Noroi (2005) User Reviews (102)

As far as faux documentary horror goes, this one's at the head of the pack.

[capkronos · 8/10 · 18 October 2008]

NOROI follows a documentary filmmaker, Masafumi Kobayashi, as he slowly uncovers something mysterious and evil that's leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake. After interviewing a woman who claims to hear loud baby's cries coming from the house next door (where there is no baby), Kobayashi heads over to talk to the neighbor. He's greeted with hostility by the unhinged, disheveled woman (Maria Takagi) who answers the door (and promptly slams it in his face) and gets a peek at her 6-year-old son through a window. Strangely, both the woman and her son disappear just days after his visit (leaving behind a pile of dead pigeons on their back porch), and the woman who first complained about the noises, as well as her daughter, are both killed in a mysterious accident not long after that. This piques Kobayashi's interest and he sets out on a quest to find out what's going on. He soon uncovers that those with psychic abilities and extra-sensory perception seem to be tuning into something sinister, unexplainable and possibly even apocalyptic. Well-known 10-year-old clairvoyant, and TV celebrity, Kana (Rio Kanno) seems to think we may all be doomed, but she mysteriously disappears before she can be of much help. Another female psychic/actress (Marika Matsumoto) becomes involved, as does Mr. Nori, a mentally unstable kook/psychic who wears a hat and jacket made of aluminum foil and thinks people are being eaten by what he refers to "ectoplasmic worms." Clues eventually lead back to the site of a small village that's now covered by a lake, and the legend of an ancient demon known as Kagutaba...

Unlike many other hand-held horror flicks, this one depends just as much on the plot as it does reactionary first-person scares. Thankfully there's something of a storyline here, a very interesting and intricate one at that, so it doesn't rely on glimpses of horrific things through spastic camera-work every once in awhile to keep your interest. The way Masafumi travels around following leads in search of the truth - with well placed jolts along the way - reminded me somewhat of THE OMEN in its pacing. The film also doesn't entirely consist of footage shot by the documentarian, but weaves in news reports and television variety shows as if what we're watching is an already completed documentary. That helps to break up some of the monotony usually associated with films shot in this particular style. The performances are good enough not to harm any of the realism of the 'actual' footage either. Overall, it's a well-made horror film, with lots of plot shifts, some suspense and quite a few genuinely creepy moments, that's well worth checking out. My only real gripe is that it could have used a little trimming here and there and seems to go on a bit too long. Otherwise, pretty good stuff.

Very good

[pmdawn · 8/10 · 15 April 2008]

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.

an amazingly creepy film

[mapb · 8/10 · 24 July 2010]

Suffice to say I have never seen a film quite like "Noroi". It is perhaps THE creepiest film I have ever watched. Note that I say "creepy", not "scary". There is nothing that will make you jump in this movie, but there is a level of terror and suspense you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Think "The Blair Witch Project", only stretched out through a longer runtime and a (much) more complex story.

Much like "The Blair Witch Project", the movie is filmed mostly on camcorders and tries (though not nearly as relentlessly as "The Blair Witch Project") to pass itself off as a true story. Purporting to be last documentary of paranormal investigator Masafumi Kobayashi, the movie's real genius is in its construction. It begins with several, seemingly unrelated plot threads, each one kicked off by some mysterious, creepy event. Kobayashi records a bizarre EVP while investigating a reclusive woman's house, a young girl displays psychic powers on a television program, an actress goes into convulsions while investigating a haunted temple. The tension in the movie is maintained beautifully, rising at a steady pace throughout the entire film as bizarre, seemingly supernatural events begin happening to and around the characters. The real horror in the film comes from seeing how these events are all related, a realization the viewers will reach long before the characters, though the plot threads do eventually converge.

A sense of rising horror pervades this entire movie, and by the time the climax rolls around the tension has built to such a screeching pitch it's almost unbearable. Combined with the fact that the last twenty minutes or so contain some of the most unsettling scenes I have ever seen, and you've got a cinematic punch that will stay with you for days. A couple points come off for one character's delirious overacting (although he does play something of a nutcase), but otherwise this movie's got it all. The only question is...are you ready for it?

Intensely unsettling

[Cujo108 · 24 July 2010]

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.

Found footage done right, Japanese style

[andrew73249 · 7/10 · 2 April 2016]

Released at the tail end of the J-Horror boom, Noroi is not quite a masterpiece like Ringu (1998), Kairo (2001), and Ju-On (2002). Nonetheless, it is a rare example, and almost certainly the best example, of a found footage movie from the heyday of Japanese horror in the late 90's through mid 00's.

Noroi is a remarkably intricate mockumentary about a journalist's investigation of a series of strange occurrences linked to a folk demon called Kagutaba. In fact, it may be a little too intricate for its own good, and the stream of eccentric characters and disparate video clips threatens to overwhelm us viewers. But critically, Noroi manages to carefully build the creepiness factor and unleash some truly hair-raising scares when the time is right. These scares are mostly of the "supernatural events that are only visible when reviewing video camera footage" variety, and although that is one of the more ridiculous clichés in modern horror, it is extremely effective in the right hands, as it is in Lake Mungo (2008) and here in Noroi.

My only real criticism is that about 50% of the plot is explained in a few perfunctory sentences of narration right at the end, inserted as if the filmmakers had finished the movie and then realized that almost nothing was satisfactorily resolved or explained. I don't necessarily mind baffling movies (Kairo for example is almost completely incomprehensible if you haven't seen the inferior American remake), but as Noroi is based entirely on the investigation of a mystery, I feel like it kind of dropped the ball a little bit right at the end, even with the shoehorned narration.

Found footage seems to be a particularly personal thing when it comes to being terrified; millions (including me) consider The Blair Witch Project (1999) the most frightening movie of all time, while millions of other people think Blair Witch is some kind of joke, and Paranormal Activity (2007) is where the real scares are. Whether Noroi will scare the crap out of you or not is hard to predict, but there is little doubt that this is good stuff. Worth any horror fan's time.

The bugs are the features

[youngcollind · 7/10 · 29 August 2022]

For better or worse, found footage is the punk rock of film genres. Purposely rejecting the lavish possibilities of polished professionalism in favour of a gritty, distorted mess that celebrates it's own flaws. Noroi: The Curse dives head first into the style, delivering all sorts of shaky, grainy scenes. It's not enough for them to include sequences from imaginary public access shows, but they go out of their way to degrade the video quality until it looks like a 5th generation VHS copy of a copy, and several chilling moments stem from purposeful digital glitches. The technical errors are the art form itself.

In many ways, this works well, as the film manages to skirt past many horror tropes while still finding effective ways to make your skin crawl. It keeps a lot of tragic implications off screen, keeping to a "tell don't show" ethos and never resorting to cheap jump scares. It's impact rides on well established realism and a lot of subtly creepy imagery.

Where the whole format becomes difficult to swallow is in how many traditional film elements have been left behind. Things that can elevate a cinematic experience like cinematography or music cues are largely discarded to serve the mockumentary form. I understand why this was necessary, but I can ultimately only take so many of these things before I start to miss having a nice score pulling on my heartstrings.

One of the best horror movies I've seen yet...

[iamstyx · 10/10 · 20 February 2008]

Never posted anything here before, but after watching Noroi I just felt that I had to write down my thoughts about it.

Firstly do not compare this to Blair Witch, this movie deserves far better than that! Simply put, Noroi is (probably) one of the best horror movies I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot!).

I really liked how the movie presents itself not as a standard horror flick, but as a documentary filmed by a reporter (i think?) named Kobayashi and his cameraman. Without spoiling to much about the plot, I can say it that it starts with Kobayashi doing research on a series of seemingly unrelated events, that turns out to be connected to something far more darker and sinister.

While the story might not be that original in itself, what really hooked me with Noroi was the incredibly eerie atmosphere. If you're looking for cheap scares and seat-jumping scenes this movie might not be for you. This movie is all about the mood it presents, with haunting images and a general feeling of foreboding suspense. The documentary style filming just makes it farm more believable.

This is also helped a lot by the acting which is superb, although not perfect for the general part of the movie! Far better than in most other movies in this type of genre.

Well enough ranting from me, I highly recommend Noroi to everyone, it is suspenseful, creepy, well acted and the first movie that has scared me in ages.

It was OK

[Delrvich · 6/10 · 14 February 2019]

Due to reviews, I had very high hopes but was disappointed. I can appreciate how a low budget and atmosphere can still create great horror (eg Carnival of Souls, Seconds, original Twilight Zone, etc...) but there was, IMO, too much over-acting (eg screaming, moaning, trying to film footage at the most inopportune times). Occult (2009) by the same director was better done with same low budget, cheesy F/X, but with better acting.

will either scare you silly or bore you to death

[parallel_horizons · 9/10 · 26 February 2011]

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.

'Rec' meets 'Ju-On'

[tapio_hietamaki · 7/10 · 2 February 2017]

This horror movie is presented as a documentary and is largely shot by a hand-held camera, like Rec or other found-footage horror movies that are popular these days (Paranormal Activity, The Woods, The Borderlands, etc.) This one is Japanese, which brings its own flair. Japanese horror movies are often subtle and insidious, and this one more than most. 'Noroi' has only a few traditionally scary parts, but the whole movie is carried by an atmosphere of mystery and impending danger. It tells the story of a journalist gathering tapes that touch on a supernatural phenomenon and a string of disappearances. We see the characters only when the camera is turned to them, but we get to know them through the methodical compilation of material, their voice and their obsession with the case.

'Noroi' has a lot going on: telepathic powers, possessing demons, abusive parenting, shadows of the past, teens experimenting with the occult, Japanese game shows... To navigate through the puzzle you have to pay close attention to the movie, and it helps if you have some passing familiarity with Japanese culture and customs.

I would describe the movie as 'really creepy'. It doesn't have the nightmarish imagery of scarier Japanese horror movies, but it does have a persevering sense of dread surrounding it. Some of the things that come up in the investigation are rather campy but even the campiness is somehow dreadful in this movie.

I would recommend the movie to fans of foreign horror but not to the average layperson.

Not Worth a Minute of Your Time

[david6995 · 1/10 · 13 September 2015]

This is the first time that I was suckered into watching a film by reading positive film reviews that are not shills. I have no idea how this happened. I'm pretty confident that those reviews calling this movie the "scariest/creepiest" ever watched are genuine, but did we see the same film?

This was probably the most boring, uneventful, and excruciatingly dull film that I've seen in a really long time. There literally was zero suspense, and was about as creepy as an empty shoe box. I wonder if the people who wrote a review saying that this is the scariest film they've ever seen get scared opening their own refrigerator? I literally lost interest after 20 minutes, and was continually watching the clock waiting for it to end.

Even today, one day later, I couldn't even tell you what the plot was about (I think I tried to push it all out of my head). Something to do with a demon and a psychic...? During the two hour run time, there was literally only a 2 second shot of some ghost-like figure. That's it. The rest comprised of dead dogs and pigeons, and a few overacting histrionic Japanese folks.

Save you time: avoid this one like the plague (unless you find dead animals spooky and interesting).

The Scariest Film I've Ever Seen, and I've Seen A Lot

[ebossert · 10/10 · 13 January 2008]

Note: Check me out as the "Asian Movie Enthusiast" on YouTube, where I review tons of Asian movies.

Anyone familiar with horror films knows that most of them are not scary at all. Some people enjoy gorefests with subpar story lines and character development. I personally enjoy horror films that focus on atmosphere and interesting concepts (e.g., A Tale of Two Sisters, Kairo, etc.). Whatever the type of horror film one personally likes, there are only a select few that really scare you. Noroi is one of them.

This is a documentary-style movie, which means that the entire film is a compilation of video clips that are linked by the legend of a demonic entity named Kagutaba. The premise is that a journalist filmed his own footage by interviewing people associated with the demonic rituals associated with Kagutaba, then compiled footage from other sources that link with his research. What results is a relentlessly chilling experience that feels very real and very disturbing, despite the fact that the story itself is fake.

Some have compared Noroi with The Blair Witch Project, but the only similarity is the documentary style. One obvious difference between the films is that Noroi scares the viewer by linking events to one another using different sources. For example, the journalist records the exterior of a house that he is researching and sees something strange on the porch. Later in the film, a clip from another character's home video introduces that very same strange occurrence. The viewer's memory links the two incidents and chills start running down their spine. Another example involves a television show with a child psychic who answers every single question correctly except for one. In fact, her answer is so wrong that the viewer may wonder what the filmmakers were thinking. Later on, however, that wrong answer turns out to be linked to an extremely disturbing event. This is intelligent film-making indeed.

Another difference between Noroi and Blair Witch is that Noroi provides not one, but two very long finales, the second of which is placed a minute after the credits start to roll and is the single greatest scare scene in the history of horror cinema. I do not say such things lightly. It totally wrecked me in a wonderous way.

Other aspects of film-making are well done. The legend and ritualistic background of Kagutaba are very interesting and most of the actors did a good job. The only over-the-top performance comes from a guy who's supposed to be crazy anyway, so that's expected. The cinematography is intentionally gritty because all of the footage is supposed to represent videos shot on camcorders. Japanese films are not known for their special effects, but the effects used here were awesome. In some cases they create an other-worldly feel (e.g., the static interference or the first finale) but in other cases they are alarmingly realistic (e.g., the second finale).

When all is said and done, Noroi goes down as the scariest film I've ever seen. I would go so far as to say that there is no film in existence that provides such sheer terror from beginning to end like Noroi does. See it now.

Read this review first.

[canonayres · 6/10 · 26 May 2020]

I'll start by saying that I am an avid movie lover ... especially well made horror/thriller movies. I am continually on the look out for something fresh and original. I will say I pretty much despise most of the modern "horror" movies coming out nowadays. Cheap jump scares, bad script, unneeded gore and sex, the list goes on. Therefore I am on the search for original storylines and plots that genuinely terrify me and keep me interested.

As a HUGE fan of recent foreign films such as "Tigers are not afraid", "Train to Busan", "The Wailing", one of my favorite takes on zombies, "the Kingdom", and "I saw the devil", there's a good selection out there that are genuinely scary and succeeding in production quality. However I was really disappointed in this movie. While I agree that it was overall well made, I found myself waiting to be scared in the slightest ... i was reading some reviews saying it was the scariest movie they've seen yet?! Come on ... let's be real here. I seriously love being scared and am obsessed with scary movies but this one doesn't do it in the slightest. There was 10 minutes left in the film and I was eagerly waiting for a big, frightful ending ... nothing. I gave it a 6/10 because of the overall acting / storyline but it defiantly fails in the scare department. The search continues!!

Lame and not immersive

[oksanasinner · 3/10 · 16 November 2019]

The biggest problem with Noroi is that it doesn't look like a real documentary / found footage at all. The music ruins the immersion and in some places you can see that there were multiple takes. Immersion is the whole point of the subgenre and the lack of it made not scary and annoying. The Hori character is interesting to redeem the movie somewhat. Noroi had good buildup, a sense of mystery but the ending was cliche.

Seems like you either love this movie or you hate it.

[s0hc4ht04 · 8 May 2009]

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.

Unique, but flawed

[heckbrain · 6/10 · 11 May 2016]

One of my main critisisms with J-horror is that it tends to sacrifice a coherent story for the highly an unsettling atmosphere that the genre is known for. It can be nerve-wrecking when you're watching it, but downright confusing when trying to piece together an explanation of the events that took place. With that in mind, I have to give "Noroi: The Curse" credit where credit is due: while the backstory may be a convoluted mess of sacrifices and rituals, the way film is directed in a way that never tries to lose the audience. The documentary style of the film (something I haven't seen too much from J-horror) is fairly linear in its presentation and does a fair job at explaining the film's unraveling and increasingly complicated plot. There are many characters involved in the film's narrative, and if the audience was left trying to formulate the backstory and figure out what happened after all was said and done, it would have been a very frustrating experience. Fortunately the film ends with a particularly chilling scene that ties everything together. The strong ending, along with great use of sound throughout the film and a tactful decision to stay away from jump-scares, saves "Noroi" from being just another alienating horror flick from overseas. That being said, however, the film does have quite a few noticeable flaws. I found the pacing to be awfully slow, which can be detrimental for a 2-hour movie such as this one. It seemed the camera held on characters for dramatic effect far too often, and there was a lot of buildup to scenes that just weren't that chilling in payoff, either due to poor special effects or predictable outcomes. Furthermore, since everything was explained at the end, the ongoing mystery dragged on throughout the entire film and it became easy to get bored or lost when there were too many questions being asked with not enough answers being provided. In conclusion, while "Noroi: The Curse" can be slow in nature, it also consists of scenes that are truly scary, a ghost story that actually makes sense, and moments where the special effects complement the horrifying tone perfectly. If you're willing to stick around through the mostly uninteresting characters and moments of poor special effects, you'll find a particularly strong ending and cleverly executed scares in a found-footage J-Horror that I'd recommend over the majority of the Paranormal Activity films any day.

Particularly decent as a found-footage movie

[asian-cineblog · 6/10 · 28 October 2013]

Noroi relies on tension building, being expected to be particularly intriguing with a satisfying twist at the end. The movie was particularly hyped as one of the scariest films to be watched. Limited CGI effects and visually disturbing moments were used which allowed the fear to be mainly psychological, leaving imagination to create itself an atmosphere of terror. Dead pigeons acting as a death omen, ritualistic symbols, disturbing videotaped sleepwalking scenes, massive suicides, resurrecting demons, characters simply loosing any shred of sanity they once had, exorcisms and even ghost fetus are all great elements that were effectively used. The camera-work was particularly satisfying inevitably reminding a few The Blair-witch Project scenes, especially towards the ending during a few moments shot at night deep in a forest. Therefore, while Noroi won't scare the viewer per se, an unsettling feeling of insecurity throughout the film will most likely be well appreciated. A large number of loose ends are left for interpretation, which is however usually characteristic of found-footage movies as it allows an atmosphere of desperation to be prolonged as the film becomes to an end.

The construction of Noroi as a found-footage documentary is particularly satisfying. No credits were added at the end for example, the shooting and image quality are distinct during the different scenes and the use of different documentaries and news footage allowed making the story more grounded in reality. A few scenes were however by some means irrelevant. The pacing was slightly off during the first half of the movie, although the editing, the back and forth of a few disturbing moments and a few frozen-frames helped keeping the tension of the movie. Overall, the acting is satisfying as well. Regrettably, a few characters are particularly exaggerated borderlining a feeling of exasperation. Nonetheless, the overall character construction and development allows the viewer to create a connection with the demon itself, as each character appears to develop different ways to connect with the unknown entity, either by being able to hearing it, feeling it or even potentially seeing it.

All in all, the creepiness factor and the editing are all major points that are easily subjective. Furthermore, found-footage movies always seem to exhibit a thin line between credibility and fakeness. The plot, the argument and ultimately each scene shall imperatively be studied in order to allow the reliability of the film to be kept. Unfortunately, the shaking camera is sometimes extremely exaggerated and scenes in which the person holding the camera struggles to keep holding it are somehow extremely implausible or even inconceivable.

Even if considering it one of the scariest horror movies ever may however seem to be slightly overrated, bottom line Noroi succeeds as the movie it attempts to be, with a sense of increasing suspense and rising horror competently culminating in the final scene.

Asian-cineblog.blogspot.com

*SPOILERS* A very original entry into the world of J-Horror

[Gambit1138 · 10/10 · 8 January 2007]

This review contains some small, yet significant, spoilers.

---

I just finished watching my copy of Noroi...

...and it was GREAT! This might sound cheesy, but several times during the film I forgot it wasn't real XD The acting is convincing, although the acting from Masafumi Kobayashi (playing himself, I think...) seems a bit hokey at times. Marika Matsumoto (Yuka in Takashi Shimizu's Rinne) seemed to change levels of believability throughout the movie: sometimes she's REALLY good, then the next moment she's really cheesy (especially at the end's exorcism and subsequent re-possession.

A character that was ridiculous at first was Mr. Hori, a man covered in tinfoil believing "ectoplasmic worms" are coming to eat everyone. He provides unintentional comic relief at the beginning (acting like the stereotypical alien abduction-type victim) but near the end has some really creepy scenes.

The plot was very interesting and really kept me wondering how everything tied together. There are some things that aren't really explained (like a mass suicide in a Tokyo park and where the reincarnated Kagutaba-boy came from) but everything else turned out fine. The ending has GOT to be one of the most unnerving, if not the scariest, sequences I've ever had the pleasure to witness.

All in all, Noroi is a very fun way to spend 2 hours and the new Hong Kong R3 DVD provides great picture and sound (most importantly the English SUBTITLES- Engrish free!) for a great J-Horror experience. I highly recommend picking it up.

Complex and Interesting Mockumentary

[timothygartin · 7/10 · 7 May 2020]

This Japanese horror mockumentary was a lot of fun to watch. It has a very complex story with a lot of pieces that come together at the end. The acting seems real and the story, once we get to the end, mostly makes sense.

I feel like the story is told well, but it isn't a very scary story. The monster is menacing, but not terrifying. The end is tragic, but not shocking.

This follows the general issue with this genre that the more realistic the less scary the movie will be. I know I enjoyed this movie a lot, because I had to think a lot about the story after it was done and it was fun to do so. Most loose ends were tied up. Most things that happen early on are resolved at the end.

I recommend this movie.

A very unsettling, small film

[moviewizguy · 8/10 · 20 September 2009]

A documentary filmmaker explores seemingly unrelated paranormal incidents connected by the legend of an ancient demon called the "kagutaba."

From the looks of it, the film looks like one of those camcorder movies that have been popular these last few months, even one that's going to be released next week (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY)! However, unlike movies like CLOVERFIELD, REC, and BLAIR WITCH, where most of those movies are in complete chaos and mayhem with all of the shakiness, this one is basically shown in a traditional documentary style. It has TV excerpts and interviews and the scares are very subtle, well, excluding the last 20 minutes where we go into the chaos effect and where the fear factor is raised up tremendously.

And it works. The film is very engrossing and it makes you think. Yes, you heard me right: It makes you think. You have to pay attention to those unrelated details given throughout the film and the payoff is great when, in course of the film, these things start to intertwine one another. The film is also very slow moving, which, in this case, is a good thing. We, as the audience, get to absorb the details shown on screen, however subtle or blatant they are.

Above all, it's a frightening little film. I'm a person who is scared of ghosts and the paranormal more than killers who slashes away teenage victims so yes, the film gave me some nightmares. There are some images in here that are really disturbing to watch, including one closer in the end where it makes you go "What am I looking at?!" Well, it's better left unanswered. There are around ten reoccurring characters in here, all of which gave authentic performances in their roles.

The only thing I don't like about the film is the ending because most questions are left unanswered. The question "That's it?" went though my mind. It left a bad taste in my mouth. However, the rest of the film is just engrossing and really frightening. Don't see this alone in the dark because you'll regret that choice. Also, I can see in a couple of years that Hollywood would remake this film. That will be interesting.

Kagubata will torment

[nome-nessuno · 7/10 · 4 June 2016]

Noroi is not a film whatever and, above all , is not a horror any . Shot with the expedient of fake documentary and rediscovered videotape , is not to be considered as one of many that the landscape of cinema recently launched . Nor not resort to any tricks , no easy fright, no shortcut to frighten . There just tells images , words , sequences that can only give some concern to the viewer . The script moves in time and space to create an amazing canvas of characters , places , events , that slowly more and more are beginning to intersect with each other . Many elements begin to return , the mask ( rethink the design of the experiment girl) , the braided ropes , everything. Until you get to the final , almost a final triple that in the definitive masterpiece of the film . Kagubata will torment ...

I was expecting a lot based on the reviews

[duque-sharona · 3/10 · 6 May 2020]

This movie was extremely disappointing. I've just finished it and im still waiting for something to happen. Too much loose information, and almost none suspenseful or scary times... I though the reviews were somehow useful but this time, they are far from what I saw. Not recommended.

And people call The Blair Watch Project 'scary'!

[asda-man · 9/10 · 12 October 2012]

Nothing usually scares me when coming to watch horror films. I do absolutely love the horror genre but when it comes to being scared nothing much does it for me apart from "The Ordeal", "REC" and "The Grudge" (although that doesn't scare me so much now.) "Noroi: The Curse" absolutely terrified me! I wanted to be scared (regret that now) and so after hunting for it on DVD which I could not find, I found the whole film on Youtube and turned off all the lights and watched it on my own to see if it would scare me. It did! People are not lying when they call this the scariest film ever made because it's hideously frightening and such a breath of fresh air amongst the dull American ghost-type remakes.

Some people complain that the film is too long at two hours. I disagree, it flew by for me. Noroi: The Curse is compelling viewing that never got dull. It's incredibly tense and feels very authentic thanks to the terrific acting and camera-work. The film isn't your typical found footage, it's more of a mockumentary, so there's a string of videos, mainly documenting this adorable cute Japanese man's investigation into a weird curse. It never gets boring because it never dwells in one place for too long, there's always another clip that's going to completely grab you by the neck and send chills all over your body. This is also ensured by cleverly including seemingly unrelated clips from other TV shows to engage your attention and help you to work out the puzzle.

Noroi: The Curse is very intelligently written. It creates an original and impressively detailed mystery that not only engages you, but also manages to creep you out, deeply. There are some images which are going to haunt me forever, and some of the clips were also incredibly intense towards the end. I was even thinking "No please don't go in there!" Because I knew it was going to be something really chilling which I didn't want to see. When usually I'm waiting for something terrifying to happen.

The editing is also very effective. I hated the way (in a good way) they paused the clip on a scary image and zoomed into it with that horrible music! It's the stuff that nightmares are made of. It really gets under your skin and has you grabbing for the light switch, which is really out of character for me. There are also an array of memorable characters who are exceptionally good actors. The super psychic was a bit over the top, but he still created a memorable character who I also felt sympathy for. I was almost disappointed when it was over because I wanted to see more! It's a shame that Noroi: The Curse isn't available on DVD anywhere I know because it really is an incredible horror film. It feels so authentic that you even forget that your watching a film (I'd recommend tricking a gullible friend). It's chilling and memorable, although lacks re-play value as you'll know all of the surprises and such. Having said that I really do want to see it again! It's so much more scarier than "The Blair Witch Project" that was more infuriating than scary! This is up there with "REC" and is a truly memorable and spine-tingling film. I've never felt chills like it!

Eerie

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 7 October 2014]

Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki) is a journalist who specializes in paranormal activities and tries to capture all of his investigations on videotape. One particular case involves several different people with psychic abilities which seem to be connected. Unfortunately, the main factor that seems to connect them is that all of those involved in this particular case end up either dead or missing. Now, although the "found footage" style used for this movie is hardly unique, what sets it apart from films like "The Blair Witch Project" was the use of English subtitles which tended to compensate for the problem of muffled sounds caused by rapid movement that often make films of this type difficult to understand. Additionally, the Japanese setting also lent its own special type of atmosphere. Likewise, while the actors weren't that impressive their performances were adequate enough for the director (Kôji Shiraishi) to create a final product which had an eerie enough feel to it to be at least moderately frightening. Accordingly, I rate this movie as slightly above average.

Competent but not scary

[oecobius · 4/10 · 13 August 2013]

"Noroi" is a suspenseful film that's meant to be more chilling than scary, and it has a very compelling string of concepts that drive the story. The filmmaking is quite well-executed, particularly in its portrayals of news events and in its occasional ominous, dilapidated sets.

This film, however, is NOT the "scariest film from Japan" and it will NOT give you nightmares unless you scare extremely easily. The plot is NOT complex and instead relates a few completely random bad events that result from the titular curse (caused by a very generic demon). That said, you may still enjoy the atmosphere for its slow buildup of various foreboding events and images.

The film portrays a documentary crew examining a series of mysterious, compelling events, and these are rather interesting in and of themselves--but the film ultimately connects only a few of them, and in a rather predictable way. For instance, the film never gives any interesting meaning to the pigeons or knots that always appear before disasters, and characters like the reclusive Mr. Osawa serve no purpose in the end. In addition, the film diminishes its scariest scenes by replaying them, sometimes multiple times and often in campy slow-motion. There is a general lack of subtlety to all the scares, as they are spelled out and presented in-your-face to eliminate all the possible thrill or excitement.

Many people praise the final scene for being unsettling, but I found it very predictable; if you've been using your brain during the film, there isn't anything else you'd expect. The biggest flaw however is that, even by the very end of the film, we have no reason to care about any of the characters. The documentary-filmmaker protagonist is a bland "blank slate" guy with no sympathetic or even interesting traits. There is slightly more personality to the actress Marika, but she is also very passive and only serves to be a victim.

This film has a few novel gimmicks that can entertain you, but its "story" is little more than a framing device for said gimmicks. As I said, though, the filmmaking is well done, so you can probably enjoy sitting through it unless you hate "found footage" flicks. If you're looking for a profound horror story that will make you think, though, this is far from it.