I saw this as part of a special screening where the audience had to fill out questionnaires at the end in order for the cinema to give it a 'recommended' star. I didn't even know what the movie was going to be before it came on.
As a fan of the Ring trilogy, The Eye, and Asian horror in general, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was Hideo Nakata's Dark Water.
I wasn't disappointed. This has all the disturbing hallmarks of Ringu et al. However, it is also a very thoughtful and moving essay on the problems of single parenthood, the effects of divorce on children and rejection.
Hitomi Kuroki struggles to maintain custody of her daughter whilst sending her to a school with abusive teachers, trying also to hold down a job. All the while, the ceiling to her apartment in a run down tenement block is dramatically leaking water.
We feel total sympathy for them both as their initial enthusiasm falls into fatigue at their situation.
Oh, did I also mention there is also the ghost of a little girl on the prowl.
This film succeeds on two levels. As a social commentary in a similar vein to Urban Ghost Story, and as a truly scary experience.
Hideo Nakata uses all the techniques he showed in Ringu to give us a genuinely disturbing experience. The Eastern style of acting is not to everyone's taste, but it is high quality nonetheless.
Disturbing and thought provoking, it will resonate in your mind long afterwards. Don't miss it.
As a fan of the Ring trilogy, The Eye, and Asian horror in general, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was Hideo Nakata's Dark Water.
I wasn't disappointed. This has all the disturbing hallmarks of Ringu et al. However, it is also a very thoughtful and moving essay on the problems of single parenthood, the effects of divorce on children and rejection.
Hitomi Kuroki struggles to maintain custody of her daughter whilst sending her to a school with abusive teachers, trying also to hold down a job. All the while, the ceiling to her apartment in a run down tenement block is dramatically leaking water.
We feel total sympathy for them both as their initial enthusiasm falls into fatigue at their situation.
Oh, did I also mention there is also the ghost of a little girl on the prowl.
This film succeeds on two levels. As a social commentary in a similar vein to Urban Ghost Story, and as a truly scary experience.
Hideo Nakata uses all the techniques he showed in Ringu to give us a genuinely disturbing experience. The Eastern style of acting is not to everyone's taste, but it is high quality nonetheless.
Disturbing and thought provoking, it will resonate in your mind long afterwards. Don't miss it.