Warning: Do Not Play Review

 

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A rising director, desperate for ideas, investigates rumors of a film supposedly created by a ghost.

Review: This could--no, should--have been better. The basic premise is interesting and held near endless potential for scares. Unfortunately, the ball is severely dropped somewhere around two-thirds of the way into the movie. There are three, central plot beats to the overall story and each is unexplored and structured weakly. Likewise, there are numerous other films that "Warning" draws inspiration from, and, yet, the filmmakers did not capitalize on what came before; forget about improving on said ideas. Hell, the characters even discuss seeing "The Exorcist" as this life-altering moment and that never amounts to anything nor acknowledged ever again.

First, I want to say the main character (not her actress) looks, and dresses, a lot like a girl I used to date. Scary. Anyway...what is working here? As mentioned, the story line about the director looking for ideas, stumbling across this tale of a movie that killed people at a screening, and a ghost being the creator--this is all good stuff. The first 30-40 minutes provide an intriguing setup and make the audience want to see this movie so scary that it's been banned, turned almost into an urban legend, killed people, and is such an evil force that the director of the movie scans the internet to make sure no one posts even a clip from it. Yes, it's supposed to be that intense. To the credit of "Warning," the hype is presented well and pulls the viewer in. Other than the ideas at hand, the technical aspects are decent enough--solid cinematography, acting, and music. I wish I could say more positives, because this isn't a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination.

Okay, how did the filmmakers fail with such an easy layup? The biggest offense is that the haunted movie itself is nothing more than the director filming his crew before and during their deaths to the ghost. That's it? That's the best the writer could come up with? Bro, why the fuck was anyone losing their mind during the initial screening then?! This ain't "Cigarette Burns" here! Don't even get me started on the lame ass ghost. Not only is she obscured the entire time (probably because her makeup effect was shite!), but we know absolutely nothing about her or why she'd want to help that director make a movie. So, she's--what--dollar store Sadako? And this ghost spent all of 10 seconds messing with the director before he went crazy and decided he was okay with his crew dying? Am I missing something? The entire third act makes little to no sense since the main chick did not even watch the full ghost movie, and she decides to let her friend die...why exactly? And then the ending scene implies that the main chick is possessed or something? What? We get little backstory on the main chick other than some vague abuse and attempt at suicide, we get jackshit on the director and his crew other than they're film students, and we get fucking no backstory on the ghost other than she died on set! Oh, gee, wow, thanks for such insights. Actually, the thing that probably aggravated me the most was yet another instance where there's a shadow on the wall in the shape of the ghost and it doesn't come to life! Why do filmmakers keep doing this if they aren't going to actually deliver on this scare?!

Needless to say, "Warning" is a major disappointment. It's not bad--don't get me wrong--but man, oh man, the potential was sitting right there and somehow it was squandered. The first half especially is exciting, and it's why I'm even angrier that that the movie fails to deliver, not only the goods, but a proper execution of its premise. Sure, the movie is competently put together, but I can't go beyond a middling rating given the levels of disappointment, the stupid ending, and how little ends up being explained or even addressed in a satisfactory manner. If you're still somehow curious about watching this despite my gripes, check it out, but most definitely keep your expectations in check.

Notable Moment: In the opening sequence when Mi-jung is chased out of the movie theater. This was a nice way to start things, but, realistically, why was Mi-jung dreaming about the ghost before even learning about her existence?! Plot hole?

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Cursed (Japanese 2004) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Various characters are pursued and killed by the spirits haunting a convenience store.

Review: First, I need to acknowledge that this film goes by like 3 other titles which is confusing enough, however, there is also the Wes Craven movie about werewolves from the same year. Sheesh. Okay, setting that nonsense aside, what are we actually getting here? Coming from the heyday of Asian horror, this film is so close to being a forgotten gem, but, unfortunately, an aimless story and weak ending hurt the final impression. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of positives here--the opening sequence is especially effective in capturing your attention and wastes no time kicking things off. No...what hurts is that the characters are too nonchalant about the horrors they experience, and there is no resolution for the most part; it's like we're missing half of the final act or something.

The best way to imagine this film is if "The Grudge" took place at 7-Eleven (or whatever convenience store is popular). Something I found intriguing was this idea that the ghosts functioned quite logically: if a customer rings up a price that is superstitious (like 666 or 999) you either die or get tricked into killing someone. As a secondary consequence of this haunting, the employees become...well...cursed as misfortune comes their way or they're semi-possessed. This presentation of dread establishes a creepy atmosphere as characters are always on edge and sense something is not right. When a character does bite the dust, the scares are surprisingly well done. You're not going to be blown away by originality or anything, but I thought the filmmakers did an excellent job while only once using a long-haired ghost girl; and she was pretty cute--can come out of my fridge any time!

The other aspect that is a tremendous plus is the pacing. Far too often do film's dick around, and, considering the ADHD generation we're in, "Cursed" will hold your interest. I shit you not, 90 seconds into the runtime and we have a poor schoolgirl dying, and that's after she tries to warn her friend (and the audience) that there's something not right with the store. Admittedly, there are a handful of slow parts when characters discuss the haunting (which I'll come back to), but, for the most part, we are jumping from one set piece to the next in quick succession. Even if you think the scares are weak, you will appreciate the abundance of them and how each one tries to do something unique. The last positive I'll mention is that Japanese quirkiness that is hard to describe--that innate weirdness that is oozing from the story.

So what is holding "Cursed" back from being a J-horror legend? As mentioned, there is this aimlessness to the events--almost as if this is a slice of life story except with killer ghosts. It's hard to adequately express, but if the characters aren't that bothered by what's happening, it's hard for the audience to care. Even if we take some crazy, old lady's word as gospel for the origin of the haunting, the main characters kind of shrug their shoulders and carry on. Yes, the main girl, Nao, does save her co-worker and they leave, but are you really free from the ghosts after that? And the lady from corporate...she's just, what, gonna keep doing the inventory?! I'm not saying we needed someone trying to burn down the store or something that dramatic, but at least have closure for each of the survivors or have them killed off. Another major issue is the low-budget, made-for-TV production value. It doesn't necessarily bother me, but there is a lack of polish that differentiates this from the likes of "Ring" or "The Grudge."

"Cursed" is a mixed bag for me. Sure, I enjoyed it--found myself captivated even--but I'm a big fan of this era in Asian horror and can overlook much of the shenanigans. There's a bit too much action and not enough substance. Focusing solely on the Nao character probably would've created a through line that this film desperately needed. There is much to praise, however, there is this hollowness to the experience whereby I'm left wanting more. Still, given the slick pacing and fun scares, I would still suggest fans of the genre check this out.

Notable Moment: While the opening kill does a lot to suck the viewer in, I thought the coolest scare was the figure appearing within the curtains at the one chick's apartment.

Final Rating: 6/10