Okaruto

A Mockumentary by the director of the brilliant Noroi, Occult follows a documentary-making crew and a survivor of a cult-like accident. The film is scattered with lovecraftian imagery and themes of a higher being driven world. The score is very eerie and adds to the film's charm. Acting and direction are decent for a low budget film. The ending is incredibly weird and is well worth the watch. The main negative I'd say is the special effect but as it's a low budget film, the flaw is easy to overlook. Another thing is unlike Noroi, the film doesn't delve into the mythos in deep so that's a disappointment. Albeit it's still a decent watch.

The sound mixing and soundtrac of this movie genuinely got under my skin. I started watching with headphones but had to stop because my anxiety was going through the roof. The plot is interesting and enjoyable, and the not-great graphics at the end actually adds to the surreality. The twist seemed obvious due to the guy in the alley, but that's ok. It was well executed nonetheless.

The scariest scene to me was the hike up the mountain. I've never been to Japan but when I see those large swathes of forested mountains, it always gives me a similar feeling as the book House of Leaves, like Japan is bigger inside the island than it should rightfully be. I know that's not true, but it's my gut feeling anyway. And the way the camera focuses on the landscape and the person leading the hike, no words spoken between the two, it unsettled me deeply.

Documentary investigating a multiple murder partially recorded with a cell phone and the sole survivor of the attack. Eno-kun is homeless and sleeps in internet cafes if he can afford it. He is around and (with a camera,) captures supernatural occurrences frequently, and has a scar that was carved into his back by the murderer. He is befriended by one of the documentarians and admits his plans for a similar killing for his god, as he is a Chosen One.

Excellent! Very original story. Acting is par and above par for a found footage film. Director of Noroi: The Curse. Please add posters to this director's films

I enjoyed this film which, as many reviewers have already said, is of the Noroi "POV" variety, shot on hand-held cameras. I adored Noroi which I think is one of the best horror films ever made, which makes for a bad comparison with this film. The characters are interesting and kept me guessing, which is a definite plus, since most of the movie is from their point of view (i.e. their camera). The bad special effects some have spoken of are short and, while yes they are quite bad, really only serve to drive home the end scene; could've been done better, but you still get the point.

Sum up: Taken on its own, "Occult" is a good POV film, but it pales in comparison to many of its precursors. It's definitely worth at least one watch.

Koji Shiraishi, you absolute madman.

Occult wasn't quite as good as Noroi: The Curse, but it was almost as engaging and had some parts that were very unnerving, just like that other found footage film. Shiraishi is a director who seems to understand how to make a mockumentary horror movie really well, and I'll have to keep digging into more of his stuff (A Record of Sweet Murder was also good).

The only complaint I have about Occult is that the middle act sags a bit. It gets off to an intriguing start, is relatively creepy for a while, and then drifts away from its most interesting character for a bit (the survivor of a seemingly random attack that claimed two other lives). Once things center on him again for the final 30 to 40 minutes, I thought Occult got interesting again, not to mention very suspenseful (more of a thriller than a horror film, really). The ending is bizarre on a few different levels, including the fact that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull factors into the plot, and no, I will not elaborate further.

I also thought the music was incredibly done here. The composer went nuts, and it felt like Aphex Twin but more insane and intentionally unsettling; like how Aphex Twin might sound during a bad trip. It was creepy, flawed, but largely entertaining and interesting stuff. It takes a couple of big swings that don't quite hit, but it works in so many other areas that I feel like those flaws don't end up weighing it down much.