?A portentous mix of claustrophobic menace and good old-fashioned gore, Cadaver takes a zombie march through the corridors of an apparently cursed medical department in a South Korean university. The knife-edge tension builds as a group of medical students embark upon their first autopsy class. Then, this disparate gang of trendy young things decide to return after hours to the shadowy lab ...Director Derek Son creates an ominous tone and a keen sense of foreboding around a simple but intriguing premise, so when the inevitable does happen and the students find themselves in danger, it becomes obvious that there is far more to proceedings than was first thought. With a nod to Hideo Nakata’s excellent Dark Water (EIFF 2002) and the sinister tone of Kinji Fukasaku’s explosive Battle Royale (EIFF 2001), Cadaver also alludes to a real-life horror, the march of genetic science, in the guise of a sullen, guarded professor, a who hides a multitude of dark secrets.Aside from being a thoroughly entertaining, bloodthirsty romp, Son’s debut features stunning cinematography and a terrifying atmosphere. Its clever blend of horror and human drama, marked by some genuinely frightening moments, puts a memorable new spin on the recognisable formula. Son’s ghostly tale of subterfuge and intrigue, featuring disappearing corpses, murderous zombies and a whodunnit plot that transcends death, brings fresh meat to the genre table and makes Cadaver a must for all horror enthusiasts.