Since I was young I've always enjoyed Japanese horror films, they're in a totally different vein from slashers. Many of the films are centered around something psychological, spiritual or the deliverance of an underlying message. In this thread we'll share films we've enjoyed so others can build their collections and viewing history further.

To kick it off, I'll glance over at a few on my shelf...

くちさけおんあ (Carved / Slit Mouthed Woman)



The legend is said to originate with a young woman who lived hundreds of years ago (some versions of the legend state the Heian period which was about 794 to 1185) and was either the wife or concubine of a samurai. She is said to have been very beautiful but also very vain, and possibly cheating on her husband. The samurai, extremely jealous and feeling cuckolded, attacked her and slit her mouth from ear to ear, screaming "Who'll think you're beautiful now?!" The urban myth picks up from this point, stating that a woman roams around at night (especially during foggy evenings) and asks children a question, if they answer wrong...

オーディション (Audition)



Seven years after the death of his wife, company executive Aoyama is invited to sit in on auditions for an actress. Leafing through the resumés in advance, his eye is caught by Yamazaki Asami, a striking young woman with ballet training. On the day of the audition, she's the last person they see. Aoyama is hooked. He notes her number from her file, calls her and takes her to dinner. He hesitates to call again, worried that he'll seem too eager. When he does, Asami knowingly lets the phone ring for some time before answering. She's alone in her darkened room - alone, that is, apart from the writhing victim she has tied up in a sack on the floor...

2LDK



Two actresses who have auditioned for one part, sharing the same apartment with opposite personalities equals a night which either neither of them will forget - if they survive!

時差圧サクル (Suicide Circle)



A detective is trying to find the cause of a string of suicides...

JU-ON



In Japan, when the volunteer social assistant Rika Nishina is assigned to visit a family, she is cursed and chased by two revengeful fiends: Kayako, a woman brutally murdered by her husband and her son Toshio. Each person that lives or visits the haunted house is murdered or disappears.

JU-ON 2



While driving , the pregnant horror-movie actress Kyôko Harase and her fiancé are in a car crash caused by the Toshio's friend...

(Though these titles have been remade only the first was watchable in English, the second however was one of the worst movies of all time. The original Japanese sequel however was true to the first movie and I recommend it.)

ちゃくしなり (You've got a call / One Missed Call)



People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths.

(Another movie redone in English, horribly. Half of the story was left out and it was turned into a D- horror film, skip it and watch the likable original.)

ちゃくしなり2 (You've got a call 2 / One Missed Call 2)



More of the same, if you enjoyed the first watch the second. They come in a two pack anyway.

RINGU (Ring / The Ring)



A mysterious video kills whomever views it, unless that viewer can solve its mystery.

RINGU2 (Ring 2 / The Ring 2)



Reiko takes Yoichi into hiding when her son begins to display frightening powers. Meanwhile, Mai Takano and the authorities begin a desperate search for them, as the mysterious Ring curse spreads...

(Same scenario as JU-ON as far as the re-releases)

ほのぐらいみずのそこから (Dark Water)



A mother and her 6 year old daughter move into a creepy apartment whose every surface is permeated by water.

かいろ (Pulse)



Japanese university students investigate a series of suicides linked to an Internet Web cam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead.

I've seen most japanese horror through the crappy american remakes. However, i've seen some of the lower budget original japanese stuff, and read about a lot of the rest. Most of it is just a little too 'out there' for my personal tastes. Quite often the stories don't really make a whole lot of sense either. And it often revolves too much around 'angry, violent, homicidal ghost hauntings'. And ghost movies pretty much hit the last straw for me and became increasingly uninteresting after Gothika. (And yes i'm aware that was an american ghost movie, not japanese remake etc.)

Japanese horror is certainly 'different' from American horror, and they have some interesting ideas. But, like a lot of American Horror, I find it a bit too much the same the same, and it gets boring after awhile because of it. I'm still on a quest to this day to find a horror movie in general that truly 'does it' for me and is fresh and interesting and actually scares me. The redundancy of japanese and hollywood horror hasn't really helped :(

It's not exactly scary, but if you want different try the above listed 2LDK. It'll at least supply a twisted smile or two, I promise that.

Question though, would Parasite Eve be considered in the 'japanese horror' genre? I would think so, but, at the same time it seems rather tame in comparison to others. But, yeah. I own the dvd of the PE movie with english subtitles etc. That movie is a perfect example of the 'overly complicated' japanese style. I liked the games take on the storyline a lot more. Movie wasn't 'bad', and I've seen it twice. But, it's just like, it's so OVER the top in it's complexity that it can be very boring to sit through. (And keep in mind i 'like' complex and intricate stories. Just, this one was just over the top as stated that it just took you 'out' of it)

And I'll have to look into 2LDK. Thanks.

It's been a long time, I saw that movie on the Japanese channel about ten years ago. It'd fit the category, sure, though isn't anything like the norm. I never read the book and the movie was quite different from the games (loved the game's adaption), though from what I remember it was like you said, overly complex and fairly low key. Definitely not a favorite, though worth a watch I suppose. Also, going from the games to the movie didn't help, maybe I'd have enjoyed it more if it were the other way around.

Ummm yeah......Audition was a good film so good it one of my favorite horror movies.

I found the Japanese version of Pulse to be really depressing, like "curl-into-a-ball and fade to black" kind of depressing; I guess that was the intended effect.

キュア Cure/Kyua



Well, this movie definitely felt psychologically fucked, it was good.
While investigating a series of bizarre cult-like murders/suicides, a detective comes across a man who seemingly has a void in his memory and talks in a strange manner of repeated questions and answers. Does he really have amnesia, or is it a form of hypnosis? The detective begins a mission to dig up the past on this enigmatic man and see if he's connected to the deaths.

鉄男 Tetsuo: The Iron Man



A friend of mine that allows me access to his collection of foreign horror movies, had me watch this one day on his large tube-tv. I can't believe I actually made it through this movie. It's a horrifying, slightly arrousing mind-fuck. Like being molested with metal through my eyes. I don't really have much to say about it beyond "metal-based infection". I challenge you to watch it right before going to sleep.

Infection
There is a reason why the text is green. You'll know when you watch the movie.



A hospital under stress. Running low on supplies and sanity. A foul up occurs in treating a patient and everyone involved has to make a decision. They get a very interesting patient that has an unknown infection and wish to be pioneers in the discovery of this new decease.

IMDB: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0418778/

The story itself has some really good twists. Though some strange moments occur that aren't explained enough for my liking. Overall it's a worthwhile movie.

I always like 2LDK and Suicide Club. My wife though (Japanese) hates the stuff, so I dont really watch it that much. So I get more into Yakuza movies which can also sometimes stretch into abit of Horror.