Almost Stephen King, but in Japanese: 3 top horror films from the land of the rising sun

For some reason, Japan is very underrated when it comes to horror movies. Although local directors have many works that will be cooler than any King adaptation. Let’s talk about three of them.

“Dark Waters”, 2002

This picture from the creator of the horror film “The Ring” can be called one of the most intense. The plot revolves around a heroine named Yoshimi and her daughter Ikuko. After divorcing her husband, Yoshimi and her baby move to a new apartment to start their lives with a clean slate. But soon terrible things begin to happen here. At first, Yoshimi blames everything on the tricks of her ex, who wants to gain custody of his daughter, but she soon realizes that they are threatened by something much worse.

“Suicide Club”, 2001

Still from the movie “Suicide Club”

The action takes place at Shinjuku Station during the evening rush hour. There is a crowd of high school students on the platform. As the train approaches, the girls hold hands and step onto the edge of the platform. After this, a whole wave of similar cases floods Tokyo. A short while later, the police discover a suspicious website that shows all the suicides before they actually happen. Who or what is behind all this is up to the viewer to figure out.

“Screen Test”, 1999

Still from the movie “Screen Test”

The main character lost his wife seven years ago and now he seems ready to find a new passion. A friend who works in show business helps him with this. He organizes fake screen tests so that his friend can choose the one. But one of the candidates turns out not to be as cute as it seems at first glance.