Filed under: Horror | Tags: Asian Horror, Death Water, j-horror, Japanese Cinema, Japanese Horror, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, Mizuchi, review
Mizuchi – AKA Death Water
Release Date: 27 May 2006 (Japan)
Director: Kiyoshi Yamamoto
Genre: Horror
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A supernatural plague has infected Tokyo’s water supply and a wave of unusual suicides, where victims cut out their own eyes, is sweeping the area. After a college professor is found dead with a note that reads “death water” clutched in his hand, Journalist Kyoko Togakure is compelled to investigate.
Death Water is – in a word – unexpected. What begins as a simple horror story about water infected with some other-worldy curse, somewhere along the line becomes a more abstract and melancholy exploration of dementia. A mature, complex story, capable acting and some genuinely entertaining surprises separate Mizuchi from the chaff of Asian horror.
The best of modern Japanese cinema often features non-linear narratives and open-ended, avant-garde approaches to story telling. Death Water does the same, with a well grounded plot and chronological progression of events, making it complex but very watchable. We can sit back and let the film take us where it takes us, without having to look at the road map every ten minutes.
There is little trace of the slapped together, childish concepts and execution we’re so accustomed to seeing in modern horror. This is a film that takes its audience seriously, something preciously rare in the genre.
Both the male and female leads, played by Haruka Igawa and Atsuro Watabe respectively, put in very solid performances. The surrounding cast contribute satisfactory work as well.
There is a noticeable lack, at times, of the sudden shocks and jolts which help comprise the core repertoire of Japanese horror. The tension and mystery however, are dialed up to appropriately high levels to compensate.
For all its creepy atmosphere and its twists and turns, Mizuchi, in the end, isn’t all that scary. It may leave you feeling hopeless, insignificant and in doubt of your own life as you knew it – but you won’t need to leave a light on at night. Death Water is a fine, dark film but if you’re looking for an hour and a half of heart attacks, you won’t find it here.
This film is a well told tale of supernatural mystery and madness which should appease anyone looking for horror that takes the art of storytelling seriously. It’s a still a wonder why paint-by-numbers movies such as Chakushin ari gain widespread notoriety, while a more bold and complex production like Mizuchi remains relatively hidden for the discovery.
7.5/10
Filed under: Horror | Tags: Ai Maeda, Asian Horror, Hanako, j-horror, school mystery, Shinsei Toire no Hanako-san, Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Shinsei Toire no Hanako-san
Release Date: 4 June 1998 (Japan)
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Genre: Horror
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Local legend has it that if you see Hanako, the girl who haunts the second floor school bathroom, you die. Our heroine Satomi and her friend, Kanae, learn the hard way that there’s more than a grain of truth to this urban legend and embark on a paranormal investigation that takes them 11 years in the past.
The film is the final in a loose series of 90s J-Horror movies revolving around the legend of Hanako. However it also functions perfectly well as a stand alone feature.
Shinsei Toire no Hanako-san is in some ways a by-the-books 90s Asian horror film, trotting out all the cheap scares you’d expect from the haunted school motif. However, the film’s first half manages to exceed expectations, presenting a compelling mystery and some well strung tension. The tale takes a turn at roughly the half way point, changing from an intriguing if typical modern Japanese ghost story, to an over-the-top paranormal adventure film.
We start off with that same old scenario; school girls falling prey to an evil ghost who haunts the grounds at night. Our protagonist, Satomi, has a terrifying experience with the spirit and joins a kind of paranormal club at school with whom she begins to explore the legend of Hanako deeper.
The simple special effects and less than seasoned actors are charming at times and the solid story development of the first half trumps most production short comings and cries of “b-movie!”
For a while, Shinsei Toire no Hanako-san does everything right. Tension is high, knowledge is low and simple but effective cinematography creates that unnatural, dark feeling central to all horror. A handful of subtleties and unanswered questions keep things fresh and provides some depth to an otherwise simple story.
Much like the Korean Whispering Corridors, there’s nothing distinctly unique about this schoolgirl horror story, it’s just done particularly well.
Unfortunately, the second half of the film fails to retain the mystery and suspense of its counterpart. Away goes the unknown fear and unsettling, creepy atmosphere, and in comes the psychics and portals to other dimensions. Trashy, cheap thrills and quickly paced scenes replace the tense eeriness of the first 50 minutes.
Without the mystery element present earlier in the film, the malevolent presence of Hanako is not enough to hold it together for another 40 minutes. The plot focus, and even cinematographic style, change noticeably at this point, as if the director suddenly took an extended lunch break and the coffee boy took over.
The result is a final quarter which explains nothing (despite being the final film in the series) and will have you glancing between clock and screen every five minutes in the hopes that the credits start rolling soon.
In spite of the lack-luster second half, Shinsei Toire no Hanako-san is still a barely worthwhile film, if only for the first 50 minutes.
6.5/10
