Ju-on: Shiroi rôjo

This film is about a series of interconnected events, that tie a number of people- and the tragedies that surround them- together.

As we follow a curse, as it passes from one person to another, leaving death and destruction in it's wake.

It's a bit hard to follow, at first...due to the fact that it jumps back and forth from person to person, on various different timelines.

But it all comes around in the end.

And, man...is it ever twisted.

It all begins when things go awry for a young man, who is sent to deliver a Christmas cake to a house, that seems empty at first...but turns out to be very, very haunted.

As a number of brutal killings had very recently taken place there.

Leaving him to walk in on the aftermath of a massacre.

And, thus, inherit "the curse".

That is, however, only the beginning of how the plague of this curse will spread across the town.

Because it is also transferred to a taxi driver...who gives the killer a ride to the place where he will commit suicide, after the fact.

He goes missing shortly after dropping his young daughter off at school.

Though...not before she puts her hand in some ectoplasm like goo, left behind by a bag carrying the decapitated head of the niece of the demonically stricken killer- a girl he had been molesting, prior to his murderous outburst- who happens to be her best friend.

Fast forward to her teenage years...when some of her friends ask her to participate in a ouija-like game...because she has "special abilities" (that allow her to see and hear the dead).

It is through this "game", that she taps into the supernatural realm, which enables her to connect with the ghost of her deceased friend...who shows her how the curse was, inevitably, passed down to her father.

Thus providing us, as viewers, with the backstory we need to put the previous pieces of the puzzle together.

While watching how the curse has affected the others who have also come in contact with it.

And the aftermath that ensues, from thereon out.

It's all rather creepy, and convoluted.

Both of which play into the air of mystery the film exudes.

This could make things confusing for less attentive viewers.

But it does make sense, in the end, if you are able to reflect upon it.

You've got to commend writer/director Ryûta Miyake for constructing a rather complex storyline and plot structure...that works so well...in a film that is, quite literally, only an hour long.

It doesn't give you a whole lot of time to mess about.

And he makes every second count.

Tying up a majority of the loose ends.

While strategically leaving one part of the storyline open-ended, so as to leave room for a continuation of the series.

I'm, personally, not super knowledgeable about the whole Ju-On universe...however...I imagine the house- in which the curse originates here- ties back to one of the other Ju-On prequels or sequels.

This wouldn't surprise me at all.

And would make it an even more impressing endeavour than it already is.

I am aware that it ties in with it's counterpart Ju-On: Black Ghost...which, I'm hoping, will provide context for the only thing I didn't understand in this film...that being the shot of the ghost boy meowing at the dog toy.

That being said, White Ghost is a very solid- and extremely creepy- sequel, that greatly exceeded the expectations I had going into it.

And, thus, is an excellent addition to the Ju-On series (which I should definitely go back and watch more of, after this).

7.5 out of 10.

JU-ON: WHITE GHOST is an hour-long follow up to the original GRUDGE films that was made back-to-back with companion film JU-ON: BLACK GHOST. These films continue the same mythos as in the first two feature-length movies, adding in new characters and allowing them to get haunted by the ghost from the original.

Let's be fair: these are straight-to-video short films so quality-wise they're not going to be on par with the first two features. But JU-ON: WHITE GHOST isn't too bad. The central female ghost is watered down and CGI-ed up since the original, so not as frightening, but is acceptable for a straight-to-video horror flick.

At an hour long you can never get bored by this, and the story plays out as a bunch of five minute vignettes that only begin to make sense towards the climax. Indeed, trying to work out the film's mixed-up chronology keeps the interest level high. The acting is of a strong standard throughout and there's a mix of scary and gory moments to keep viewers watching.

There's something about the Ju-on films that really fascinate me and gets under my skin --- from the persistently warped mythology, confounding non-linear narrative, low-key jolts and blood-curdling atmosphere. JU-ON: WHITE GHOST ticks all the boxes. No matter how beat up or imitated the formula becomes; I'll never tire of this franchise.

At only hour in length, the curse is re-awakened taking no time to install fear and despair in all of those who come in contact with it. Starting backwards, changing timelines, and characters. What starts off as a jigsaw puzzle (at the infamous residence) begins to add up with the pieces finally becoming one. Everything comes full circle along with the consequences. You know where it's heading, and once the characters are apart of it, they're literally stained. Slowly building upon its actions and drawn out for maximum impact when it lashes out with a quick-fire jump scare, and this is rather constant with the shocking images. Never does it lull, always interesting and unnerving whomever the taut narrative follows. Taking a backseat this time; Toshio only gets a cameo appearance and Kayako doesn't come into it at all. Most of the frights are taken up by an elderly white ghost and child. I thought the scenes with the white ghost were surprisingly creepy thanks to the low-maintenance makeup and how they were shot. Some violent moments too.

The mystery behind the curse is somewhat recycled using the typical tropes; a horrific past event casting a shadow over the occupants, someone under distress coming under the possession of the restless spirit to commit despicable acts, and the others unknowingly become attached, or purposely dig up disturbing info that should be left untouched. But that's just the manner of the curse --- an unstoppable loop that no one can escape, and from that a new curse can be born out of it. This is what WHITE GHOST sets up and effectively so.

I suppose it makes logical sense for the distributors here to combine both Ju-on: White Ghost and Black Ghost stories in 1 screening. After all, each is only 1 hour long, and narratively are somehow intertwined together quite loosely, with their production marking 10 years since Ju-on's cinematic premiere. Helmed by two different directors, we're given two direct-to-video productions, each with its own flavour and separate storyline dealing with the Ju-On Grudge curse, and frankly, with its limited production budget and consistent elements,

For those unfamiliar with the Ju-on mythos (like me), fret not, as the films are self- contained, so prior in-depth knowledge is not required to enjoy what's essentially one of the longer enduring J-horror franchises out there, which has been remade by Hollywood as always. For both tales, the story lines were done in non-linear fashion, which is supposed to make you work at piecing together its chronology, with an increased challenge in White Ghost being two separate timelines you have to make mental notes of.

Then there's the episodic cliffhanger that trails off each segment. On its own, the episodes within White Ghost and Black Ghost can be extremely short stories of their own, since each contains its own dedicated shock-scare moments, though White Ghost seemed to enjoy making it look so cheesy with its atmospheric jump scares, sudden appearances and the likes, and I admit it did get to me, especially with that old ugly woman with a penchant for holding onto a basketball (yes, all will be explained in due course) seem to have a fetish for charging towards her victim / screen.

Personally, between the two, I'd prefer White Ghost to Black Ghost, mainly because of the storyline which was more engaging and kept within its limits, save for a tangent in White Ghost for AV star Mihiro to appear in a needless scene that had most of her screen time being butchered for a screening here (no, my friend who has met her before, says there's nothing sexy about that segment, more of a violent treatment which was rather tame that the censors frowned upon). For Black Ghost, it went off into the hokeyness of a Japanese medium of sorts, probably to show off some snazzy looking CG-ed belly, and a tale that's less engaging.

For what it's worth, these stories did enough to pique my interest in the original Ju-on mythos, and I just might pick them up on DVD just to see how those got executed. For starters though, I have to get used to how "The Grudge" can be used as a plot device for ghouls to get created / passed on, as I felt White Ghost had it quite nailed down, and Black Ghost didn't exactly do a great job on that concept.

Normally I am very fond of Japanese horror movies, and in overall then the "Ju-On" series have been adequate; the Japanese originals of course, not the abysmal Hollywood cash-in on the success of the Japanese movies.

However, this 2009 installment in the franchise was a swing and a miss.

First of all, the production level of the entire movie feels like something I could have done myself as an audience. It just lacks proper production value to be a proper movie.

The story was fragmented and a scrambled mess of a story, that made very little coherent sense.

The acting in the movie was adequate, although the actors and actresses had nothing to work with.

"Ju-on: Shiroi rôjo" had fair special effects, but they were far from being great mind you.

There was nothing scary about the movie at all, which made it a very dull and pointless experience to sit through. Especially if you compare it to the previous installments in the franchise.

This is definitely not a Japanese horror movie that you should rush out to invest your time or money in.