Noroi (2005)

Do not dismiss this as just another Blair witch project ripoff. It has some similarities, but Noroi is a fake documentary (along with some found footage towards the end giving some sort of explanation to the events that transpired) where BWP is a Cannibal holocaust ripoff. Plain and simple.

We follow Masafumi Kobayashi, a supernatural investigator who specializes in releasing documentaries based upon his investigations. From the start we know that something went horribly wrong since his house has burnt down, killing his wife and Kobayashi himself is missing. We view his last documentary, about a series of supernatural goings on, seemingly unrelated at first, but they all have something to do with a legend of the demon Katugaba. It would be stupid of me to reveal anymore since the fun of it all lies in following Kobayashi along and discovering for ourselves what mysteries he unveiled.

There is an awful lot of handheld camera here, but it is nowhere near the shakiness of the worst of its ilk. Since Kobayashi is recording a documentary (and not the first he has done) it is all done in a fairly professional style and doesnt have that tendency for the camera to float all over the place in intense scenes. The movie reminds me a lot of my favorite playstation games series - Project Zero and gets a real boost from being based upon a mythology which is quite different from what we are used to in Europe. The performances seem realistic and just about my only complaint is some cgi that unfortunately looks just like cgi and not an enhancement to what is being displayed on the screen in front of us. This is a minor complaint and Noroi survives those instances with its strong story and the genuine creepiness which is all over the surroundings. A good horror movie with decent scares which I will recommend to all fans of J-horror, especially for those who wants a good those of asian horror without those longhaired ghostwomen.