I’ve no idea what to expect here, but I’ve a feeling it’s going to give me nightmares. Kobayoshi (Jin Muraki) is a journalist and documentarian dealing in the supernatural. As we learn of his disappearance, his latest film is suggested to have the answers. With lo-fi production and hand held consumer grade cameras, it looks like a found footage film, blurred and desaturated, but looks can be deceiving. It quickly gives you the chills as Kobayoshi investigates strange noises, coming from a strange house, occupied by an aggressive woman, Junko Ishii (Tomono Kuga) and her eerie child. No CG, no tricks, it really draws you in, instantly invested in everyone we meet, it’s all the more disarming as the curse strikes. Thats the name of Kobayoshi’s last film, The Curse. Blink and you’ll miss something. It really keeps you on your toes. Chopping from Kobayoshi and his cameraman, to TV shows, to deleted scenes of TV shows, to live recordings of screenings of those deleted scenes. It feels like you’re being dragged into something genuinely dark and disturbing. It takes some work, but it’s absolutely brilliant. It must’ve taken some work to make too, I can’t imagine what the edit must’ve been like. That said, it looks after its audience, you won’t be left behind. Psychics, shadowy mysterious figures, strange repeating patterns, weird noises, missing children, pigeons! It’s a fun puzzle built around a fractured cast, that inexplicably interlinks in a remarkably satisfying way. Not so much what you’d call a modern horror, it’s light on gore. It’s spooky though and doesn’t pull any punches, making you believe in the cult darkness that unfolds. Although there’s a lot of location stuff, there’s an awful lot of detail throughout. It may all look natural, but this has been crafted brilliantly. The camera feels authentic. The acting, not like acting at all. Everyone is utterly convincing. It’s chilling and captivating. Completely immersive as the death toll rises and the mystery unfolds. Well worth a watch.
7/10
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