Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: A group of college kids accidentally incur the wrath of a vengeful spirit after using a fabled locker in Shibuya, Japan.
Review: Here we go again...yet another mess of a film. I can see what they were going for with a blatant Ring/Grudge wannabe plot while somewhat borrowing Hollywood cliches for the victim fodder. However, if you're going to try and play it safe, at least bring a little to the table to entice the casual viewer. Let's start with the annoying characters since they are probably the biggest detraction from the film as a whole. They are so unlikable and one-dimensional that I truly hope it was intentional so I would be glad when they died. I've seen over the top, obnoxious loud-mouth characters before in Japanese films, but something about these idiots made me want to help the ghost get on with her killing. Then, as I mentioned, there is this Hollywood fodder vibe as even the police mention how shallow the friendships of the characters seems to be; this cliche has been around for awhile where the audience wonders "how the hell are these people friends?" I know they say something like that some of them met over the internet, but nice try. We only get to know the main girl, Rieka, who is your typical good-girl of horror, and even her development feels empty since it is explored through her tutoring of a girl, named Ayano, who plays a much more significant role in the sequel. The other huge problem this film has is that the ghost is hardly seen and not scary at all! At first the ghost appears as nothing more than a sack moving slightly, which looks fake as hell, but then "grows up" into a little girl. The sack was a stupid idea and it annoyed me that it took so long for them to present us with the typical, long-haired-covering-the-face-ghost-girl routine! I know many are tired of this type of ghost, but I can appreciate it a hundred times over if done right each time which it certainly was not here. What little we do get to see of the true ghost, it is pointless because there is little effort in her makeup whereby she has yellow-orangish skin and covered in blackened veins. I guess my problem is she just looks too cute, and it is hard to take her as a serious threat. Couldn't they have done more to make her look inhuman or at least intimidating? Everything about the approach to the ghost is not scary and highly unoriginal while being borderline stupid at best. For example, the ghost seems to drag people off into locker-world only for them to reappear then die a little bit later? What the hell?! The film is already short yet still finds ways to pad the time with pointless plot elements and shots that last a good minute or so more than they should. I love the "longing stare" quite a bit (probably more than I should) but seriously, ease up and stop using it as filler! Also, this should come as no surprise, the ending was stupid and made no sense as fucking usual! Eh, despite failing at every corner, I couldn't help but to be mildly entertained. The story was kind of creative playing off typical Japanese urban legends, and there were a few interesting ideas. Actually, with a little work, this could have turned out to be quite a scary and memorable little film, but, instead, everything feels like a ripoff more than a serious entry into the realm of horror, and the scares just weren't there; in fact, there is a scene that is almost word for word stolen from one of the "Ju-on" films! I can't find a lot of information on these films, but I'm pretty sure the sequel was released at the same time as this one, so I can forgive some of the deadend plotlines a bit since they are fleshed out more later, but as a standalone film, this movie is weak. I'd recommend watching this and "The Locker 2" back to back to gain a better appreciation for the story, but don't go into this little double-feature expecting to be blown away.
Notable Moment: When one character is being pulled into the locker and he is kicking and screaming in the most ridiculous, over the top way. This scene is the perfect indication of what's wrong with this film; it's as if there was little to no direction at all.
Final Rating: 4.5/10
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