Onne (2006) Film review – Isolation in the Internet Age

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Onne is a 2006 Japanese horror film written and directed by legendary filmmaker Shozin Fukui. The film is one of the last feature-length titles Fukui worked on as writer/director, in addition to Den-Sen (2006).

A 23-year-old hikikomori, Takeshi, lives an isolated life, willingly trapped inside his apartment. However, after a strange gas attack disables all his electronics, he is completely cut off from the outside world. The only item unaffected is his webcam, which he uses to try to reach out for help or information about the situation. A few towns over, two young women encounter Takeshi’s live stream and, while trying to help the young man, witness his descent into madness.

Equal parts fractal j-horror and NEET-based psychodrama, Onne’s alternating tones never fully settle in either one of these stories. The slow build-up of frantic paranoia in one doesn’t translate to the other narrative’s focus on witnessing human degradation, resulting in a stronger emphasis on loneliness and isolation over traditional horror—something Fukui’s work has become synonymous with. However, this isn’t to say the film doesn’t explore more orthodox elements of horror, delivering a fairly tropey, yet still unexpected twist ending perfectly at home within J-horror.

Being filmed on digital video, the visuals provide an incredibly raw aesthetic throughout. Featuring washed-out colours and lo-fidelity, standard definition footage creates a harsh yet relatable environment in which to witness Takeshi’s descent into madness. Additionally, though the medium feels amateurish, the cinematography itself is anything but. Making use of a single camera, scene framing feels purposeful—designed to capture as much of a scene as possible before requiring a cut and angle change.

Despite its funding limitations, Onne is still a cinematic treat for fans of Fukui’s work. While not as visually sleek or energetic as 964 Pinnocchio (1991) or Rubber’s Lover (1996), the film is still a fantastic display of his underlying themes of loneliness, isolation, and desperation wrapped in a slow-burning, sombre narrative.

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