“Do you know what remains when someone dies? Nothing”

Often dubbed the “Korean Madonna”, all-round entertainer Uhm Jung Hwa has had a prolific career spanning decades in both the music and film industries. “Princess Aurora” sees her flexing her acting muscles like she has never done before, playing a vengeful mother who goes on an unstoppable, violent rampage against those who have wronged her. It is an unexpectedly dark turn for the singer-turned-actress; one that at times tries too hard to push the boundaries, especially with a couple of highly unnecessary, gratuitous scenes of nudity, no doubt served as a cheap selling point.

A seemingly random string of gruesome murders catches the attention of detective Oh Sung Ho (Moon Sung Keun) who also happens to be the ex-husband of our female protagonist Jung Soon Jung (Uhm Jung Hwa). The brutal nature of these killings suggests a more personal motive, while the killer’s trademark Princess Aurora sticker found at each crime scene provides the common link, hence the movie’s title.

It is no spoiler to say that it is in fact Soon Jung who is the perpetrator. Instead the big reveal is what drives her, and how her victims are all related. She often comes up with very creative, slick ways of hunting down her prey, to the point where it becomes an unconvincing plot device to consider a previously ordinary housewife with no special additional skill-sets carrying out such expertly timed and executed killings.

Uhm’s dark, unrecognisable transformation for the role is a striking one, and she more than comfortably carries the role with fierce intensity. She slyly worms her way into the victims’ circles of trust, full of smiles and quick wit, but when the time is right, there is a sudden shift in her eyes and posture. Uhm effortlessly transitions between the two extremes, turning her rather volatile character into an endlessly watchable one. Much of the film’s emotional burden is down to her, something she is more than capable of portraying. In her private moments there is a profound sense of sorrow due to unimaginable trauma and loss.

The investigation strand of the narrative unfortunately slows down the pace considerably. What remains fascinating is Soon Jung’s acts of vengeance, but every time the plot shifts to the detective who is always a step too late, the plot fails to sustain its momentum. Whenever the ex-husband and ex-wife cross paths, it is nowhere near as tense as it should be. There is surprisingly very little told about these two, and aside from an incredibly misplaced sex scene that serves no purpose, the script chooses not to develop anything further between the two. The potential for a deadly cat and mouse chase is sadly squandered, as the two leads’ interactions lack any noticeable spark.

Another let-down comes in the form of its disappointingly middling finale. What should pack an emotional punch is instead side-lined for a frankly odd and out of place set piece that aims to shock with how much shocking violence it can push onto the screen. It feels like a wasted opportunity especially given Uhm’s dedicated performance that kept the film together all this time. It could have been so much more, but “Princess Aurora” appears comfortable settling for the mediocre status of being an average revenge thriller that is heightened in quality by its incomparable leading lady. At the time of its release, it was quite rightfully compared unfavourably to a film of a similar nature released in the same year – Park Chan Wook’s “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”, which clearly demonstrated more depth and insight into its characters.