The Ghost Station: Scratch That

Did you know that "ghost station" is actually a term? I didn't. It refers to a train station that's no longer in use as a stop but still in use for its tracks. So I suppose those stations below stations inhabited by mole people but devoid of trains have a unique term of their own. Anyone know what that is? But I digress. Jeong Yong-ki's The Ghost Station about a subway station where children ghosts are causing the deaths of passengers and conductors is not looking to redefine the horror genre. This film settles for a formula which, frankly isn't a bad thing when done well. And The Ghost Station qualifies.

Na-young (Kim Bo-ra) is a cub reporter whose first viral contribution to the rag where she works misgenders the It Girl of summer, a trans woman with long hair and a longing to litigate. In order to save her job at the rag where she works, Na-young needs a scoop. Her best buddies, two transit workers — played Kim Jae-hyun and Oh Jin-seok — tell her about a spooky recent death where they work. Suddenly, her career is back on track! Her boss (Kim Soo-jin) still hates her but the office is buying her a birthday cake, even though it's not her birthday. That part's easy to explain. What's harder to figure out are the mysterious scratches that are appearing on the back of people's hands and on their necks. By the end, The Ghost Station has made that clear enough for the general readership to understand.