Reincarnation (2005)

Rinne, also known as Reincarnation in English, is so far one of the the best if not the best horror film so far. Although the description of the film may seem bloody and gory, it was not necessarily the most explicitly violent movie i've seen. But, it is by far one of the most psychological and suspenseful horror films i've yet seen. Let's just say, I had at least two nightmares inspired by it (but it's a good thing). The movie was well worth the scare as it was a masterpiece in its storytelling and how it pulls the audience into the film. I've just recently seen it in a film festival and i'm now ready to buy it on DVD.

Rinne deals with the topic of reincarnation. If you like Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," then you'll definitely love this film as it has similar creepy scenes of a hotel with little kids running around in it as well as visitors getting possessed by former guests at the hotel. But this film was 10 times scarier as you bare witness to the former killings through a poor quality homemade film reel created by the killer as he went on a rampage as well as flashbacks that surprise and confuse the audience with ever-increasing plot twists.

Watch out for faces in the forests and stay away from the hotel if you can, hehe. There was one point in the film when my hand became numb as I didn't realize that i was gripping my seat so tightly as Shimezu did a great job in creating a foreboding atmosphere. Don't worry about getting jolted out of your seat by unfair surprise images popping out at you. Movies are scary when they do that but the feeling is only ephemeral. The uniqueness of Rinne is that much of the horror is implicit and created in your mind. One more thing. Shimezu Takashi was the director of Juon or it's American remake, "the Grudge." I haven't seen it but after watching Rinne, I definitely want to check it out. It's well worth watching and probably will become a cult classic to share at a party or get-together with friends and other film enthusiasts.

Fmovies: The movie starts off with different people encountering ghosts, but giving no explanation on it.

Through Reincarnation Shimizu seems to be leaning towards the psychological thriller genre. Though this movie had that J horror sort of flavor, Reincarnation dives into mind gaming territory. I really love this development.

The film's story was engaging and goes through lots of styles. It moved along very fast right to my favorite part... the "revelation". That one should have people either shock or laughing out of their minds. Like I said, this is a brain game movie. Watch this movie for yourself and decide.

Take a spiritual concept and really make it gruesome. Reincarnation was a reminiscent of The Shining with the whole haunted hotel and spooky kids thing going on.

Reincarnation was less horror and more a supernatural thriller packed with suspense and intelligence. The film start off with a basic horror movie feel, and for the first part Reincarnation feels like an average movie this unfolds and takes on a different pace as the movie carries on, ending with a very unexpected conclusion. Wow, I didn't know sublety can knock me on the head that way. Though not as scary as previous films, Reincarnation is original.

Reincarnation fmovies. A young actress is drawn to her role in a horror film and also to a hotel from her dreams: a hotel where eleven people were murdered before she was born. What is her connection to her character and the ill-fated hotel? I have two concerns with this film. First, as the film was in Japanese, I am left thinking there were certain aspects that were left out for the American audience (condensed dialogue in the subtitles). Second, the story is pretty simple and might have been better as an hour-long episode of something like "Masters of Horror" (though by no means am I suggesting it was unworthy of being a film). I could also say certain parts were unclear (there are what I assume to be spirits that are never explained), but this does not take away from the film.

I enjoyed the film taking place largely on the set of a horror film. Horror films referencing the making of horror films (or in the case of "Popcorn", the watching of horror films) have a unique style about them. A self-critique. There is also something ironic about how the actress is told the director in the film will want lots of blood and gore, while the film we were watching had relatively little (and compared to some of the Japanese films I've seen I thought this was about as tame as you can get).

The film also offers a great bait-and-switch I cannot reveal. Through most of the film you will be expecting a particular direction or ending. But I assure you what you think you're going to see after the first several minutes will change considerably.

If you find dolls creepy, there's a doll in the movie for you to be creeped out by. Personally, I did not find it very disturbing, but I can see how for others it might be. (Also, there's something less scary about reading words on a screen rather than hearing them whispered ominously to you in a language you understand.) Not a bad film by any means. As far as Asian films go, I'd sooner recommend "The Untold Story" or "The Eye", but this one is alright. And if "Ju-On" is any indication, we'll soon be seeing an Americanized version of this piece. So catch the original first, while you can.

An absolutely creepy film of subtlety and intelligence. I loved Reincarnation for it was DEEP as well as spooky. Everything about this film is spoken in the undertones and because of that, I felt it was a film that gets under your skin and scares you there. The thought and complexity of transitioning from imagination to "reality" as in the PAST was amazing. First you are looking at a set model and then you are in the actual place and you are wishing you were back with a rendition. These such creative shots were my favorite. Music was ambient as well. Everything about this movie swirls in a concerted chaos as the main character Sugiuara intensely becomes sensitive to the memories of her murdered victim as she portrays the victim for a movie. Reincarnation takes a philosophical concept, superimposes it on actors filming a movie and creeps them and the audience for a heart thumping and mind boggling experience..

Like a lot of psychological horror, you have to invest some time and energy in this film. It appears to be one thing, but you are not prepared for the changes, and certainly not the ending.

I really expected that Nagisa (Yûka in her first film) was going one way, and then it went a completely different direction and the ending was most unexpected. It challenges you because Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on and The Grudge and sequels) has put together something different with characters and actions moving back and forth through filming and the actual location of horror, and you never really know where you are at any time.

It is a heavy horror film that has less blood, but more challenge.