Being a great fan of the Japanese horror genre, I had to give "Infection" (aka "Kansen") a go as well. And boy, this movie was different than what you usually get from a J-Horror movie. Was that a good change of pace and scenery? Well, some would say yes, I do, however, say no!
There was absolutely nothing scary about this movie at all. It is more of a psychological mind-twister than it was a horror movie. Personally, I do not find a hospital that looks like a darkened, subterranean bunker from World War II scary, nor do I find green stuff erupting from orifices scary either.
The story in "Infection" is about a patient being brought to a hospital that is on the verge of financial bankruptcy and closure. Although refusing treating the patient, he is left there, and his strange infection spreads to the resident staff and patients of the hospital. And things take a turn for the worse, fast...
All throughout this movie, I didn't buy into this being a hospital for one second. As I mentioned above, it was more like a reminiscent of a darkened World War II bunker, and had more of a industrious touch to it than a sterile and medicinal touch that a hospital has. Plus, there was a surprisingly lack of patients (and visitors) at the hospital. And the staff there were perhaps amongst the worst medical health-carers that I have ever witnessed. And all these factors just added more and more to the lack of a convincing set that eventually made the movie suffer.
And also the lack of scared and a proper horror setting were working against the movie, making the movie seem to drag on. But still, I sat through it, hoping to get at least something good out of the movie. But no, that was not to be.
Hand on heart, then "Infection" is a very weak addition to the Japanese horror genre. I was lured in by the interesting DVD cover from Tartan Asia Extreme. But it just goes to prove the old saying; you can't judge a book by its cover.
There was absolutely nothing scary about this movie at all. It is more of a psychological mind-twister than it was a horror movie. Personally, I do not find a hospital that looks like a darkened, subterranean bunker from World War II scary, nor do I find green stuff erupting from orifices scary either.
The story in "Infection" is about a patient being brought to a hospital that is on the verge of financial bankruptcy and closure. Although refusing treating the patient, he is left there, and his strange infection spreads to the resident staff and patients of the hospital. And things take a turn for the worse, fast...
All throughout this movie, I didn't buy into this being a hospital for one second. As I mentioned above, it was more like a reminiscent of a darkened World War II bunker, and had more of a industrious touch to it than a sterile and medicinal touch that a hospital has. Plus, there was a surprisingly lack of patients (and visitors) at the hospital. And the staff there were perhaps amongst the worst medical health-carers that I have ever witnessed. And all these factors just added more and more to the lack of a convincing set that eventually made the movie suffer.
And also the lack of scared and a proper horror setting were working against the movie, making the movie seem to drag on. But still, I sat through it, hoping to get at least something good out of the movie. But no, that was not to be.
Hand on heart, then "Infection" is a very weak addition to the Japanese horror genre. I was lured in by the interesting DVD cover from Tartan Asia Extreme. But it just goes to prove the old saying; you can't judge a book by its cover.