Noroi

""I want the truth. No matter how terrifying, I want the truth.""

- Masafumi Kobayashi

Masafumi Kobayashi is an investigative journalist who specializes in researching supernatural occurrences. In 2004, after finishing his latest video documentary, a fire broke out in his home. His wife's body was found inside, but Kobayashi himself was declared missing. His video, formerly considered too disturbing to show to the public, is the main segment of the movie. Shown through the video recordings of his personal investigation and clips of television shows, the documentary ties together the threads of a collection of strange events known as The Curse (Noroi, in Japanese).

For a more complete review, click here.


 * Abandoned Area:
 * Arc Words: Two.  and
 * Big Word Shout: "KANAAAAAAAAA!"
 * Body and Host: Both  and.
 * Character Tics: Hori is always making odd motions with his hands, adjusting his hat, scratching his neck, and just generally fidgeting.
 * Creepy Child: The unnamed boy living with Junko Ishii.
 * Cruel and Unusual Death:
 * Cult Colony: Shimokage Village, before it.
 * Don't Go in The Woods: The climax.
 * Downer Ending: A foregone conclusion. It's outright stated in the beginning that Kobayashi's wife is dead and that his own body has never been found.
 * Driven to Suicide: . Also,.
 * Final Girl: The only person who isn't missing or dead by the end of the movie is.
 * Force Feeding: while we never see it,.
 * GASP!: Marika and Kobayashi's wife reacting to finding the bodies of two dead pigeons that.
 * Harmful to Minors: Oh boy.
 * Haunted Heroine: The events surrounding Marika throughout the film.
 * Hollywood Exorcism: Averted.
 * Humanoid Abomination: The glimpse of  seen on the unedited variety show tape.
 * I'm a Humanitarian: A truly horrifying example:.
 * It Got Worse: It started with an investigation into odd sounds coming from next door, and ended in a race to stop.
 * Mad Oracle: Hori, the "Super Psychic"
 * Man On Fire: The fate of.
 * The Mentally Disturbed: Junko Ishii, BIG time.
 * Miko:
 * Never Found the Body: Kobayashi's fate is stated outright by the movie's premise. Now, think about the implications after watching the movie.
 * Nightmare Face:
 * Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book: The strange patterns drawn by Kana and Marika while.
 * Nothing Is Scarier: This film is built on this trope.
 * Occult Detective: Kobayashi and his cameraman.
 * Present Absence:
 * Religious Horror
 * Religion of Evil: The villagers, at first.
 * Room Full of Crazy: Hori the "Super Psychic" has a whole HOUSE full of crazy. Everything is covered in tin foil and fliers warning the reader about "ectoplasmic worms".
 * house too (loops and dead pigeons aplenty).
 * Screaming Woman:  in the video tape showing.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
 * Shrines and Temples: The shrine to.
 * Spooky Painting: The scroll depicting.
 * Suicide Pact: Again,
 * Town with a Dark Secret: The village where.
 * Wave of Babies: Much, MUCH more terrifying than it sounds.
 * Waif Prophet: Kana, poor baby.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: The final fate of Miyajima, Kobayashi's videographer, is never shown in the film.
 * Might qualify as Fridge Brilliance.
 * Whispering Ghosts: Heard through EVP (electronic voice phenomena). This is how Kobayashi learns 's name.
 * Zigzag Paper Tassel: With one, erm, odd addition.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: The final fate of Miyajima, Kobayashi's videographer, is never shown in the film.
 * Might qualify as Fridge Brilliance.
 * Whispering Ghosts: Heard through EVP (electronic voice phenomena). This is how Kobayashi learns 's name.
 * Zigzag Paper Tassel: With one, erm, odd addition.

"I guess it's too late for all of us."