Marebito

It was over explained in some places and under explained in others.

Definitely a love-it-or-hate-it film. I think most people hate it. I was enamored with the examination of fear and the depth of horror within the human soul. Lovecraftean in nature, through the lens of a Japanese storyteller.

PEEPING TOM meets LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS with a BLAIR WITCH bent - creepy, understated horror film is a slow burn, but gets better and better as it's bizarre story unfolds; Tsukamoto and Miyashita thankfully play it completely straight, but still release the inherent black comedy in the premise -- security cam 'found footage' point of view is also an asset in helping to keep everything grounded and believable.

Complete waste of 90 minutes and £20, hated this film.

This is a weird one, It's bizarre and intriguing but also slightly boring at the same time. I'm never really sure what the hell is going on and I can't relate or identify with the main character which for a film like this is a necessity. I can't help but think that this was some insane manga that didn't quite make the transition to the "Big Screen" or straight to video as the case maybe. If you like this "Gozu" and "ID" are similar but better.

The atmosphere overwhelming in its lonely, otherworldly mood is precisely what makes up for what this film lacks in polish. Yes, this qualifies as a found footage film, but in no way is this derivative. From the very beginning, to the final frame, everything comes full circle. Be prepared for a slow, brooding decent to the underworld.

A mixed bag with some cool ideas and presentational choices (obsession with fear, recordings as a separation from reality capable of glimpsing beyond it) balanced out with some unintentionally goofy and lame ideas and presentational choices (hollow Earth theory, pale kids crawling around). It's disappointing that what feels like an original setup turns into basically a bland, standard vampire story. Close to being something really worthwhile but falls short

One of the more bizarre J-Horror's, Marebito examines typical horror elements through a peculiar surrealist quality unique to Shimizu. Though it drags at times, there's more good than bad here and most J-Horror fans will be sufficiently weirded and creeped out.

An okay film. It kept me intrigued through out the whole film, but left an unsatisfied feeling.

Top badass moment? A miserable, freelance cameraman goes looking for scary creatures that inhabit tunnels below Tokyo and finds a beautiful woman chained to a rock, who he decides to take home; (I guess he was a locksmith too). Lucky sod; all I’d have found would have been ugly monsters. But then we're treated to a film that goes all “is it real or is it Memorex” on us, before ending with less transparency than a sheet of Vantablack; (go on, Google it). No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.

I rated this much lower on my first viewing, but something about the unfolding of the tale - or maybe the personal tale itself - has warmed up in my brain. No, it's not first-rate cinema by any means. But the dual use of consumer DV and professional digital is a major plus. Needs a better third act, to be sure.

"What begins as a smart J-horror update of Blowup quickly turns into a sick joke." - Ed Gonzalez

Strange and rather boring.