I'll give Whispering Corridors credit for trying. There's an uncommon intelligence at play here, a drive to put a little more effort into scaring viewers on a thematic level than on a purely visual one. Sadly, these good intentions are all Whispering Corridors has to go on, and despite a few effective moments, they carry the film only so far before running out of gas.

This rather somber tale of suspense takes place at an all-girls school in Korea. Slightly snooty Ji-oh (Gyu-ri Kim) and shy Jae-yi (Se-yeon Choi) are ready for another day's worth of lessons doled by their monstrous teachers, only to run head first into tragedy. An unpopular instructor has apparently hung herself, and despite the administration's best efforts, rumors swirl about regarding the circumstances of her death. But as Ji-oh and Jae-yi continue enduring the rigors of high school life, one person may hold the key to solving the mystery. Mrs. Hur (Mi-yeon Lee), a former student who returned to the school as a teacher, suspects that a former classmate might be responsible -- a girl who's been dead for nine years. But as the body count continues growing, a question remains: is a deadly supernatural force at work here -- or is it a disgruntled student taking her revenge? 

Whispering Corridors feels like the first draft of a really strong horror film. In order to give the story a big boost, director Ki-heyong Park (Acacia) combines the spooky goings-on with recurring criticisms of the Korean educational system. If you thought you had it rough in school, wait until you see what these girls go through. Their teachers slap them around at will and bark out enough intense speeches to make Patton blush. Park does a fine job of establishing a very joyless atmosphere, unafraid to depict the school as a place where dreams go to die and where individuality is crushed under an iron fist. I like how the film sets out to compare these real-life terrors with the sort of otherworldly theatrics that made features like this and the Ringu series famous. However, although Park successfully introduces these elements into the story, he's not as adept at ensuring their consistent appearance for the remainder of the running time.

There comes a point when Whispering Corridors stops building up its characters and starts banking on the audience's sympathy. The true-to-life drama quickly sours, and too many characters look like they're just brooding their way to the ending credits. The paths they tread turn out to be inconsequential, many ending up as glorified red herrings. Others play some barely tangible part in the central mystery, which isn't altogether predictable but not as hard-hitting as I'd like to see. Perhaps the mood is a little too downbeat, so concentrated on conveying a message that the movie forgets its duties as a thriller. That would explain how the more horror-centric aspects stick out like sore thumbs, with grisly death scenes and a room oozing blood haphazardly thrown in amid all the drama. The made-for-TV atmosphere also makes things look cheap and unpolished, especially for a film with as daring an image of itself as this one.

Although an imperfect film, Whispering Corridors  served as the blueprint for bigger and better stories. A big hit in its native South Korea, the movie led to the creation of the "Ghost School" series, whose proceeding chapters built on its ideas and themes to even greater success. 

MY RATING: ** (out of ****)

(Released by Tartan Video and rated "R" for violence and some language.)

Review also posted at www.passportcinema.com .