Reviewed by: Hyomil Date: 04/07/2011 Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: Anticlimacus Date: 01/10/2008 Summary: Worth A Look for Atmosphere, Visuals, and a Killer Score While watching Naraka 19 I couldn't help but think of Recycle - another fantasy-based horror film with a heavy use of CGI. Naraka 19 suffers from similar flaws in terms of storyline, but actually exceeds Recycle in terms of atmosphere, visuals, and score. The score hits its stride immediately with an instrumental piece that reflects old school tracks from movies like Suspiria and Halloween. It's weird, yet unsettling and succeeds in luring the viewer into an anxious state of mind. The special effects are aimed to disturb and the atmosphere is incredibly dark (even gothic in places). These elements are all very innovative and original, which means that the viewer is sure to experience events herein that they will never see elsewhere. This is not a masterpiece by any means, but it easily surpasses a majority of horror films with its unique contributions. Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Brian Thibodeau Date: 01/08/2008 Slick but plodding terror tale for teens—based on the wildly popular novel 'The 19th Gate of Hell" by Choi Tsun—about a group of university freshwomen drawn into a "hell game" (in Buddhism, a "naraka" is one of 18 purgatories) via the Short Message Service feature (SMS) on their cell phones, which serve as ersatz user interfaces that help them find weapons, locate exits and earn bonus points. With two of her roommates dead and a third well on her way to insanity, mousy heroine Gillian Chung enters the game in search of answers but ultimately faces demons from her own past. Though told in a way that requires more thought than its intended audience of youngsters might be prepared to give it, the story is nonetheless intriguing if not particularly high on scares, and thanks to some impressive digital effects by Sinai Mountain, holds water for a good long time despite the villain being telegraphed far too early, and an egregious "guest star" dropped into the proceedings for sheer exploitation value. Reviewer Score: 4