Noroi: The Curse

I, for one, absolutely loved this movie. A progressive and experimental approach to horror.

It is not a "typical Asian horror" where you would see a gruesome looking ghost (usually a woman) that is going around scaring people. You barely see any ghosts for a majority of the film, but the way this movie keeps you interested in the plot and characters is genius.

This is not the movie for you if you're into gore or jumpscares, but this movie has an underlying "creepy" factor throughout the entire movie which I loved.

Don't let the documentary-style of filming turn you off (why should it?). It is on par, if not superior, to the Blair Witch Project - it really feels like you're watching something that you're not supposed to be seeing.

I can't praise this film enough. It had a lot of that hand-held, first-person shaking camera which I love (and some hate, because it makes them sick), like REC, Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project.

It is a long movie for its kind, but I didn't even notice because the film was so interesting. By just showing the footage from a paranormal reporter's work the movie keeps up the pace, making it a real-time experience for the viewer.

While I would never call this film the "scariest horror ever made", I'd have to say it's certainly one of the best I've seen. The fear factor here is constructed by details in the images, camera glitches, events linked to one another which lend a very mysterious and haunting tone to the movie. The horror is more in what is not shown, but left to our imaginations. The ending is perfect, and be warned that you might have nightmares afterwards. A second viewing is highly recommended, though.

Watch this one alone in the dark, don't expect anything and you'll have fun.

OK, so I watched this at 1am with all the lights off and my headphones on and all alone in my apartment. And I have to say, I damn near soiled myself towards the end. On many occasions I found myself holding on to the edge of my sofa. Its that scary. And believe me, I don't have that reaction while watching a horror movie very often (extremely rarely in fact).

A word of caution though. This one really requires patience. You need to immerse yourself into its world. I watched it another night with my girlfriend and she got bored and gave up about half-way. I can imagine many folks doing the same. This is that kind of a movie, it will either scare you silly or bore you to death. I fall in the former camp.

I won't spoil the story for you (as if you didn't already know bout it from browsing the IMDb boards) but there are a lot of seemingly random events happening on screen which make a lot of sense once the movie reaches its horrific conclusion(s). That last scene still gives me shudders.

So watch this with an open mind and give it a fair chance. Paranormal activity, Rec., BWP, and all the other shaky cam brethren have NOTHING on this one. Noroi has them all licked.

Kobayashi is a documentary filmmaker who is fascinated by the paranormal. Always looking for new cases to document, he and his cameraman begin investigating a series of freakish events that are seemingly unrelated. To say that he finds more than he bargained for would be an understatement.

Rather than Blair Witch, this one reminded me of The Last Broadcast due to all the different footage involved. There's a sinister atmosphere from the start, but the film manages to be quite funny at times through it's use of stupid variety show footage. If you're familiar with these shows, you know how ripe for lampooning they really are. The storyline itself is quite complex, particularly for the hand-held sub-genre. There are multiple strands and a deep mythology to interpret. It also isn't your typical Asian horror with long-haired ghosts, thank goodness. Instead, we get some legitimate scares through mood and build-up. When we see the flier that says a key character has gone missing, it's enough to give you a chill all on it's own thanks to what we've seen beforehand. There are also a few choice scenes that will stay with you. The two scenes that got the biggest reaction out of me both revolved around Marika, a likable actress who gets caught up in the occurrences through an on location TV shoot. The first involves going back to the tapes and catching something in the frame with her, the second has her losing control in Kobayashi's house as pigeons smash into the window.

The mystery at the film's core is intriguing to watch unfold. At 115 minutes, the film is never boring and it doesn't feel too long. Big compliment, as hand-held horror typically works better when it's short and to the point.

Great found footage with some exceptional standout sequences. The documentary within documentary style puts you off balance from the start and at times you are wondering from who's perspective you are watching. It is maybe slightly too long but overall one of the best found footage I've seen.