film’s psychological depth and powerful performances make it a haunting and thought-provoking experience. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com)
Production companies
Who made it
Bom Film Productions
KR
- MA
Masulpiri
KR
- CH
Chungeorahm Film
KR
Barunson E&A
KR
Key crew
- Executive ProducerJay Choi
- ProducerOh Jung-wan
- ProducerOh Ki-min
- Production Sound MixerKim Kyung-tae
- Sound SupervisorKang Kyeong-han
- PropsJeon Ro-bin
- Set DecorationGang Chang-gil
- ProducerKim Jung-hwa
- Costume DesignChoi Sun-ok
- EditorKo Im-pyo
- Sound SupervisorChoi Tae-young
- Production DesignCho Keun-hyun
- Makeup & HairKim Do-hee
- Assistant DirectorLee So-yeong
- Sound DesignerLee In-gyu
- Lighting DirectorOh Seung-chul
- Costume DesignOk Su-gyeong
- Special Effects SupervisorKim Jae-min
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- amnesia
- drug abuse
- loss of loved one
- homicide
- drug addiction
- stepmother
- menstruation
- sister
- tragedy
- psychological thriller
- vengeful ghost
- occult
- unreliable narrator
- existentialism
- cremation
- narcolepsy
- ambiguity
- psychological horror
- psychological drama
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2003-10-11R· Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Also known as
International titles
- Janghwa, HongryeonDE
- Deux SœursFR
- Két nővérHU
- 2 hermanasES
- 장화, 홍련KR
- A Tale Of Two SistersUS
- Zwei SchwesternDE
- Janghwa, HongryeonKR
- Los poseidosMX
- Dos hermanasMX
- История двух сестёрRU
- 箪笥JP
- Opowieść o dwóch siostrachPL
- ตู้ซ่อนผีTH
- Pahan yhteysFI
