CREEPY. (2016) A JAPANESE HORROR FILM BASED ON THE MYSTERY NOVEL BY YUTAKA MAEKAWA. DIRECTED BY KIYOSHI KUROSAWA.
STARRING HIDETOSHI NISHIJIMA, YUKO KAKEUCHI, TERUYUKI KAGAWA, HARUNA KAWAGUCHI AND MASAHIRO HIGASHIDE.
REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS. ©
This is one of those marvellously 'creepy' (see what I did there?) horror films along the lines of 'how well do you want to know your neighbours...?' Well, speaking personally, I say in most cases not at all. Mine are crazy. There's a guy in my complex who whips out his drill after midnight most nights for a spot of moonlight DIY. Feck that, seriously. Bloody madman, he is.
I like this new trend in modern society of not getting to know your neighbours at all, unlike the bloody olden days when people were all up in each others' business night and day. Me, I think too much familiarity only ever breeds contempt. Maintaining a bit of a respectable distance can help you to keep your dignity and your sanity. It's a shame that no-one ever imparted this little gem of wisdom to the woman in the film...
Here's the deal with this superb psychological horror-slash-thriller that's out on general release in the UK and Ireland on the 25th of November, 2016. Koichi Takakura is a former detective who gave up the detecting business when he was nearly killed by a crazy serial killer in a stand-off. Now he lectures in criminal psychology at the local University. Those who can't, teach, right...? That's what they say, anyway.
Koichi is seriously handsome in a broody kind of way and it was an absolute pleasure to watch him do his 'thang' for a butt-numbing two hours and ten minutes. His 'thang' involves being pulled back into the detecting business by an equally handsome former colleague, a chap called Nogami who's investigating the six-year-old eerie disappearance/possible murder of a family of three. Having no fewer than two handsome men in the film made the two hours positively zip by, haha.
Meanwhile, Koichi and his severely domesticated missus, Yasuka, have only just moved to a new neighbourhood and Yasuka, the woman I mentioned earlier, is hell-bent on getting to know their new neighbours. Crazy lady. She should have left well enough alone, as she finds out soon enough when she gets to know the decidedly odd ('creepy,' even?) Mr. Nishino...
He's a sinister and madly eccentric character, this Nishino fellow. He lives with his teenage daughter Mio, a silent little nervous wreck of a thing, and a 'sick' wife whom no-one ever sees. Dodgy, much? He rejects Yasuka's tentative efforts to make friends at first, but then he suddenly seems to see something in the shy, quiet self-effacing housewife that's worth his while pursuing.
If Koichi spent less time obsessing about his work and the six-year-old possible murder mystery case, then he might just notice the dangerous relationship developing between his desperately unhappy, lonely wife and his neighbour, who almost certainly has a dark and nasty secret.
But all that Koichi can think about is his case. Clearly he's glad to have the bit between his teeth again, but will it cost him his marriage and maybe more besides? When he spots an incredible coincidence one day out of the blue, it might just afford him a chance to start unravelling the threads that are now binding him and his wife almost inextricably to the next-door-neighbour...
There's a sense of impending dread building up slowly throughout the film that manages to sustain itself right the way through to the end. We somehow know that there's something ugly and hateful at the bottom of all of this and we're definitely not disappointed when the dénouement comes around. The 'creepy' music and excellent sense of timing do their bit to keep things nice and exciting as well. The sets are good 'n' spooky too.
I've watched a lot of Japanese horror films in the last few years. 'CREEPY' is one of the darkest and best and would be well worth your while to buy when it comes out in November. You don't even have to be familiar with Japanese horror to enjoy it as a good chiller-thriller in its own right.
And a big shout-out to Max, the Takakura's big woolly dog. I want to hug you and roll around with you so much, you big gorgeous woolly sheep-monster, you...!
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY OF SANDRA HARRIS.
Sandra Harris is a Dublin-based novelist, film blogger and movie reviewer. She has studied Creative Writing and Film-Making. She has published a number of e-books on the following topics: horror film reviews, multi-genre film reviews, womens' fiction, erotic fiction, erotic horror fiction and erotic poetry. Several new books are currently in the pipeline. You can browse or buy any of Sandra's books by following the link below straight to her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015GDE5RO
You can contact Sandra at:
http://sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris.wordpress.com
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