Directed by Takashi Shimizu • 2002 • Japan
Starring Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Takashi Matsuyama
A cursed house—where years earlier a woman, her son, and cat were murdered—has some seriously spooky surprises in store for all who pass through its door. When social worker Rika (Megumi Okina) is sent to check in on the current residents, she finds herself the latest victim in a self-perpetuating cycle of terror and revenge. Along with films like RING, this supernatural slice of J-horror became an international smash hit (and spawned an American remake) thanks to its indelibly freaky images and nerve-jangling jolts.
Up Next in Japanese Horror
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Ju-On: The Grudge 2
Directed by Takashi Shimizu • 2003 • Japan
Starring Noriko Sakai, Shingo Katsurayama, Chiharu NiiyamaTakashi Shimizu’s sequel to his international hit delivers more of the indelibly creepy atmosphere and tension-enhancing nonlinear style that made the original a J-horror sensation. Here, the cu...
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Audition
Directed by Takashi Miike • 1999 • Japan
Starring Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Miyuki MatsudaIn one of the most notorious horror films ever made, recent widower Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi) sets out to find a new wife by staging an “audition.” Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu becomes encha...
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Ichi the Killer
Directed by Takashi Miike • 2001 • Japan
Starring Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, Shinya TsukamotoVisceral, bloody, and often hilarious, Takashi Miike’s gonzo gore opera (an adaptation of the manga by Hideo Yamamoto) is one of the most influential and notorious genre films of the twenty-first centur...
