Ever since the start of having the Antarctic Journal in the Korean expedition’s hand, my mind started to focus on the film while gripping my hands so tight. The storyline started off with little introductions of the team who are cheerful. Then, things start to get twisted as so many strange occurrences happen to them. The horror mysteries and surprises, related to the journal, are so intense that the film kept my eyes wide open. The curse of the Antarctic Journal impacts every single character going mental while questioning themselves whether to move on in reaching their destination or calling for help from the base camp. Yet, Do-Hyung insists that they should move on. It’s a total mental battle among each member of the expedition.

The curse of Antarctic Journal begins by facing strange happenings during the expedition to the unreachable point of Antarctica

Antarctic Journal is one of my favourite films that has great cinematography. Cinematographer Jung Jung Hoon did well in focusing on every single aspect of how settings and characters are presented. Not only the characters’ intense facial expressions are shown through close shots but the scenes that you should keep an eye on is the shifts of Antarctic scenes through the use of fading in and out scenes and far-away shots that clearly show that the Korean expedition are on their journey to the final destination. Filming scenes at snowy mountains and using green screen give off lots of anxieties about what is happening to the Korean expedition in Antarctica. For certain plot of storyline, both director and cinematographer cooperate together in making the whole film adventurous with intensified horror. 

Song Kang Ho and Yoo Ji Tae

The casts have put in a lot of effort in both climbing across the snowy mountains to individually portrays their own characters. They were able to be so mental that give me so much chills to my skin. Song Kang Ho is truly impressive on how he develops the character Do-Hyung as its’ true colours are shown throughout the film. He did well in being the calm and cheerful leader followed by igniting his flame of madness. Kang Ho makes Do-Hyung a scary character but I can see why he is one of the best Korean actors because of his acting skills that blow my mind away.

Antarctic Journal is an intense adventure-horror film that you immediately focus on the characters going mental since they picked and kept the Antarctic Journal with them. Its cinematography, on every single detail of scenes and characters, is done well. The casts including Song Kang Ho put their individual acting talents to the characters’ shoes while putting a lot of effort at cold and snowy mountains and green screen. It’s definitely lots of thinking but it keeps you finding out what happened to them and whether will they ever find the unreachable point of Antarctica.

Rating: 8/10