Dark Water (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #86

Simply put, this is the scariest film I've ever seen. It's slow moving and intense, and the slightest bit of action makes me jump. It was made in 2002 by the Japanese director Hideo Nakata, best known for his films "The Ring" and "The Ring 2". Despite being less well known, I consider "Dark Water" to be his greatest masterpiece. 

In my previous reviews I criticised the Blu-ray for having a grainy looking picture. After watching it today I've come to the conclusion that it's deliberate. This is the best appearance for the gloomy, rainy mood of the film. The colour red is almost entirely absent from the film. Two notable exceptions are Mitsuko's red bag...

... and the Duplo pieces.

The red bag is significant in the film. I don't think the Duplo pieces have any significance, but I can't be sure. The colours are so well coordinated in the film that it seems unlikely that something slipped in by accident. 

"Dark Water" is a ghost story, the most common form of Japanese horror films. As is usual, the ghost is female. In most Japanese ghost stories the woman is seeking vengeance. In this case the ghost has other motives, which I shan't disclose. Spoilers!

All the films I've seen made by Hideo Nakata are very good. I ought to check out his other films.

I feel that this film should be higher in my list, but I feel that way about every film I've been watching. I should stop repeating myself.

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