Ghosts of Hiroshima

I'm a big fan of rare and hard to find Asian horror and this movie hits the right notes! This is a new release but it gives off those classic J- horror vibes with an American twist. The main character is from LA but when he lands in Hiroshima, he gets caught up in a very Japanese style ghost story. The idea of a Kodama demon being unleashed from a nuclear bomb is a totally fresh and awesome idea! The acting is good for a really low budget movie and I thought the girl who played Nori and the guy who played the Hiroshima victim were excellent. There are some pop out scare moments and some are better than others. Personally, I think the slow burn story with the old footage of WWII was even spookier than the big obvious scares. If you like Marvel movies you might not like this because it only has a couple characters and 2 locations. But if you like Japanese, Tai and Korean ghost movies you will enjoy it!

I stumbled upon this found footage outlier thanks to its creepy black and white poster. Unlike most "self shot"/ POV horror, this movie does a better job of justifying the reason for the filming by having the lead character be a camera reviewer. The story takes place in Japan and centers on the supernatural consequences of dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This aspect of the movie gave me chills. One excellent scene involves a bombing survivor who recounts his horrific memories of that day. The movie bounces back and forth between the present and vintage interview footage with the bombing survivor - leaving clues about the haunting attached to the house. This is an unusual movie and you could almost call it experimental found footage because of the way the plot unfolds. I had a nightmare about the story told by the survivor. There are also several jump scares that got me pretty good!

This is a lower budget FF movie that explores some unique themes. The main character inherits a property in Japan and has to occupy the house for 24 hours to make the transfer legal. The house sits on less than holy ground due to it's proximity to the Hiroshima nuclear blast some years prior. The main character (who is likable due to relatable life issues) begins to uncover evidence of the properties tragic past. This movie draws heavily upon real history and the events surrounding the aftermath of the atomic explosion. It becomes more clear with each scene that something is very wrong with the house and whatever remains inside. I found this idea to be very intriguing and the acting good for a movie at this level. The justification for the found footage elements is original and there are some good jump scares. I can't say that I fully understood everything that happened and why, but that is pretty typical in Asian style paranormal films. Overall, I liked this one based on its attempt to blend the horrors of history with the supernatural and unexplained. This is obviously a very small budget movie and there are a few problems here and there, but I can still recommend it to fans of both found footage and paranormal horror.

I liked how experimental it was with the found footage idea. Especially with the footage of the Hiroshima survivor tape being played over as the story was unfolding. I think that added to the atmosphere, and the details were really nicely done with how he described some of the experiences.

I know they match up with what actual survivors said.

I thought the guy was a terrible "v-blogger" and not really convincing in that is what he actually did. The blog didn't seem "filled out" enough.

Overall the acting was decent, and there was some pretty creepy details throughout.

But I did feel like the ending seemed rushed though. Which is a shame because the rest of the story was very good, and creepy.

Indie horror sometimes lacks imagination even if it's scary. I enjoyed this movie because it has many layers of story and paranormal phenomenon. These are not the average found footage spirits or demons either.. Ghosts of Hiroshima tells the story of a man haunted by an evil spirit that was born from a nuclear bomb. The suffering that was experienced in the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima is the foundation for a new kind of haunting. This film is really about what happens when an optimistic and hopeful character comes into contact with a malevolent force more powerful than anyone could imagine. The acting, camera work and story are a cut above most ultra low budget movies in the category. There is an Asian horror feel combined with an American leading man for an East meets West angle. I appreciate original ideas and for this reason alone, the movie is worth watching. Creativity and scares can be found in this small movie!