(Japan 2002) 

Original Title: Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara 仄暗い水の底から (aka) From The Depths Of Dark Water

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Directed by Hideo Nakata Produced by Takashige Ichise Starring: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno, Mirei Oguchi, Asami Mizukawa, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yu Tokui, Isao Yatsu, Shigemitsu Ogi, Maiko Asano, Yukiko Ikari Reviewing: Tartan Asia Extreme UK DVD Release Genres: Horror / Thriller / Drama

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Rating - 3.7 / 5

DVD Synopsis: From the internationally acclaimed director of the blood curdling Ring comes Dark Water, a brooding and unsettling masterpiece of modern horror cinema. When Yoshimi's marriage breaks down, she and her daughter are forced to find a new place to live. Desperate for stability during a time of anguish and uncertainty they settle for an apartment in a gloomy, run down block of flats. Once there, the discovery of a school bag left behind by a mysterious young girl, along with the appearance of damp patches on the ceiling and walls, begins to haunt them. Soon they will both learn the sinister truth behind these events, and their lives will change forever. This truly terrifying tale is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat as its chilling intensity increases to the almost unbearably nerve-shredding climax. (98 Mins)

 

Views: If any movie defined the term 'slow-burn' it would have to be Hideo Nakata's Dark Water. Considered a classic of the Japanese horror genre, it was never really a favourite of mine – perhaps only watching it a few times over the last 20 years – and it was definitely a product of its time when the world was suddenly hooked on J-Horror thanks to Nakata after he shot to fame with Ringu/The Ring, only four years earlier. Of course, he wasted no time in making an equally creepy sequel the following year, but needed to deliver something a little different for his next big piece. While he made films such as Take It and the brilliant Chaos in-between, Hideo Nakata struck gold once again with Dark Water. After all, this style of Japanese film was all the rage back then and it wasn't long before Hollywood came knocking on his door. As Dark Water was hitting Japanese cinemas, Tinsel Town were releasing their own version of The Ring – a highly successful remake that proved to be just as scary as the original, although this time directed by Gore Verbinski. A few years later, the Hollywood sequel was in production which saw Hideo Nakata invited back as the director, once again delivering a hugely enjoyable and unnerving adaptation. That same year saw the release of Hollywood's Dark Water remake directed by Walter Salles, which was pretty similar to the original version (penned by Hideo) and saw Jennifer Connelly in the role of the haunted mother. The Japanese director would be invited back in 2010 to direct the horror-thriller Chatroom starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but it never quite gained the same attention as his famed original titles. And even with such success in the West, it would seem that Nakata's time in Hollywood would be short-lived and soon he was back in Japan directed films and television shows such as the fantastic samurai-horror Kaidan, Death Note: L Change The World, The Complex, Ghost Theatre, and Mamagato although the last few years has seen him step back into the genre that made him famous with films such as Stolen Identity 1 & 2, The Woman Who Keeps A Murderer (Satsujinki O Kau Onna), and a modern reboot of The Ring called Sadako that sees the legend reborn, based off the novel 'Tide' which was the last book of Koji Suzuki's Ringu series...

 

While only rated PG-13 in most territories, you would think that Dark Water would have the ability to scare your granny – but I would be lying if I said that was the case. In fact, there are a number of genuinely chilling moments throughout enhanced by some handheld camerawork, decrepit locations, long-winded scenes of tension that often make the viewer uneasy, and ghost children, although these are often overshadowed by the underlying tragic tale of loneliness and abandonment which is very relatable for many people. Hitomi Kuroki does a great job as Yoshimi Matsubara, the struggling mother who has just won custody of her daughter and is trying to find them a good home. Having made her film debut in Yoichi Higashi's drama Keshin in 1986, Kuroki quickly went onto become one of Japan's most recognisable actresses – both on television and in films. With titles such as 47 Ronin, Invisible Man, Haunted School 3, Ring: The Final Chapter mini series, The Great White Tower, the 20th Century Boys Trilogy, John Woo's The Crossing 1 & 2, and so much more, Hitomi has since starred in well over 110 productions and is still going strong today. She is supported by (then) child actress Rio Kanno who plays her daughter Ikuko, in what would be her first ever role. As with most child actors in Japanese (and South Korean) features, Rio does a fantastic job in delivering a natural performance, backed up with plenty of fear induced and emotional moments. It was clear that the girl had something, and went on to star in films and TV shows such as The Hunter & The Hunted, Noroi, GoGo Sentai Boukenger (the Japanese Power Rangers), Kamen Rider Decade, Lesson Of The Evil, Downtown Rocket, and others.

 

But regardless of my thoughts on Dark Water, it's quite obvious that Hideo Nakata sparked a trend and inspired a generation of film-makers with his work. And even though his style of ghostly storytelling was milked dry by the Hollywood machine, the popular director has still managed to keep a loyal army of fans who look forward to, and enjoy, what he has to offer. Dark Water may seem slightly dated by today's standards, but it still proves to be an entertaining classic ghost story and even more-so without the glossy Hollywood look. Hailed by the original author for his adaptations on both this and the Ringu series, Dark Water was based on the story of the same name which came from Koji Suzuki's novel, Floating Water – a collection of water-themed horror stories I'm only surprised that Hideo didn't create a series out of them!

 

Overall: A classic ghost story that still manages to chill and unnerve today, Dark Water leaves a lasting impression and entertains!

 

DVD Extras: Trailers