Creepy

but oddly engrossing.

"Creepy", by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is quite a strange movie, strangely entertaining and gripping, but that loses steam as its running time advances, ending weirder than weird. Probably, twenty minutes less would have improved the product.

Takakura is an university teacher, former police detective, specialized in serial killers and the like. He decided to leave his job after a bad experience and has moved houses with his wife, Yasuko. But one of their neighbours, Nishino, seems to be a little bit... strange. At the same time, one of his former colleagues gets him interested in a cold case.

Cue a plot development that is a little bit of a head-scratcher, especially when it comes to the behavior some of the characters have. One thing is having people scared, afraid or worried, insecure. Another is stretching situations because they help the tension and the plot develop, even if they are not very realistic or make little sense. Sadly, Kurosawa falls a lot into the second part, mostly close to the end of the movie, where plot development after plot development will make the viewer go from: 'no, don't open that door!' to: 'come on!' pretty fast.

And it is a pity because the direction is good, with a moody atmosphere, which makes the viewer feel they can't breathe. The music, the light, the camera work... all helps to make it a suffocating experience. The acting is really good too, with Teruyuki Kagawa being the highlight again as Nishino. Kagawa can play shady or sleazy in his sleep, and he does a great job here.

Too bad that the movie falls for the cheap shocks instead of caring more about what is happening and giving sense to the story.

I enjoyed this and feel that some commentators have rather missed the point. There is criticism for the inclusion of the evidence of the girl during the first half and also at the behaviour of the wife. In both cases there is absolute clarity and relevance as far as I am concerned but possibly the film is overlong and the feeling that there is nothing happening grows if the story is not fully understood. Even when there is no wham bam action I am always happy to see those strange little Japanese streets and houses and listen to the polite niceties as the tension builds. Worth a watch and the creepy guy is certainly as creepy as they come, also true life events are alluded to and there are echoes of recent terrible tales as this horror unfolds.

"Creepy" sneaks up on you.

For anyone who likes Japanese horror films or psychological thrillers like 'The Gift', see "Creepy." For those who like films of all kinds, "Creepy" is worth a watch.

The lead antagonist in the film is spectacular. He is definitely "Creepy." And while the title seems a bit obvious, remember, it's from the Japanese, meaning...creepy, I think. Not only are the film, subject, and characters creepy, the tension, darkness and terror creeps up and into you as you watch the film. Creepy is terrifying in a way that obvious gorefests, like 'Saw', could never be.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, no relation to the film master Akira Kurosawa, does an excellent, if not perfect, job keeping the audience entranced in the mystery of Creepy.

Teruyuki Kagawa is amazing playing the complex Nishino, the next-store neighbor of a former police detective Takakira, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. Along with his wife, Yasuko played by Yûko Takeuchi, they partake in a back and forth of ego, secrets, veiled threats and mystery that keeps the film moving. These actors, especially the neighbor, make this less than perfect film work.

What doesn't work in this film is that the characters far to often behave in obviously stupid ways and don't react in a timely manner to a threatening situation. I don't know how the police are trained, but when I get an open shot at a criminal that is threatening the lives of others, I take it. To sum: while the director is excellent at portraying the psychological tensions between characters and chooses shots and angles to enhance these tensions, the action scenes are awkward.

Rating: Pay Full Price.

Despite the faults in the film, the overall affect leaves one feeling and thinking something more than they did before seeing the film. That is what film at its best does.

Peace, Tex Shelters

Police Detective Takakura (Hidetoshi Nishijima) retires from the force after a disturbing incident results in innocent deaths, and nearly costs him his life. Now, he's a college professor living a quiet existence with his wife, Yasuko (Yuko Takeuchi). Takakura is teaching criminology, specializing in serial murderers, and it's not long before he stumbles upon an unsolved case that piques his interest.

Meanwhile, Yasuko meets their new, reclusive neighbor, Mr. Nishino (Teruyuki Kagawa), who is very strange indeed. As time goes by, Takakura is drawn deeper into the case, and Mr. Nishino reveals more of his unsettling oddness, culminating in a bizarre series of incomprehensibly horrific events.

CREEPY is a slow-building film for lovers of mysteries, crime dramas / police procedurals, suspense thrillers, as well as horror. True to its title, there is a definite atmosphere of unknown dread that increases as it plays out, along with several shocking revelations.

Something different in a genre full of by-the-numbers sameness...

The cinematography is stellar and the music effective. Hidetoshi Nishijima hits the mark, he is to be forgiven. Unfortunately, the movie fails to deliver on the pledge it makes during its slow- burning yet mystically gripping first half.

Instead, it takes an erroneous right turn in Albuquerque and puts out nothing more your bog- standard horrorblah of cheapthrilly, jumpscary plothole extravaganza we've come to expect from the likes of all the Paranormal Activities out there.

Worth a watch? If there's nothing else on, go for it. Until then, reserve your nail-biting for something a little more composed and well-nourished; the atmospheric horror-noir 'Cure' by the very same Kiyoshi Kurosawa comes to mind.