The film revolves around heartthrob magician Jo-goo (Lee Min-ki), who spies a strangely sombre girl, Yeo-ri (Son Ye-jin), at his street gigs, and decides to recruit her as an assistant in his upcoming horror-themed magic show. Unbeknownst to him, Yeo-ri has the unfortunate tendency of attracting all manners of spooks around her, and things take a macabre turn when Jo-goo starts to fall for his uncanny co-star.
A heads up for other guys out there: My Girlfriend Can See Ghosts is this month`s ideal date movie for you to bring your prospective girlfriend to. If she isn`t tearing at the sentimental love scenes, she`ll be clinging to your shirt in anticipation of some of the scarier bits of the movie. Most films striving to merge such disparate genres as horror and rom-com would undoubtedly fall flat, but My Girlfriend Can See Ghosts manages to straddle suspense and sentimentality with surprisingly few hiccups. The only flaw of the movie would be its incessant length, with a plot that could have been wrapped up in three-quarters of the time.
Unlike most Korean romance films, My Girlfriend Can See Ghosts has its tongue placed firmly in cheek, despite some cloyingly romantic moments. Lee Min-Ki and Son Ye-jin play their likable characters with enthusiasm, if not finesse, and the film develops in a manner that actually gives credence to its central message that love can be a pretty scary thing.
It`s not sophisticated by any stretch of the imagination, but My Girlfriend Can See Ghosts is an entertaining rom-com film that manages to milk its premise for all the entertainment that it`s worth.
Summary: Sweet, with some surprisingly well-crafted scares.
Rating: 3.5/5