✅ in contrast to others I could mention, Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut is excellent.
✅ Glass’s Duet is thrilling, and the scene around it among the most memorable.
✅ Southern Gothic classic—atmospheric, mysterious, suspenseful with hyperstylish cinematography and sound, yet suffused with a sense of ever-present invisible blades.
Upon realizing it wasn’t South-Korean I felt slightly disappointed at first, but the opening credits already sucked me in.
Addendum
From the more thoughtful and well-written reviews out there, I think Kat Mildner’s is the best.
Stoker by Park Chan-wook, 2013.
Watched at the Bambi theater on March 31, 2026, in its original language.