Kairo (2001)

Director:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Writer:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa (writer)

Release Date:

9 November 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Yûrei ni aitai desu ka? (Do you want to meet a ghost?)

Plot:

Japanese teens investigate a series of suicides linked to an internet webcam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead.

Plot Keywords:

Apocalyptic | Internet | Isolation | Shadow | Ghost

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Haruhiko Katô	...	Ryosuke Kawashima
Kumiko Aso	...	Michi Kudo
Koyuki	...	Harue Karasawa
Kurume Arisaka	...	Junko Sasano
Masatoshi Matsuo	...	Toshio Yabe
Shinji Takeda	...	Yoshizaki
Jun Fubuki	...	Michi's mother
Shun Sugata	...	Boss
Sho Aikawa	...	Employee
Kôji Yakusho	...	Ship Captain
Kenji Mizuhashi	...	Taguchi
Takumi Tanji	...	Man with Bag
Hassei Takano	...	Student A
Atsushi Yuki	...	Student B
Go Takashima	...	Student C

Also Known As:

Pulse (International: English title)
The Circuit

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent images.

Runtime:

118 min | Hong Kong:119 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R13 | Australia:MA (2006) | USA:Not Rated | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB (DVD rating) | South Korea:15

Company:

Daiei Eiga

Trivia:

The shot of a woman leaping off the side of a building is a relatively simple combination of careful editing, computer graphics, and stunt work. As director Kiyoshi Kurosawa explains it, a stunt-woman was filmed bungee jumping off the rooftop, followed by a dummy dressed in the same clothes; the two shots were edited together and the bungee cord digitally erased.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Zebraman (2004)

Soundtrack:

Hane Lay Down My Arms

truly frightening

a horror film hasn't given me chills in a while. this film made me feel as isolated and terrified as the characters in the movie. I had seen the American re-make before this film, and i'm kind of glad I did, because I got to save the best for last. If you were disappointed by the American Pulse, this predecessor will certainly make up for that sorry excuse for a horror.

I can say without a doubt this is one of my top films to watch alone in a dark room if I wanted to scare the hell out of myself. And that just puts a big grin on my face. Not to mention, the lighting and cinematography in this film is also really well done, and adds a lot to the completely creepy mood throughout. While the story may be hard to follow if you don't know the history behind the film beforehand, it's scary either way. I've watched it twice now, and it's just as good the second time around. Even though this film is considered an older J-horror film, it's still fresh in my book.

I think horror film makers that rely on cheap thrills and gore should take Kairo for a spin, they'd learn a lot from it. Kairo is a truly haunting, scary film that will leave your eyes wide open in terror. 10/10