In the early 2000s, Asian horror reigned supreme. And although the most famous directors and titles in this millennial wave came from Japan — think Takashi Miike, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and the Ring movies — a handful of horror films from other parts of this vast and diverse continent also made their way abroad through specialty DVD labels like the now-defunct, much beloved Tartan Asia Extreme.
These included titles from Thailand (2004’s Shutter) and South Korea (including some early films from No Other Choice director Park Chan-wook), although one of the most popular — at least, at the time — of these pan-Asian horror movies came from the Pang brothers in Hong Kong.
Believe it or not, The Eye isn’t the only horror movie from Hong Kong about a haunted eyeball: Variations on the premise had already appeared in 1974’s Ghost Eyes (about a pair of possessed contact lenses) and My Left Eye Sees Ghosts, a comedic take on the idea released the same year as The Eye and directed by the legendary Johnnie To.
By comparison, Danny Pang Phat and Oxide Pang Chun’s version of this outrageous concept is much more serious, combining haunting supernatural horror with romance and a tragic backstory. It’s supposedly based on a true story: Danny and Oxide Pang claimed that the film was inspired by a story they had read in a newspaper more than a decade earlier, about a teenage girl who committed suicide after receiving a corneal transplant. (No word on whether ghosts were the culprit there.)
As the film begins, Wong Kar-mun (Angelica Lee), a classical violinist who’s been blind since the age of five, is preparing for a corneal transplant that will allow her to regain her sight. The operation is successful, but with a catch — along with the mundane world, Kar-mun’s new eyes allow her to see spirits of the dead as well. Tortured by these visions, she and her psychiatrist, Dr. Wah (Lawrence Chou), travel to Thailand to find out the truth about Kar-mun’s eye donor.
How Was The Eye Received Upon Its Initial Release?
Back in 2002, The Eye was a hit. The Hong Kong/Singapore co-production made enough money at the domestic box office that two sequels, The Eye 2 and The Eye 10, were rushed into production. On the back of this success, The Eye also received a limited theatrical release in North America, where it received measured, but overall positive reviews from critics — about the best any horror movie could ask for at the time.
The Eye also received the ultimate compliment for a film of its type in 2008: A Hollywood remake, also called The Eye, starring Jessica Alba in the role originated by Angelica Lee. The remake received a much cooler reception than the Pang Brothers’ original, and sits at a dismal 22% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why Is The Eye Important to See Now?
Despite its initial popularity, over the past 20 years The Eye has fallen into obscurity, largely because it’s been so difficult to find. The decline of Asian horror exports in the late ‘00s and 2010s led to the collapse of distributors who specialized in bringing these films to North America, which in turn meant that these films became nearly impossible to get outside of import discs and out-of-print DVDs.
And that’s too bad, because The Eye is a marvel of slow-burn horror. A lot happens in this film, which covers not only Kar-mun’s surgery and subsequent discovery of her terrifying, unwanted new powers, but also a deep dive into the haunting backstory of Kar-mun’s new eyes and a painfully ironic finale that not only ties the film together thematically, but also adds new layers to our lead character. On the whole, the film is more subtle and character-driven than your average supernatural horror movie, while still delivering hair-raising moments like the elevator scene linked above.
What New Features Does Arrow’s New 4K UHD Disc Have?
The main draw here is a new 4K restoration of The Eye, which brings the charmingly crude early-’00s VFX into sharper relief. (It’s an aesthetic, okay?) Beyond that, the mere fact that this film is easily accessible on Blu-ray is an attraction in itself, given how difficult to find it’s been in recent years. That being said, Arrow Video’s release — which occurs simultaneously this April in North America and in the UK — does contain some new special features, including an intriguing-sounding visual essay from veteran critic Heather Wixson.
A full roundup of features on Arrow’s 4K UHD Blu-ray release of The Eye is below.
- Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless Cantonese DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio and stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Reflections on The Eye, a brand new interview with producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan
- To See and to Feel: Vision, Empathy and the Feminine Ghost Story in The Eye, a brand new visual essay on the film by critic and horror specialist Heather Wixson
- An archival making-of featurette with interviews with producers Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Lawrence Cheng and actors Angelica Lee and Lawrence Chou
- An archival featurette on directors Danny and Oxide Pang
- Original theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and Asian cinema specialist Hayley Scanlon
