Dark Water (2002)

- Honogurai mizu no soko kara
Moving and Creepy, 4 January 2006

Dark Water is a truly unique film in that it worked on two different levels with me. First, it worked as a horror movie. No, it's not pee-your-pants scary with buckets of blood. Instead it's just plain old creepy with lots of spooky atmosphere. Even though much of the horror lurks at the periphery, it's a constant, definite presence. And when the horror does spill into the characters everyday lives, it's very effective. Who would have thought that a little girl's Kimiko bag could be so eerie? Second, Dark Water works as a drama. I bought the pain of the mother fighting to keep her child. And I felt the joy as the two played together. And in the end, when the mother realizes what she must do to save her child, I felt the heartbreak of both characters.

The whole thing works because of some great acting. Hitomi Kuroki gives a remarkable performance as the mother. I believed and felt everything she was going through. Most of the Asian films I have seen recently have had good acting, but Kuroki's performance stands above the rest. As for the little girl, she's not the annoying child I'm so used to seeing in films like this. She seems real. It's a nice job by such a young person.

My rating would be higher if it weren't for the predictable nature of what happened to the missing Mitsuko. It's should be apparent to anyone (other than the characters in Dark Water) where the child is and how she died. Still, it's a remarkable ride to an inevitable discovery.

8/10