It's possible for a movie to be both effective and kind of a mess at the same time, and in my books, this describes Howling Village. A few cool, genuinely creepy scenes mixed in with some muddled storytelling. Some good effects, some cheesy ones. More time spent in the titular village would've been a bonus. Overall, not a horror classic but not a waste of time, either. Worth a watch.
21 Reviews
Not the worst. Not the best.
pansy-5989121 August 2021
Easy to understand. I'm not sure what all the other reviews were talking about in that regard. The story line was interesting, but overall it wasn't the most exciting movie. I didn't find it so much a horror as more a thriller. Overall i did enjoy the movie slightly, and I'm not mad I watched it, but if you're looking for something scary this really isn't the watch for you. The characters weren't stupid per say, but there was some moments where I wanted to yell at them.
Okay
tkactor412 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Very convoluted story with some decent F/X and some creepy atmosphere. Not a terrible movie but marred by unfocused story and some bizarre character choices. The most glaring: when Maya started doing the Ginger Snap/Thriller dance, I would have been out of there. Yet out trio just lets her do her entire dance, leading to the death of one of them. There are some gorgeous locations but the jumpy cinematography does not allow us to fully enjoy them. Definitely does not rate with "The Grudge."
Couldn't make sense out of it!
cjstanford-6509714 November 2022
I don't know if it's just that I didn't pay enough attention to the storyline or it is lost in the subtitled translation or it's disjointed with no hope. Much of the movie was good, even intriguing. And it's made well, not an amateur production which many substandard horror films are. Yes, you'll get the main point about a travesty the leads to the legend of the Howling Village, but beyond that, It just didn't come together. It has a more than enough horror tropes to warrant a good film, maybe too many. Without spoiling it, there's your characters that can see the dead/ghosts and you have a corporate calamity/crime, and a few zombie like monsters, a cursed heritage, time travel, and an alternate reality or maybe you don't have these elements. And, if you do? How do they fit together? Aggh. Having just read some other reviews, I guess my confusion has less to do with my level of attention and more to do with the movie. G.
What?
halfxbreed235 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Are they dead or not? Are they Were-dogs? Why are there only a few modern ghost? Has no one else stumbled upon this village since the late 70's? Can ghost interact with the living? Are they solid? Where does the barricade go to the tunnel? Just why and what was the point of it all? I'm too bored to find out and refuse to watch it again.
Not enough
PedroPires9020 September 2021
This is a weak film. Starts really well but then just becomes uninteresting with too much non-convincing drama, too much talk, very predictable scares/deaths and lack of connection between scenes.
What's worst here is that I can feel that this story could have been a great film, as everything about the village is really creepy.
What's worst here is that I can feel that this story could have been a great film, as everything about the village is really creepy.
Good horror movie
iamdibsswag13 March 2021
I was expecting a lot of this movie. But had to be disappointed since the opening scene of the story. I'm a little confused,that this is a movie about ghosts or zombies?
For the character 'Akina'(opening scene) I think she is good at acting. She Making feel haunted and terrified with her ,even when the scene is in the daytime.
The element of the film that I am impressed with are color-design Creating an atmosphere and haunting background music (song like the nursery-rhyme).
But for the story part . Although it didn't confuse me. But it make me frustrate. Seems to be trying to bring the issues together too forcefully .I don't understand- 'Why did the movie have to include this part?' I think in some parts it doesn't look scary. But out of the story.
The element of the film that I am impressed with are color-design Creating an atmosphere and haunting background music (song like the nursery-rhyme).
But for the story part . Although it didn't confuse me. But it make me frustrate. Seems to be trying to bring the issues together too forcefully .I don't understand- 'Why did the movie have to include this part?' I think in some parts it doesn't look scary. But out of the story.
A Creepy Village With Zombie Ghost Spirits And Great Scary Prosthetics!
silicontourist16 November 2022
Its first 10-15 minutes is boringly slow filmed with a hand held SLR camera that shook all over continuously. I almost stopped watching it (because I hate shaky camera filming and,stuff that looks like it was filmed with a mobile phone). It switched to normal filming just in time so I carried on watching. It rambled on and it told you nothing and though the actors were all doing a great job, the film wasn't.
I can't really describe this film to you in any depth where I wouldn't have to give very poignant parts of the plot away. All I can tell you is that it doesn't link the story(s) together or the sub plot story's either and so, it ends up being a mishmash of broken links; yet somehow manages to come out with a revealing end plus a bizarre twist; that could leave it open for a sequel.
The score I have given it is all for prosthetics and acting, as the story was not great and camera work, lighting etc was non too special!
I can't really describe this film to you in any depth where I wouldn't have to give very poignant parts of the plot away. All I can tell you is that it doesn't link the story(s) together or the sub plot story's either and so, it ends up being a mishmash of broken links; yet somehow manages to come out with a revealing end plus a bizarre twist; that could leave it open for a sequel.
The score I have given it is all for prosthetics and acting, as the story was not great and camera work, lighting etc was non too special!
Good horror with just few visual flaws...
mohammadirfan27412 August 2020
Not as bad as alot of people say. There were alot of scary moments which give you great goosebumps but visually it was weak. It could have been more scarier visually. Overall good horror flick comparing to the modern horror releases. Give it a try!!
Failed horror movie
chuaheileng18 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The whole story line from start till one hour later (I left the cinema due to extreme boredom) makes no sense and dumb. First of all, why would you go back to that tunnel knowing the death of your gf is fishy and you suspect is supernatural??? Why would anyone even think of going back and challenge the supernatural? One look at the tunnel is creepy and dark.
The "documentary style" presentation in the beginning with the shakiness for almost 15 min made me lost half the interest already.
Definitely not recommend to watch, even if u got nothing else to do.
Worst horror movie ive ever seen
harayuna29 March 2021
I watched it with my friend payed 1000yen. Totally wasted our money. Terrible storyline terrible visual effects etc.... Never shouldve spent money on such a terrible movie you shouldnt spend money to watch this its not worth it.
it bad movie
mzunah14 September 2020
Welcome to Howling Village...
ashfordofficial28 November 2021
Inspired by a Japanese urban legend, Howling Village is the first installment of Takashi Shimizu's "Horror Village" film series.
Some plot elements shouldn't have to be in this film. They dragged the storytellling on a different path. With a fantastic cast Takashi managed to create a new J-horror experience.
Some plot elements shouldn't have to be in this film. They dragged the storytellling on a different path. With a fantastic cast Takashi managed to create a new J-horror experience.
Limited by an Unnecessarily Muddled Plot
Uriah4327 April 2024
This film essentially begins with a young woman named "Akina Nishida" (Rinka Otani) and her boyfriend "Yuma Morita" (Ryota Bando) going to an abandoned tunnel which is said to be the gateway to a haunted village on the other side. However, in order to get to this village a person has to receive a call from a specific phone booth near the tunnel at exactly 2 o'clock in the morning. Sure enough, when the phone rings, Akina nervously answers--and then proceeds into the tunnel with Yuma following behind and recording everything. The problem is that neither of them are prepared for what awaits them once they venture to the other side. The scene then shifts to a child psychologist by the name of "Kanata Morita" (Ayaka Miyoshi) getting acquainted with a new patient who apparently suffers from an overactive imagination and sees people who aren't there. Interestingly enough, Kanata also used to see apparitions and, while talking to the young boy, happens to catch a fleeting glimpse of the same person he does. Yet as startling as this may be for her, her fears become a reality when she returns home and learns that both Yuma and his girlfriend have encountered something supernatural--and complete insanity follows closely behind. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a difficult film to follow due in large part to the manner in which the overall story unfolded. Likewise, the language and cultural barriers didn't help either. So, what you have are several good horror scenes, followed by other scenes that don't initially make any sense. And even though there is some clarity at the end, the director (Takashi Shimizu) again muddies the water in the final scene. Unnecessarily, in my opinion. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a bad horror film by any means, the fact is that it failed to meet its true potential, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
An intriguing story, sort of.
mustangcarbon28 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Until halfway through the film, I was intrigued, it was an impeccable setting, ghosts appearing at a glance, a lot of promising things.
But then people start to turn into dogs, that's when I couldn't take the film seriously anymore, from then on it became a comedy film, and I started to see each scene in a funny way, to the point that at a certain moment we saw 4 ghosts riding in a car shaking their heads, it looks like I was watching Scary Movie.
Perhaps it would have been better to have focused only on the mysteries at the beginning of the film. They could invent that there was some massacre or bizarre ritual, and that something needed to be resolved for the ghosts to go away, but they preferred werewolves, time travel, zombies and bad CGI.
But then people start to turn into dogs, that's when I couldn't take the film seriously anymore, from then on it became a comedy film, and I started to see each scene in a funny way, to the point that at a certain moment we saw 4 ghosts riding in a car shaking their heads, it looks like I was watching Scary Movie.
Perhaps it would have been better to have focused only on the mysteries at the beginning of the film. They could invent that there was some massacre or bizarre ritual, and that something needed to be resolved for the ghosts to go away, but they preferred werewolves, time travel, zombies and bad CGI.
Enjoyable enough with just a few issues
kannibalcorpsegrinder13 November 2021
After being brought on-board a new case, a woman finds that her charge has been affected by a recent visit to a fabled city in the area that's home to a dreadful curse that has taken numerous other lives in the past and brings her into a deadly realization involving her connection to the fabled village.
This one has quite a lot to like about it even with some issues to it. When the film comes off best is a generally enjoyable storyline that merges several intriguing storylines together into a workable and somewhat chilling setup. As we get a strong sense of her bizarre powers to see and communicate with ghosts and the tragedy that brings to her friends and family with the nightmarish events that occur to those around her, it sets up the emotional resonance of the first half nicely. Due to the tragedies that have taken place, the revelations that emerge not just about the source of her powers but the family's connection to the cursed village and the actions taken place there, there's a rather involved setup at play. When combined with the way the local authorities treat the connecting tunnel into the cursed village and the stories surrounding it, there's a lot to like with this storyline. That gives the chance for this to offer some solid supernatural scares. The opening exploration of the village through the hand-held camera has an immediacy that makes the ghostly figures dancing in the background and the eeriness of the abandoned village incredibly creepy which starts the film nicely. The series of ghostly sightings she sees around the hospital that is eventually revealed to be the birth mother, which is unknown at the time, offers up some more likable qualities before setting up the later fun to be had once the ghosts and spirits are far more prominent. The chilling scene of the spirits stalking the group through the hospital floors while a secondary encounter takes place at a phone booth with trapped victims inside while running water threatens to drown them is a highlight encounter and is highly effective. As well, later encounters showing the ghosts taking out her accomplices during the investigation are somewhat shocking with the focus more on the horrific events that happened and trying to keep it from continuing. It all makes for a thrilling finish and ends things on a positive high-note overall. As mentioned, there are some problems to be had with the film. The biggest drawback is that the story has way too much going on for its own good, oftentimes being incredibly detrimental about it. The idea of the psychologist with paranormal powers investigating the cursed village once her family goes missing is a fine and workable setup for what's going on, yet there's just too much going on here with the need to look into the young boy's background and looking into the rather convoluted history of the tunnel into the village. These just complicate matters unnecessarily when dealing with the investigation into the strange events in the village and extend the running time, much like the flashbacks revealing the discovery of her powers and the realization that she can talk with ghosts which we already know. There's also an issue where the film feels way too dragged down in the mid-section doing these investigations into the town's history and background information. While it furthers the story by grounding the experience rather nicely, the fact that the energy and scares of the film noticeably dips during this part is quite obvious and noticeable which creates a jarring effect at points. Overall, these factors do hold it back somewhat but just a little from the positives.
Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.
This one has quite a lot to like about it even with some issues to it. When the film comes off best is a generally enjoyable storyline that merges several intriguing storylines together into a workable and somewhat chilling setup. As we get a strong sense of her bizarre powers to see and communicate with ghosts and the tragedy that brings to her friends and family with the nightmarish events that occur to those around her, it sets up the emotional resonance of the first half nicely. Due to the tragedies that have taken place, the revelations that emerge not just about the source of her powers but the family's connection to the cursed village and the actions taken place there, there's a rather involved setup at play. When combined with the way the local authorities treat the connecting tunnel into the cursed village and the stories surrounding it, there's a lot to like with this storyline. That gives the chance for this to offer some solid supernatural scares. The opening exploration of the village through the hand-held camera has an immediacy that makes the ghostly figures dancing in the background and the eeriness of the abandoned village incredibly creepy which starts the film nicely. The series of ghostly sightings she sees around the hospital that is eventually revealed to be the birth mother, which is unknown at the time, offers up some more likable qualities before setting up the later fun to be had once the ghosts and spirits are far more prominent. The chilling scene of the spirits stalking the group through the hospital floors while a secondary encounter takes place at a phone booth with trapped victims inside while running water threatens to drown them is a highlight encounter and is highly effective. As well, later encounters showing the ghosts taking out her accomplices during the investigation are somewhat shocking with the focus more on the horrific events that happened and trying to keep it from continuing. It all makes for a thrilling finish and ends things on a positive high-note overall. As mentioned, there are some problems to be had with the film. The biggest drawback is that the story has way too much going on for its own good, oftentimes being incredibly detrimental about it. The idea of the psychologist with paranormal powers investigating the cursed village once her family goes missing is a fine and workable setup for what's going on, yet there's just too much going on here with the need to look into the young boy's background and looking into the rather convoluted history of the tunnel into the village. These just complicate matters unnecessarily when dealing with the investigation into the strange events in the village and extend the running time, much like the flashbacks revealing the discovery of her powers and the realization that she can talk with ghosts which we already know. There's also an issue where the film feels way too dragged down in the mid-section doing these investigations into the town's history and background information. While it furthers the story by grounding the experience rather nicely, the fact that the energy and scares of the film noticeably dips during this part is quite obvious and noticeable which creates a jarring effect at points. Overall, these factors do hold it back somewhat but just a little from the positives.
Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.
NOT AS EXPECTED
drawdawn16 July 2022
When you hear about the director you immediately expected the solid realistic material touched by well experience person. In a short word "director of grudge = solid storyline with terrific jumpscare.
Where is it all ?
We miss all of those expectation in here...
Where is it all ?
We miss all of those expectation in here...
Convoluted story lacks proper theme
gabriel_sanchez11 November 2023
The Howling Village starts out interesting, but fails miserably. The plot choices are ridiculous and nonsensical, ending with an ambiguous revelation that seals the coffin of this film.
Kanata, a clairvoyant who sees spirits, must uncover the mystery surrounding her sister's death before an ancient secret destroys her family.
The acting is the usual one of oriental films, despite the Brazilian dubbing that leaves a little to be desired. In some moments, the actors can't convey the emotions they try, they seem fake, especially if we consider the context present in the film.
The film has the hallmarks of low budget. The practical effects are good, but the CGI sucks, a weird overlay that doesn't feel real at all, not believable at all.
The scene of Kanata's sister's death is hilarious, I can't help but comment. A satirical death, with an unnecessary dark humor. It would be more efficient to keep reality in focus.
The plot revolves around the mystery of the Howling Village and what happened to its inhabitants. The story tries to highlight the contrast between the actions of the big corporations against the humble and desperate, but the plan backfired, since, in the course of the film, we realize that the inhabitants of the village were not so good guys.
All of these facts lead to the final revelation, a confusing and out-of-context revelation. The last piece of the puzzle doesn't fit, giving the impression that the writers didn't know which story to tell, culminating in this hybrid story full of bitter holes.
Kanata, a clairvoyant who sees spirits, must uncover the mystery surrounding her sister's death before an ancient secret destroys her family.
The acting is the usual one of oriental films, despite the Brazilian dubbing that leaves a little to be desired. In some moments, the actors can't convey the emotions they try, they seem fake, especially if we consider the context present in the film.
The film has the hallmarks of low budget. The practical effects are good, but the CGI sucks, a weird overlay that doesn't feel real at all, not believable at all.
The scene of Kanata's sister's death is hilarious, I can't help but comment. A satirical death, with an unnecessary dark humor. It would be more efficient to keep reality in focus.
The plot revolves around the mystery of the Howling Village and what happened to its inhabitants. The story tries to highlight the contrast between the actions of the big corporations against the humble and desperate, but the plan backfired, since, in the course of the film, we realize that the inhabitants of the village were not so good guys.
All of these facts lead to the final revelation, a confusing and out-of-context revelation. The last piece of the puzzle doesn't fit, giving the impression that the writers didn't know which story to tell, culminating in this hybrid story full of bitter holes.
Some great visuals but not what you think
donaldsbelliveau21 August 2021
Like another reviewer here, the film has some great moments and kept my interest throughout; it even has one of the creepiest things I've seen in film ("soon"). But in the end it tries to be way too many different types of films. Not as amazing as the trailer makes it seem to be but also glad I bought it. It's worth watching.
Good ghost movie with stunning screenplay..!!
kamalbeeee27 June 2021
A physcologist lady who have power able to see ghost and she try to find the dark secret of her family history and hidden village..
Really story and screenplay was stunning..
Must watch movie without missing each and every detail..
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