Karuto

1. This film has no Gore. If you are into that skip it.

2. I enjoy the understated nature of this film. Some argue that is a weak argument for poor writing. I disagree.

3. I have seen so many horror films it is difficult to scare me. I watch these films to see the story unfold. So I can't speak to how scary it is.

4. I enjoyed the interaction between the actors especially the guy who shows up mid movie. His indifferent behavior and rudeness kind of reminded me of a manga character. In a good way.

5. I thought the way the spirit was portrayed was both bizarre and strange and seemed realistic to me. If you actually met an evil spirit I mean really met one it could look like that. You don't know.

6. I disliked the strange faces in the beginning they looked like stock image.

7. I disliked that they never really explain Ed why the girls were taking on such a strange job. Maybe i missed it. Or maybe they were just broke needed the money and didn't ask.

8. It left a number of unanswered questions at the end. I wasn't sure if that was a deliberate cliff hanger and there is to be a sequel or not but I wanted a more solid end. But based on my theories about the male character it could make sense.

All in all I think you should watch it if you like found footage style films, don't need blood in your horror, and aren't annoyed with not full closure endings. I can't compare it to Noroi because that is a different movie on a different level. I also think his films get lower reviews because everyone compares it to Noroi and you shouldn't do that I mean that's like comparing two different kids.

It feels like that this movie tried so hard to be on par with the excellent 'Noroi'. Koji Shiraishi, wanted to exploit Cthulian horror again, but he really ended up with a 'wannabe-Noroi'.

Adding a K-pop protagonist, and reducing the horror to worms, which this time are visible, not ectoplasmic, and tangible, extinguishes the scariness of this movie, unlike the lurking Lovecraftian entities in 'Noroi' and 'Occult', the 'bakemono' is now material.

However, despite the tangibility of the demonic entity in this movie, I like - which I hope is true - the disparity of the techniques used to show both human and demonic subjects.

I believe that this deliberate use of what-is-being-criticized-for-being-bad-special-effects, actually serves a purpose. This being that it sets a contrast in between what is real and preternatural.

This out-of-placeness of the supernatural object allows the mind to strongly reject their presence in the setting, which is why I feel, people were reacting so vehemently against the CGIs used in both 'Occult' and 'Cult'.

Nonetheless, the self-plagiarism feeling was very off-putting: the theme, the tone, the characters, the direction, the colouring and lighting effect, hell even the SCORE felt borrowed, from his previous movie.

It sucks that Koji could not exploit the 'Kami' myths/stories/legends/folklore which his country so abundantly offers.

Shiraishi's Occult movie and Noroi managed to impress me, those movies were found footage classics, but I couldn't get that energy in this movie, the movie progresses very monotonously and after a point, I got into the mood of watching Ghostbusters, I couldn't devote myself to the movie and create a solid character in the second half of the movie. Even though he tried to fix it, it wasn't enough, the dialogues were very strange and there were constantly shouting elements, even though it got into the subject, it was literally like a comedy, and even though it included mythological elements and the cult issue, I couldn't hold on to the movie.

I don't know if you can still watch it to give Shiraishi a chance, but try it anyway, I couldn't hold on to it very well.

3/10.

I have no idea what the hell I watched but stuff was entertaining as hell. 10/10 no cap. Neo carried the movie though. Also I'm just tryna get the 150 character cap so I can post this. I gotta appreciate the work put into this.

I really love good J-horror movies. It gives a claustrophobic sense, like where ever you go whatever you do you surely can't escape. The world is so big but becomes so small at the same time. I love that they don't depend so much in special effects. But this is not the case.

It is not a bad movie. It just leaves you indifferent. There are three actresses who take part in a reality – documentary exorcism. So there are cameras all around the house and you are seeing things as they really happen. I am getting really tired of the reality – "real" story type of movie!

In overall as I said the movie isn't bad. It is perhaps one of the best of its kind. You will have fun watching it, it is really entertaining!