Dark Water (Japanese Original) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: While going through a divorce, a mother and daughter move into a haunted apartment building.

Review: As with most of the so-called, Asian horror legends, "Dark Water" is good--great even--but it doesn't quite earn that legendary status given by critics. The cinematography is excellent, the music can be hypnotic, and the acting is commendable, however, the pacing is slow, the scares are few, and the ending is extremely lackluster. There is a classic ghost story at the heart of the film, yet, this aspect is often overshadowed by the mother/daughter drama that is also not explored to its fullest potential. Making up for these shortcomings are the beautiful, rainy scenery, the wettest of sets, and a haunting score from Kenji Kawai who provided ambient music for "Ring" and "Reincarnation" which you may recognize. Speaking of a familiar face...we have another appearance from Isao Yatsu who always plays some old man in half of J-horror.

First off, I want to acknowledge that the daughter, Ikuko, played by Rio Kanno, was surprisingly well acted. Usually I want to kill all these child actors in horror myself, but she felt believable and was likable; usually these kids are all bratty when dealing with a ghost plot line. Worth noting was that Ms. Kanno was the little girl in "Noroi: The Curse" so she has proven herself. Lastly, if the cute, grownup Ikuko looks familiar too that's because she's played by Asami Mizukawa who was in "The Locker" 1 and 2. So, yeah, it all comes full circle. I'm getting way off topic here...

What makes "Dark Water" work is that it keeps the story incredibly simple, with an intriguing mystery afoot, while simultaneously providing enough moody suspense to keep the audience fully engaged despite the slow pace. This is further reflected with a slow and deliberate buildup to the reveal with the ghost, Mitsuko. Once you realize Mitsuko's depressing fate, all the creepy events in the story come together like a camera panning back on a grotesque image. The grimy and soggy set designs truly enhance the gloomy atmosphere established and this growing sense of dread throughout the film. When the mom, Yoshimi, decides to stay with Mitsuko's ghost--going off to Kayako-land I suppose--this was especially moving with that haunting melody playing.

It's tough to adequately express, but the story is structured similarly to something you'd tell around a campfire. This is both good and bad for "Dark Water." Good in the sense that the events feel timeless and straightforward, however, the story is also hollow and lacking much needed details worthy of the medium itself. Meaning, we don't learn enough about the relationship between Yoshimi and Ikuko and why it's a strong bond in this instance. After all, Yoshimi is neglectful and clearly neurotic. Give us some specific scene that really sells the relationship. Furthermore, Mitsuko's circumstance is left annoyingly vague when there was no reason for this. Why would no one care about this poor girl?! I feel like a few throwaway lines could have gone a long way in offering up explanations. Finally, from a storyteller's perspective, having the film open from Yoshimi's perspective when she was a little girl was not handled properly. We should have had the grownup Ikuko, unbeknownst to the audience, watching a little girl waiting for her mom. Then cut to Yoshimi with the lawyers as normal. Let the audience assume the little girl was Yoshimi until the end of the film when you realize it's the adult Ikuko watching the first scene. This would have been awesome and made the ending less tacked on as a makeshift epilogue.

Overall, "Dark Water" is a nice, little ghost story that tries to provide an emotional resonance with the audience. It was among the first Asian horror films to garner international acclaim, and it's easy to see why. From the dimly lit scenes to the drenched sets, you will want to follow the bread crumbs to wherever the mystery leads you. Though the film does not fully deliver on the drama nor the scares, it does provide an entertaining tale. Had one of these facets been given better focus, whether it be the horror or drama, I think the film, as a whole, would come closer to the vision of a true Asian horror legend.

Notable Moment: When we finally see Mitsuko's ghostly form in the elevator. While it's a decent scare and makeup effect, the music at this part is especially powerful with Ikuko looking onward at this bizarre turn of events.

Final Rating: 6.5/10