The Curse

Ever since Sadako crawled out of the TV during the climax of Ringu, curses and dead girls have been synonymous with Japanese horror, a trend that was continued with the likes of Dark Water and One Missed Call. Kenichi Ugana updates this genre for the social media generation with The Curse. By channelling the disquieting and gritty tone that helped define the genre while sprinkling in some satisfyingly squelchy gore, the filmmaker creates moments of effectively creepy horror. However, the inconsistent execution of these scares, alongside a central mystery that falls disappointingly flat, stops this J-horror outing from reaching the same heights as its predecessors.

After a campy cold open establishes the mood, the plot cuts to Riko (Yukino Kaizu), a receptionist at a hair salon who’s sent down a supernatural rabbit hole when the discovery of disturbing social media posts leads to the strange and violent death of her friend. Convinced that something sinister is at play, she travels to Taiwan to investigate and attempt to put a stop to the curse before it claims her life.

The Curse is at its best whenever it leans into its unsettling atmosphere. There’s a constant sense of dread whenever Riko searches her silent apartment or when the camera lingers on a shot just long enough for viewers to feel uneasy. Ugana knows exactly when and how to deploy his scares for maximum impact. In some scenes, the ghostly figure is seen lurking in the background. In others, the filmmaker suddenly confronts viewers with a frightening image or throws a carefully timed jump scare their way. Bursts of gleefully grotesque gore and body horror likewise add another layer of terror that genre fans will appreciate.

However, the success of these moments varies wildly. While Ugana excels in inducing slow-burn chills, the low-budget special effects (particularly the ghost’s design) come off as comedic in a way that doesn’t gel with the rest of the film. A chaotic final act where the mystery is unceremoniously revealed and the script seems to forget its own internal logic about how the curse operates likewise ends this feature on a frustrating low.

With The Curse, Ugana revives classic J-horror for a new generation to mixed results. Although the blend of comedy and horror doesn’t quite work, its nostalgic and genuinely unnerving throwbacks to Ringu are guaranteed to delight fans.