Old people are scary. So is religion. That seems to be the general concept behind The Pot. Incidentally, I can't figure out why that is the title. Other than a brief reference to our main character being trapped in a pot (!) as a child, it really doesn't make a lot of sense.
The Pot is from South Korean Writer-Director Tae-gon Kim, and it's possible that there is something lost in translation, as the main arc of the story involves a non-religious family getting involved with a (potentially cultish) Christian church. My extremely rudimentary research says that Buddhism is the dominant religion in South Korea, although there is a large Christian population there as well. But obviously, with Christianity being the big boss here in the US, it will resonate differently with me.
Although I am legitimately scared of all religions, so maybe I am still in the target audience. Not scared in the "slasher/OMG/they're coming to get me"- sense, more "you are a hinderance to progress and are slowly ruining the entire world with your close-mindedness"-sense. But maybe that's just me.
Young-Guk (Lim Hyung-Guk) has sold his families' land in the countryside and purchased a factory in the big city of Seoul, as well as an apartment in an old building for him and his family to live. There is obviously some unspoken tension about the move between the him and his wife Young-Ae (Yang Eun-Yong), but they are making the best of it for the sake of their young daughter Mi-Ae and the unborn child that is on its way. After they move in, they are introduced to an older couple that lives in the apartment above them along with their (mute and creepy) elderly mother. They talk Young-Guk into joining their church, which seems innocent at first but may be hiding something sinister. The elderly mother takes a liking to Mi-Ae, and starts to spend time alone with her, engaging in some quasi-religious rituals with her. Mi-Ae begins acting very strangely, and Young-Ae begins to think her daughter's problems may be something more that typical growing pains...
The Pot is really a slow-burn movie - for a while, it's not even entirely clear if it's even a horror picture. And once it gets there, it's not really entirely scary. But it does succeed in creating a general sense of gloominess and occasionally a sense... not "dread," per se, maybe just discomfort? It's laid-back enough that it *could* be something you could watch with your non-horror friends - it's got a solid, layered story and is never overly-violent or gory. But I honestly can't see anyone but horror fans getting into it - it's just too gloomy for most audiences.
The highlight of the film for me was just watching the story unfold. There is the main story of the family and the church/possession - creepy kids, religious rituals, ghostly occurrences - it's well done but honestly nothing you haven't seen before. But there is a backstory about Young-Guk's family that is pretty heartbreaking and honestly was a total surprise for me. The way it's told, it's almost like you are slowly putting together the pieces of a mystery throughout the film - a mystery that you didn't even realize was there until it's nearly been solved.
And the overall sense of gloominess was a nice change of pace. You could say that this movie looks pretty bland, but I would guess that is by design. I'm not sure what they used to film it (I suspect it is *not* digital) - the whole film has a sort of haze to it. You have characters who are tired, burned-out, and exhausted by the world - the muted colors and dreary settings reflect where they are in their lives. It's a little jarring at first - it almost looks home movie-ish - but as you go along you kind of fall under it's spell. And that kind of sums up this movie as a whole - there is no "oh wow!" moments or any one scene or performance that sticks out - it just sort of plods along and eventually washes over you. Definitely unique, but enjoyable.
I would make sure you can take the slow burn, then recommend this film.
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