Ju-on: The Final Curse

08/07/2018 07:27

Film: Ju-on: The Final Curse (Ju-on: Za fainaru)

Year: 2015

Director: Masayuki Ochiai

Writer: Takashige Ichise and Masayuki Ochiai

Starring: Airi Taira, Ren Kiriyama and Nonoka Ono

 

Review:

This is the sequel to the reboot/sequel Ju-on: The Beginning of the End. Mai, the older sister of the elementary schoolteacher Yui Shono, goes to look for her sister who disappeared after a year while working…

Much like its predecessor in this series, I thought this one built on things that he previous film did. To begin the film, we get a little bit of a recap of what happened to Yui at the end of the previous film when she goes to the Saeki home and faces Kayako and Toshio. We then shift to the present where her sister, Mai Shono (Airi Taira) has a nightmare about her sister in which she is drawing a circular pattern as well as a ghost hand touching her. Mai is living with her boyfriend Sota Kitamura (Ren Kiriyama) who wants her to give it up as there has been no trace of her.

This film actually does a few things that really creeps me out. The first is that there is a lot of movement behind someone that and they don’t notice it. Even scarier when they look and there’s nothing there. On top of that, Toshio is pretty creepy in this film as well.

Also like the other films in the series, this one tells the story out of order, giving you different characters perspectives as it proceeds. There is Mai and Sota’s story as they are trying to figure out what happened to her sister. Mai works in a hotel while Sota works in the subway station. Both make for some pretty scary scenes. There is also Reo and her friends. She also has an angle with her mother as they take in her young orphan cousin. We also get things that happen in the previous film as well.

The last thing I found interesting with this film is that is explains a bit more about the grudge that is killing everyone. At first it was thought to be the house where it happened. We also learn more of the truth behind the spirit that is in Toshio.

With the film being told out of order, you have to have really good editing which I think this film does. As with most Asian films I tend to have trouble keeping who is who separated as they don’t necessarily need a coherent storyline and with their names being different from the cinema I’m used it, it can make it difficult there. I did have some issues with that, but I thought the film was good in building tension. I thought the ending was good for the tension that was built as well.

As for the acting of the film, I thought it was good across the board. Taira was good as the concern sister and she does have some interesting scares that she has to deal with. Kiriyama was in the same boat as her and I thought he was also good. Ono and her friends I kind of lump in together as I thought they were your typical teens. They did well for what they needed. Saisho was really good as Kayako again. She doesn’t really have much in the way of character, but she looked terrifying. Same goes with Toshio. I also found all of the actresses in this film to be quite attractive so that definitely helped my viewing as well.

There was some CGI in this film as well as what looked to be practical as well. I didn’t really have any issues with the CGI, which was good. It looked very natural. The looks of the ghosts in this film were creepy. This one also used more blood than many of the films that came out before this one. That also looked pretty good. The deaths in the film I didn’t have any issues with either as they were a combination of CGI and practical effects.

The score of the film was pretty solid as well. It definitely helps to build the tension for the scenes. Now its not one that I would revisit outside of this film, but I thought it was definitely good for what they were going for.

Now with that said, this film isn’t the best in the series and I thought the one before it was better. I still found this one to be an above average film. The story helps build on what the previous film did and I thought that was good. This one also explains some things from that film, which I think a good sequel should do. I thought the editing of this story was good, much like the other films in the series. This follows suite in giving us the story out of order, but also giving us different angles of things happening. The acting I thought was pretty solid across the board. I thought the effects in the film, both the CGI and practical, were pretty good as well. The score fit for what they needed. This is a decent series with this installment being above average. If you like this series I’d give this one a viewing to continue on with what is happening with this curse.

 

My Rating: 6 out of 10