It’s hard to believe that in the 25 years since the release of Ringu, there hasn’t been a documentary that has charted the boom of J-horror.
Directors Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp attempt to uncover what made this wave of new horror from Japanese shores so popular that pretty all the hits ended up with western remakes.
They explore themes such as pregnancy, isolation and water and some of the mythology that some of the stories are either lifted from or inspired by.
It is fascinating to hear from the director of Ring 0, Tetsuo: Iron Man and how films such as Ringu, The Grudge, Dark Water and Cure reinvigorated Japanese cinema.
Appleton and Sharp look at the differences between Western and Asian cinema, plus how the birth of the internet really transformed film and how these stories are communicated.
Any even vague fans of J-horror will lap this up.
The J-Horror Virus screens as part of Frightfest 2023.
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