One Missed Call (2003)

For those who think this movie is derivative, and specifically cite Ju-On, Ringu, and Dark Water as its inspiration, perhaps they should check the release date of MPD Psycho. It's 2000, the same year that Ju-On was premiered on TV.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Takashi Miike invented this spooky technology genre, but the evil spirit/ghost in the machine in MPD Psycho originally moved from host to host via mobile phone and internet connection. Maybe Miike was influenced by Joe Dante's electrical Gremlin, or Wes Craven's Shocker. Only he would know. Whatever the reality, One Missed Call, plays out like MPD Psycho episode seven, shot on film instead of digital video, so it looks darker, less jokey, and consequently, more professional. The ring-tone even has an air of eerie familiarity about it.

As an oblique footnote to the MPD series, it's pretty good. As a moody grudge movie in its own right, it punches well above its weight.

Fmovies: While in a bar with her friends, the teenager Yoko Okazaki (Anna Nagata) receives a call in her cellular with a voice mail from the future telling the date and time when she would die. On the next day, Yumi overhears a group of students talking about the urban legend that people connected in the address book of cellular are mysteriously receiving phone calls with date and time of their death in the near future. In the precise informed hour, Yoko is attacked by a supernatural force in a train station while talking to her friend Yumi Nakamura (Kou Shibasaki) by phone and dies with severed arm and leg. Yumi seeks out Kioto's boyfriend Kenji Kawai (Atsushi Ida), who also received a call, and witnesses his death in an elevator shaft. When her roommate Natsumi Konishi (Kazue Fukiishi) receives a call, Yoko befriends Hiroshi Yamashita (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi), who tells her that his sister Ritsuko (Azusa) that worked in the Child Guidance Center with abused children was the first victim of the phone call. While in the hospital, Yumi hears an asthma pump and recalls that she heard the same noise when Kenji died. They decide to investigate victims of asthma in the hospital and find the name of Marie Mizunuma and her daughters Mimiko and Nanako. They search the family together trying to save Natsumi from her fate.

"Chakushin Ari" is scary like most of the Asian horror movies, and has a promising beginning supported by a great acting and a good plot. However, the last quarter of the movie is confused, not clear, needing interpretation; therefore, the screenplay writer Minako Daira or the cult director Takashi Miike or both failed since they were not able to transmit a clear conclusion of the story to the audience. I glanced in IMDb the most different interpretations for the end of the story to ratify my opinion. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Ligação Perdida" ("Missed Call")

A high school student named Yumi Kamura finds with a group friends in a coffee bar,while her pal Yoko receives a cellular call with a rare tone which she had heard before.Into screen phone appears one missed call.The message is sent for her cellular and contains a horrible shout that sounds like her voice.Besides the call is from three days after.A time later young people receive the call are dead for terrible killing.A strange curse causes a criminal rampage among various adolescents.

The picture gets suspense,horror,shocks,grisly terror and several eerie scenes.The film displays hair-rising and horrifying images with a bit of blood and graphical gore.Mysterious and sinister atmosphere is well made by the photographer Yamamamoto. Takashi Mike(Ichi the killer) direction sometimes is actually creepy and frightening like proves the first entry ¨Dead or alive¨with the execution starring by a mobster and much more in ¨The audition¨.This horror film is inspired by ¨The ring¨with certain remembrance more even storyline coincidences.Like that and in fact happen in the most part of recently Japan horror cinema deals about an urban legend.It's the initial argument for introducing the terror in the ordinary life by means a phone.While the look is suitable spooky and eerie the plot spread to the breaking point and the final resolution results to be a little confused.The flick will like to Japan modern terror cinema enthusiastic.

One Missed Call fmovies. Well, what can I say? Takashi Miike's take on the whole so-called J-horror hoopla. I bet he was thinking "I can do this too. And I can do it better". And you know what? He was right! RINGU can be considered as the original one that started it all (because of being the first big hit in the genre, for one thing). I'm not even gonna argue about whether it's the best J-horror movie or not. But I am gonna say that ONE MISSED CALL is without a doubt, on some levels, more effective than RINGU. Where Sadako's ghostly tale of terror was sort of touching the boundaries and establishing some clearly defined characteristics of the genre, CHAKUSHIN ARI pushes the boundaries and uses these characteristics as a reference to the genre.

Miike handles a very tight script and a plot that has virtually no holes and a lot of eye for details. Almost every little aspect that is being mentioned in the plot, carries a little set-up within that delivers a pay-off later. The story is intriguing. The death scenes are original and rather graphic. The ghostly creepiness is there. Every jump-scare works (there was one were I almost went through the roof! I recommend watching this with the sound turned up a notch; just let it blast out of the speakers, and I guarantee you: you will jump!). The conclusion is great and practically unpredictable; the twists were damn good. And then there's Miike, who just once again had to give this movie that Miike-touch of his, making it all just one bit more special in a way. And this time, surprisingly, he doesn't do it in the usual way. Not be inserting a sickening scene, or adding some repulsive imagery (though some events and effects really are quite gruesome). No. This time he does it by taking the movie to a different level, by adding that very last scene. And the very last shot should normally have you thinking about something that someone in a very brief scene said, earlier in the movie. The effect it had on me was: wanting to re-watch the movie. Now that's just great if a movie manages to do that. So maybe I should really rate this one 10/10. But I'll reserve that rating for THE AUDITION, my favorite Takashi Miike film ever (for now, at least).

And, by the way: I'm ready for the re-make. It's gonna be directed by Frenchman Eric Valette, who previously directed the magnificent, claustrophobic & Lovecraftian-like MALÉFIQUE. For once, I just might have a little faith in an upcoming re-make.

After "Audition" and "Ichi The Killer", I had great expectations for this movie. What it delivers is essentially the "greatest hits" of Asian horror. There's more than a passing resemblance to "The Ring", with bits of "Ju-On" and other films thrown in for good measure.

The film revolves around mobile 'phones. A girl has a message left on her mobile 'phone answering service - only it's been left by herself and in the future! To make matters worse, it ends with a blood curdling scream! Well, it soon turns out that the message is the girl's final words on this mortal coil.

The girl is not alone. It's only a matter of time before the body count starts rising and a race against time begins to solve the mystery of the bizarre calls.

Despite being more than a shade Ringu-clone-esquire, I heartily enjoyed this film. It has some great set-pieces (including a memorable death), some spooky moments, a few "jump" sequences, etc. What the film didn't deliver, though, was any real fear. It was a case of "seen it all before" (a criticism that some levelled at "Ju-On").

The plot unravels in a logical manner and there's a decent pay off. It may not be a future classic, but this is a very well made example of Asian horror cinema.

My rating: 8 out of 10 for a stylish addition to Miike's portfolio

First, I strongly disagree with some other posters at the board who weren't bothered by Chakushin ari facing a Hollywood remake. Why can't Hollywood keep their dirty fingers away when they fail in their own miserable creativity. Anyhow...

I've just started to dig deeper into the works of Takashi Miike and I have no problems admitting that his movies are awesome. Chakushin ari is another ghost tale but it gets a bit special when Miike-san is in charge of things. What you get in Chakushin ari is, besides the beautiful surroundings and awesome camera work, tension, thrills and a plot which does quite good for being in this genre. It has its moments of originality and compared to the works of Hideo Nakata, I'd say Miike here accomplish a heavier load of tension throughout the whole movie, while Nakata's movies have tension coming in waves, sort of.

I have really nothing to whine about here or rant at. The actors are doing a good job and the piece kept me interested throughout the entire playtime. Thumbs up.