Toire no Hanako-san

Toire no Hanako san is a very scary and effective adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name. Unfortunately, unless the viewer can understand Japanese, it may be a bit difficult to follow as a subtitled version does not apparently exist. Although many horror/suspense cliches are trotted out: the ouija board (although the Japanese version, kokkuri), whispered voices, an animated doll, and a group of kids that look like they stepped right out of a Japanese version of 90210 and always go into that darkened room when they shouldn't, the movie worked for me. I thought it was an original touch how the opening narration explaining the events was played over candid shots of the young students with black strips superimposed over their eyes so as to "protect" their identities from being linked to the events that transpire. The quick glimpses of "Hanako san" (we never really see the wholly reanimated version)build tension throughout the film a la the original Alien, and the climactic scenes in the crematorium were very unsettling. It's possible this film might one day come to the attention of someone in the US film industry and be re-tooled and adapted for a US audience. However, I hope this does not happen, as so much of the cultural context and plotlines are closely linked to elements of the Japanese educational system. I think the film would best be served in a subtitled release, and I believe it would find an audience. I enjoyed this film as did my 11 year old daughter and my wife, but would not recommend for younger than 12 years old or so.

Toire No Hanakosan is actually from 1998; the original 1995 version also starred Maeda Ai, although she played a boy in that version. The first version was intended more for an elementary school age audience and, although its premise and plot was more plausible than the 1998 version, it had an ending that was a major disappointment. The 1998 version is superior to the 1995 movie. Even though the premise of the 1998 version is a little less plausible, the pace and performances help to make it an exceptionally good film. Hopefully the 1998 version will be released someday with English subtitles so the U.S. audiences can enjoy this clever thriller.