Pulse (aka Kairo) (Review)
Japan/2001
Format Viewed For Review: Netflix Instant
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: No
*A 31 Days of Halloween Special Review!
"...boasts
some of the most terrifying visuals and sounds I've ever seen in a
horror movie."
After a string of bizarre, unexpected suicides, two groups of friends find the deaths are linked to an internet webcam...
Pulse
tells two stories at once. The first story follows Kudo Michi (Kumiko
Aso) and her friends at a plant company. Taguchi, Michi's peer, has been
missing for days working on a computer disk. Worried about his absence,
Michi visits his home and finds him in a reclusive, peculiar state —
which leads to his suicide on the very same visit. The second story
follows Ryosuke (Haruhiko Kato), a college student who has recently
connected to the internet. Ryosuke stumbles upon a ghostly website with
nightmarish images. Ryosuke seeks the help of Harue Karasawa (Koyuki), a
computer science graduate student. Like Michi, Ryosuke and Harue begin
to experience the phantom invasion. Eventually both stories interconnect
and lead to a satisfying conclusion.
Pulse is a great horror
film. Although I may have botched the synopsis, the stories are fairly
straightforward and effective. (Blame my shoddy writing.) The narrative
is very intricate and even meaningful — something we don't see often in
horror nowadays. Although not very subtle, the plot revolves around the
themes of isolationism, loneliness, depression, and death — all
covered in a neat message about technology. Aside from the
well-appreciated themes, the film also shines as a horror film. This
isn't a jump-scare horror movie, either. The film relies more on its spooky
atmosphere, the dreadful ambiance that keeps you on edge. The film's
excellent use of ghoulish audio also delivers tons of frights. Top that
off with some ghostly images and you have a very chilling film.
The
pacing is hit-or-miss, though. For the most part, Pulse works very well as a
slow-burn horror film. The slow pace is used effectively to conjure
great tension and buildup. It also allows for some very smooth
storytelling. I'm a big fan of slow-burn horror films, really. In this
case, however, there is a chunk of the film that feels too slow. I'd say
at least 20% of the film consists of scenes that could have been shortened
or removed entirely without affecting the plot or horror. These scenes
tend to unnecessarily drag and bloat the film — which is really a drag.
They're not completely useless as they feature some chilling scenes and
allow the plot to progress, but they could've been fine-tuned — that's
all.
The cast is great. The performances are very organic and
grounded. Kumiko Aso and Haruhiko Kato are great leads and the
supporting cast is equally splendid. The film is shot beautifully,
capturing each and every haunting frame with a murky style reflecting
the film's themes. The music is superb, matching the tone perfectly and
conjuring plenty of chills on its own. Writer and director Kiyoshi
Kurosawa crafts a haunting horror film with wonderful themes. The horror
is exemplary — never reverting to the easy, jump-scare route. The plot
is effective and meaningful, sharing interesting themes and tormented
characters — a pinch of subtlety would've been appreciated, though.
However, as previously stated, a significant portion of the film is
inefficient.
Overall, Pulse is a great horror film. It boasts
some of the most terrifying visuals and sounds I've ever seen in a
horror movie. The film's themes, although blatant, are also compelling — we don't see this type of thought-provoking horror nowadays. It's,
all-around, a very effective horror film worth seeking. However, be
warned, this film is the definition of slow-burn — and, even as a
slow-burn fan, it often becomes too slow for its own good. If you can
tolerate a slow pace, you're in for a terrifying treat.
Score: 8/10
Parental Guide: Some violence, including grizzly images of suicide.
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