Noroi

"Noroi" is a found-footage horror film that follows the story of a documentary filmmaker who becomes increasingly obsessed with a mysterious cult and paranormal phenomena. The film is known for its unsettling atmosphere, eerie imagery, and slow-burn approach to horror. The film's controversial found-footage style adds an extra layer of realism to the already tense narrative, making the viewer feel as though they are part of the story.

If you know that you can handle the unconventional "found footage" narrative, then you're in for a treat. With its use of sound and visuals, the movie successfully creates a sense of tension and dread. The film's central mystery of the cult and its sinister dealings is both intriguing and chilling, keeping viewers glued to the screen until the very end, as long as they are okay with this format.

For better or worse, found footage is the punk rock of film genres. Purposely rejecting the lavish possibilities of polished professionalism in favour of a gritty, distorted mess that celebrates it's own flaws. Noroi: The Curse dives head first into the style, delivering all sorts of shaky, grainy scenes. It's not enough for them to include sequences from imaginary public access shows, but they go out of their way to degrade the video quality until it looks like a 5th generation VHS copy of a copy, and several chilling moments stem from purposeful digital glitches. The technical errors are the art form itself.

In many ways, this works well, as the film manages to skirt past many horror tropes while still finding effective ways to make your skin crawl. It keeps a lot of tragic implications off screen, keeping to a "tell don't show" ethos and never resorting to cheap jump scares. It's impact rides on well established realism and a lot of subtly creepy imagery.

Where the whole format becomes difficult to swallow is in how many traditional film elements have been left behind. Things that can elevate a cinematic experience like cinematography or music cues are largely discarded to serve the mockumentary form. I understand why this was necessary, but I can ultimately only take so many of these things before I start to miss having a nice score pulling on my heartstrings.

I can't praise this film enough. It had a lot of that hand-held, first-person shaking camera which I love (and some hate, because it makes them sick), like REC, Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project.

It is a long movie for its kind, but I didn't even notice because the film was so interesting. By just showing the footage from a paranormal reporter's work the movie keeps up the pace, making it a real-time experience for the viewer.

While I would never call this film the "scariest horror ever made", I'd have to say it's certainly one of the best I've seen. The fear factor here is constructed by details in the images, camera glitches, events linked to one another which lend a very mysterious and haunting tone to the movie. The horror is more in what is not shown, but left to our imaginations. The ending is perfect, and be warned that you might have nightmares afterwards. A second viewing is highly recommended, though.

Watch this one alone in the dark, don't expect anything and you'll have fun.

Suffice to say I have never seen a film quite like "Noroi". It is perhaps THE creepiest film I have ever watched. Note that I say "creepy", not "scary". There is nothing that will make you jump in this movie, but there is a level of terror and suspense you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Think "The Blair Witch Project", only stretched out through a longer runtime and a (much) more complex story.

Much like "The Blair Witch Project", the movie is filmed mostly on camcorders and tries (though not nearly as relentlessly as "The Blair Witch Project") to pass itself off as a true story. Purporting to be last documentary of paranormal investigator Masafumi Kobayashi, the movie's real genius is in its construction. It begins with several, seemingly unrelated plot threads, each one kicked off by some mysterious, creepy event. Kobayashi records a bizarre EVP while investigating a reclusive woman's house, a young girl displays psychic powers on a television program, an actress goes into convulsions while investigating a haunted temple. The tension in the movie is maintained beautifully, rising at a steady pace throughout the entire film as bizarre, seemingly supernatural events begin happening to and around the characters. The real horror in the film comes from seeing how these events are all related, a realization the viewers will reach long before the characters, though the plot threads do eventually converge.

A sense of rising horror pervades this entire movie, and by the time the climax rolls around the tension has built to such a screeching pitch it's almost unbearable. Combined with the fact that the last twenty minutes or so contain some of the most unsettling scenes I have ever seen, and you've got a cinematic punch that will stay with you for days. A couple points come off for one character's delirious overacting (although he does play something of a nutcase), but otherwise this movie's got it all. The only question is...are you ready for it?

I, for one, absolutely loved this movie. A progressive and experimental approach to horror.

It is not a "typical Asian horror" where you would see a gruesome looking ghost (usually a woman) that is going around scaring people. You barely see any ghosts for a majority of the film, but the way this movie keeps you interested in the plot and characters is genius.

This is not the movie for you if you're into gore or jumpscares, but this movie has an underlying "creepy" factor throughout the entire movie which I loved.

Don't let the documentary-style of filming turn you off (why should it?). It is on par, if not superior, to the Blair Witch Project - it really feels like you're watching something that you're not supposed to be seeing.