Category: horror

Pulse (2001) review

“An extra-ordinary apocalyptic horror narrative that explores, in a refined way, the destructive impact of consumption – the pulsating attraction of injecting solitary enjoyment by engaging with gadgets and screens – on our subjective position and the fabric of bonds that surrounds us.”

A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse (1975) review

It is via the splatter of blood, the concatenation of sexual acts, and the ghostly revenge that Yamaguchi presents the male spectator his truth: that he, beyond fantasy and desire, is a merely castrated being.   

Shaman’s Daughter (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

A genre mish-mash – a cocktail of light-hearted comedy, family drama, bloody thriller, and ghostly romance – that is not only pleasant but offers the spectator a rich emotional fabric to savour.

The Vampire Doll (1970) review

“Sounds, music, performances, and darkish visuals all blend beautifully together to deliver an unsettling but enchanting account of vampirism in Japan.”

Stigmatized Properties (2020) review

“A horror without well-developed horror and a romance story without satisfying romantic moments.”

Homunculus (2021) review

“A worthy attempt to offer something fresh to the horror-table, but Shimizu struggles to blend the many pleasing parts into a whole that truly engages and pleases the spectator.”

Ayako Tachibana Wants To Go Viral (2020) review

“Amane does not only blend horror and eroticism fluidly together, but does so to deliver a satisfying critique of how social media eventually becomes a tool for male subjects to chase their phallic fantasy.”