Dark Water (Honogurai mizu no soko kara) - A 2002 Japanese Supernatural Horror Movie
Dark Water Synopsis
From the internationally acclaimed director of the blood curdling Ring comes Dark Water, a brooding and unsettling masterpiece of modern horror conema.
When Yoshimi's marriage breaks down, she and her daughter are forced to find a new place to live. Desperate for stability during a time of anguish and uncertainty they settle for an apartment in a gloomy, run down block of flats. Once there, the discovery of a school-bag left behind by a mysterious young girl, along with the appearance of damp patches on the ceiling and walls, begins to haunt them. Soon they both learn the sinister truth behind these events, and their lives will change forever...
This truly terrifying tale is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat as its chilling intensity increases to the almost unbearably nerve-shredding climax.
Additional Info for Dark Water
Dark Water Movie Review
Dark Water was one of the first Asian horror movies that I had ever seen and even though it is only a PG-13, I have to admit that it scared the living daylights out of me. The movie does not rely on gore and shocks but still manages to create a very frightening atmosphere through the progression of the storyline plus the occasional loud noise and simple yet effective camera effects (at one point the picture went out of focus which definitely put me on edge as I wasn’t sure whether it was supposed to happen!). One of the biggest factors involved in the unsettledness of the view is how you really aren’t sure what is going on until the end.
The story revolves around a mother, Yoshimi, and her daughter making a new start in a new city after the breakdown of her marriage. For financial reasons Yoshimi has to move into a run-down block of flats. Whilst playing on the rooftop of the flats Yoshimi’s daughter finds a red school bag with no apparent owner and at this point Yoshimi keeps catching glimpses of a small girl in a yellow raincoat… but never manages to catch up with her.
The leaks in the flat’s roof get worse which leads Yoshimi to enter the flat above her own to see where all of the water is coming from, which leads to some shocking discoveries about the mysterious little girl and the strange happening in the flats.
This isn’t an extreme horror movie but I can definitely imagine youngsters having nightmares if watched in the right conditions. It is well directed and well written although I found the ending a bit of an anti-climax.
This is also a prime example of a Japanese movie ruined by Hollywood along with the likes of Ring and The Grudge, if you have seen the Hollywood version of this movie and weren’t too impressed I would recommend that you still see this for a much better horror movie experience.
Dark Water Movie Pictures
