We are back to hook you up with a new list of Asian movies. This time, focusing on films from Japan and some upcoming horror/thrillers coming your way.
FRANTIC
Frantic has been gaining some recognition among extreme cinema lovers. Not a lot is known about the plot but it’s said to follow a group of protagonists who snap and take an audience hostage in their stage play because of a crippling debt owed to the Yakuza.
Directed by Shugo Fujii who gave us Red Line Crossing (2017) & Mimicry Freaks (2019). The film is filmed in a guerilla-style, blending found footage with narrative-style camera work. This one is a must-see for sure.
RESIDENTS OF EVIL
OK, so the plot sounds like it’s been done a thousand times before but if anyone can get this sub-genre right, then it’s the Japanese.
Residents Of Evil follows an aspiring actress who reluctantly takes a job with two YouTubers. She has to move into an apartment building where a series of gruesome murders take place and film ant sort of paranormal activity.
This could be hit-or-miss but if we take recent entries like Gojam: Haunted Asylum, then we certainly know that there is still plenty of scares to be had in the Asian, found footage horror flicks. Let’s hope Residents of Evil follow suit.
OX-HEAD VILLAGE
Ox-Head Village is the third and final instalment in the Village Trilogy by Takashi Shimizu with the other two being Suicide Forest Village and The Howling Village.
A woman named Koki travels to a rural countryside village to investigate a creepy “spirit video” that appeared online. In the video, Koki sees someone that looks exactly the same as her – her doppelganger. As she digs deeper into the truth behind the mysterious video she realises that she has a strange connection with the village and its residents.
MISSING
We could probably call Missing more of a mystery-thriller than a horror movie but hey, it’s got a serial killer so on the list it goes.
After losing his wife, a man is finding it hard to support his daughter financially. He sets out to track down a serial killer and claim the reward for his capture.
This sounds like a simple, yet original idea for the serial killer sub-genre. I don’t think we have had a protagonist on the hunt for a serial killer for revenge and also financial gain. We can only hope that his thirst for vengeance and fortune is full of bloodshed and mayhem.
SADAKO DX
The plot for the new Sadako movie just sounds the exact same as the rest of them: A young girl watches the cursed videotape and her big sister must unravel the mystery before she meets her facially contorted death.
I honestly lost interest in the franchise a long time ago. They’re still dishing out the sequels so there is still a market for Sadako and her cursed videotape. Judging by the poster for this one, they have modernised the story with modern technology.
