Second feature film from the man who would go on to make The Ring and Dark Water, indeed his very first film if you exclude, as I see IMDb do, a 'pink'. but first or second it is a great effort and if it doesn't totally succeed it certainly has some very creepy moments and is breaking new ground for a ghost film. He is already using the media, ghostly images appear superimposed upon the film he is using to shoot a melodrama, and utilising the long haired maniacal girl/ghost image. Modest running time exactly in accordance with the requirements of the story; if only all directors would go short if the story did not warrant more. A little confusing now and again because Mr Nakata does not lay everything out that obviously but well worth catching.
15 Reviews
Spooky Japanese horror
cal_00711 March 2001
Not on the same level as Ring (or Ring 2) but still a good Japanese horror flick nonetheless. I wish North American horror producers would take a page out of the Japanese horror template and put more 'spookiness' and less cheap shocks in their flicks. Lots of good examples in this one, scenes where a whited out face is scene staring behind a young actress, photographs on a wall are suddenly glimpsed smiling, just for a second, and more. Worth checking out if you like the genre.
Witness The Origins of J-Horror
SomaQuest29 September 2018
A worth-while watch for an introduction to the origins of modern J-Horror. As a Freshman directorial effort some aspects show through as "need improvement,"; continuity of story, backstory development, score, lighting - however, the concept of this film became the backbone of J-Horror and the foreshadowing of many of what we now call cliches in Asian Horror. That being said, by today's standards not a "scary" film nor one that will be memorable for younger audiences.
ghost existentialism
cecil220 June 2003
This film is great at putting ideas into the viewer's subconscious. The whole simple idea of the story is great, by having the characters shoot a film such that the viewer almost feels like they are separated from the characters and in tune with the supernatural. Since you are watching people making a movie investigating another movie, it brings you into the action, as if the same things could happen to you. The blandness of some scenes on the surface is really fun when contrasted against the supernatural events that happen later. An example is a line where the director tells the actress not to "look down" when saying her lines, when she really shouldn't be "looking up" later when she encounters the ghost. One of the most interesting things about this movie is that you wouldn't even think this was a ghost story in some scenes until you realize the context it is in. Definitely this is one of the best ghost detective stories, it has an almost meditative nature and makes the movie more scary. The over the shoulder scenes of the ghost are very scary, partly because the movie often shows people filming from the opposite angle, so you are actually watching them film, scenes in which you could become the ghost. By concentrating on the existence of the ghost, the whole movie becomes more scary.
Review
Rocket-Pictures30 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was really hyped up by some of my Japanese friends. Basically it has exactly the same positives and negatives of the original The Ring film also directed by Nakata. It has one of the creepiest scenes I've ever seen in a horror movie, when the blurred image of the ghost actress appears on the rushes of the footage shot by the film's hero. However, the plotting is pretty bad and the finale feels like a real missed opportunity. As with The Ring the plot explanation for who and why the ghost actress is, is completely garbage. Interesting to see it has been picked up for remake rights. They really need to tie up the exposition plotting to make this work - i.e who the ghost actress is, what she wants, why she is haunting the studio, why the director has memories of watching the film as a child, why him???!! etc. When the ghost actress reveals herself it never lives up to the creepy image scene earlier in the film. They would do well to watch The Eye by the Pang Brothers to see how this is done, instead of the usual white faced hovering ghost.
Creepy, but pointless
rsaintj30 May 2002
Lots of effective, creepy moments building up in the first 2/3 of the film, but seems to putter out after that. Solid performances and great handling of the "movie within a movie (within another movie?)". Still, a good first effort from director Hideo Nakata ("Ring").
Great beginning and middle, rough end
harybobjoebob27 June 2021
I really enjoyed this movie, the atmosphere is so this with anticipation for the next scare. This movie truly did scare me and put me on edge.
It's a ghost movie with your classic Japanese type ghost, I wish it had gone into the ghosts backstory a little like the ring but that's just a small gripe with the film. The soundtrack is great and kicks in just when it needs to.
My biggest problem is the end, I feel like it was just way to mutch, less is more and the rest of the film is paced wonderfully and we see just enough of the ghost but the end she's front and center and I could have done with a little more subtle of an ending.
It's a ghost movie with your classic Japanese type ghost, I wish it had gone into the ghosts backstory a little like the ring but that's just a small gripe with the film. The soundtrack is great and kicks in just when it needs to.
My biggest problem is the end, I feel like it was just way to mutch, less is more and the rest of the film is paced wonderfully and we see just enough of the ghost but the end she's front and center and I could have done with a little more subtle of an ending.
Dull
zetes14 June 2002
It doesn't even merit a review, other than as a warning to potential viewers. It's a somewhat generic ghost story about an actress haunting a studio during the filming of a WWII period drama. There's no fear involved, no suspense whatsoever, nor any surprises. One shocking moment that looks a bit too silly to be shocking. The visual style is very flat and dull, although there is some really nice editing once in a while. The story never comes together, and the films is really just a total bust. 4/10.
Precursor to RINGU
etale7 August 2003
After watching this film last night on Sundance, I realized that much of Nakata's style was first done in this film. Here we have many of the same elements of the RINGU series, especially the idea of the media being the source of the supernatural. Instead of the cursed videotape, we instead having a haunted studio and strange images appearing on film. In fact, the strange images appearing on film brings immediately the cursed videotape in RINGU to mind. The only thing missing was the obsession to water that runs through Nakata's later films. The final scenes are quite chilling, with a bit of a nod to Murnau, what with the door opening by itself ands the ghost entering the room, reminds me immediatly of
NOSFERATU. A chilling movie that will make think twice about going up to a catwalk.
NOSFERATU. A chilling movie that will make think twice about going up to a catwalk.
Borring
mobp31 May 2020
I had high hopes for this movie. I saw almost every japanese horror movie you can imagine and this one was one of the few I hadn't seen so far. What can I say ? I wish I hadn't watched it. It was borring as hell. I know its an old movie but still a movie is ether good or not. This one isn't good. There's nothing scarry or creepy about it. There are no disturbing scenes. There's nothing of that creeping up your spine horror that makes japanese horror movies so special. There's nothing that stands out in this one. It's a rather short movie with 75mins but even those minutes felt like a drag. If you want to watch a good movie from Nakata watch the Ring series,Dark Water or Sadako(which is a good movie although it has bad ratings.) This one is a miss.
Don't Look Up (aka Ghost Actress)
Saliva Soup10 June 2002
I really enjoyed this debut by Ring director, Hideo Nakata. If you've seen Ring beforehand then you'll be familiar with the style and idea of this flick. It's got a subtle spookiness about it that works better than the constant (and predictable) stingers that infest most mainstream movies of this genre. If you like films that give you the chills, then you will probably like this one. A good, creepy debut by Hideo Nakata. 8/10
Chilling
Bacio8331 August 2003
For his first ever debut this film has some riveting and chilling moments. In the best horror film fashion the pit of your stomach tightens every moment during this film. The ending is superb. The makers of Blaire Witch obviously watched this film it's ending wasn't an end but a beginning of the end. A great movie and only a piece of Japan's great as far as scare factor a perfect score it makes you think and scared out of your mind.
A scary movie that keeps you guessing
bondblackberry1 August 2016
The story revolves around the setting of a Japanese movie during World War Two. Yet, the scenes of that movie when screened is interrupted by some scenes from a old discarded television movie. This initiates the mystery and the film gets the fuel for the making of a perfect scary movie. I watched a lot of Japanese horror films, but this is definitely one of the scariest. I liked the ending, yet I feel they should have explained a bit further to keep the viewers pondering over why there is a mystery of a haunted setting in the first place. What caused those killings? Why it happens in that place? From when the place was haunted and something like that. It could have made the viewers to ruminate and compare whether such things happens in reality. This would have kept some apprehensive people on their toes especially those, if they are in the acting business :) Please watch this movie and you can get this movie in Youtube.
what a ride
stikeforce31 February 2004
this movie is practically impossible to describe. the alternate title "Don't Look Up" is a lot more descriptive. Like most Japanese cinema, the story is not as linear as American. The story revolves around a director who is filming a story about a ww2 deserter. The set is haunted(?) by an actress who died(?) during the filming of a tv show back in the 60s. the director is the ONLY one who saw this show. if you have seen Ringu (the director Hideo Nakata is the same) and liked it, you'll like ghost actress. i loved ghost actress a lot more than ringu. a truly scary and disturbing movie. a 10!
An interesting debut from the director of the sensation Ringu
gizmola6 April 2003
First a bit about the story. A young director working in the japanese studio system is making a WWII period film requiring strong emotional scenes from two young actresses. There is quite a bit of plot revolving around the casting of the actresses, as well as illumination of their very different personalities and maturation. The director has to fight against agents and studio brass to cast the actors he wants to cast, and this preoccupies much of the early portion of the film.
While screening dailies, the production crew stumbles upon a strange accident. Some of the negative they were using appears to have been previously exposed, and has portions of a much older Japanese film featuring a rather transfixing actress from the past. The young Director is particularly intrigued, as the film seems to trigger a childhood recollection of watching the film years earlier on TV. He assigns the Studio editor to dig up information on this film, to put his mind at ease, and the film production proceeds from there, although clearly now haunted by questions about this other film, and its mysterious star.
If you are a fan of Ringu, now remade in the US as The Ring, you will no doubt find it interesting how many of the same ideas and motifs are present in Ghost Actress. In many ways, in retrospect, Ghost Actress appears to be a working out of stylistic and narrative techniques which made Ringu such a huge success.
The problems with Ghost Actress can primarily be traced back to the muddy script, which poses many questions without answering any. As I mentioned, much of the early film proves in the end to be entirely irrelevant to the central plot, and there isn't a strong linear thread driving the protagonist of the film, namely the young Director. He simply seems to be reacting to the situational dilemmas confronting him, and despite the nerdy likableness of Actor Yuurei Yanagi, doesn't illicit a lot of concern for his predicament or obsessions.
The conclusion of the film however, is undeniably powerful, and hints at Director Hideo Nakata's talent for combining supernatural themes with striking visual and sound design to great unnerving effect.
While screening dailies, the production crew stumbles upon a strange accident. Some of the negative they were using appears to have been previously exposed, and has portions of a much older Japanese film featuring a rather transfixing actress from the past. The young Director is particularly intrigued, as the film seems to trigger a childhood recollection of watching the film years earlier on TV. He assigns the Studio editor to dig up information on this film, to put his mind at ease, and the film production proceeds from there, although clearly now haunted by questions about this other film, and its mysterious star.
If you are a fan of Ringu, now remade in the US as The Ring, you will no doubt find it interesting how many of the same ideas and motifs are present in Ghost Actress. In many ways, in retrospect, Ghost Actress appears to be a working out of stylistic and narrative techniques which made Ringu such a huge success.
The problems with Ghost Actress can primarily be traced back to the muddy script, which poses many questions without answering any. As I mentioned, much of the early film proves in the end to be entirely irrelevant to the central plot, and there isn't a strong linear thread driving the protagonist of the film, namely the young Director. He simply seems to be reacting to the situational dilemmas confronting him, and despite the nerdy likableness of Actor Yuurei Yanagi, doesn't illicit a lot of concern for his predicament or obsessions.
The conclusion of the film however, is undeniably powerful, and hints at Director Hideo Nakata's talent for combining supernatural themes with striking visual and sound design to great unnerving effect.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
