Okaruto

Since I was a child, I've always been fascinated with sci-fi conspiracy shows and documentaries. This film teleported me to my 13 years old self.

I would've never discovered this film if I didn't go on a j-horror binging. I started out with Audition (1999), Ringu (1998) and then I saw Noroi: The Curse (2005). And something about the found footage/documentary style of cinematography felt... Humane. So I decided to watch more of Koji Shiraishi's films and I stumbled upon Occult (2009). It's in the same style as Noroi: The Curse(2005), found footage film in the style of a documentary. Even though watching the plot slowly unfold is a sight to admire, at some points it gets too slow. But what truly keeps this film alive is the truly amazing soundtrack. The CGI was horrible but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

All and all, a wonderful mixture of Sci-fi Conspiracy, J-Horror and Lovecraftian Horror. It gave me nothing short of a strange sense of nostalgia.

{If you enjoyed this film, you should check out Resolution (2012) and Endless (2017) }

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.

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.

This director has really got the whole 'camcorder horror' schtick down to a fine art. The film is a great combination of realism, suspense and chills (both supernatural and more tangible terrors).

The pace is pretty good throughout and picks up nicely towards the dramatic climax.

All the actors put in a good turn and the lead role is outstanding. His character is difficult to define and this ambiguity adds nicely to the general feel of unease and confusion.

My only moan would be the special effects. Now I know that you can get away with very cheap effects if they are executed well (indeed, this happens regularly throughout the film) but on a couple of occasions (trust me, you'll know when) it becomes impossible to ignore the realisation that the SFX budget wouldn't have paid for a 2nd-hand television.

But Im nit-picking. The film really delivers. I am a big fan of Japanese horror and this one is right up there.

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.