Author: Oki Covarrubias
To start, this is indeed an indirect sequel to 2020’s Stigmatized Properties, directed by none other than J-horror icon Hideo Nakata (Ringu, Dark Water). I’ve said and written this numerous times before: Nakata-san’s films have been hit or miss for me after The Complex (2013)—which I thoroughly enjoyed—with more misses than hits. The first Stigmatized
After stepping away from filmmaking since 2019’s charming musical comedy Dance with Me, director Shinobu Yaguchi makes his return with Dollhouse (2025), a horror tale centered on a cursed doll, of all things. Those who are only mildly familiar with Yaguchi-san’s filmography may find this genre jump to be rather jarring, but I assure you
It is no mystery to seasoned J-horror fans that many of the most prolific directors of the genre started their careers making low-budget short films for television or straight-to-video productions, otherwise known as V-cinema. Takashi Shimizu of Ju-On fame, for example, dipped his toes in the waters of V-cinema with 4444444444, In a Corner, and
With the Silent Hill 2 remake having received a positive reception from critics and fans alike, along with the hype surrounding Silent Hill f’s release, one may wonder: what ever happened to the original Team Silent, and what are they up to these days? Fans would be quick to point out that Keiichiro Toyama, specifically—director
I have spent a significant amount of my tenure with Grimoire of Horror reviewing the latest films of Takashi Shimizu—the man responsible for the sensational Ju-On film series—and although none of his newer films have affected me as much as his earlier work (Ju-On: The Curse (2000) and Marebito (2004) specifically come to mind), I
Filmmaker Koji Shiraishi has garnered quite a cult following over the years due to his continuous efforts within the horror world. Titles like Noroi: The Curse (2005) and Carved (2007) are relatively known amongst seasoned J-horror fans, but Shiraishi-san hasn’t managed to gain the attention that I believe he deserves. It pains me that a
Would you answer the door for a stranger and let them into your home? The year 2024 has been abound with diverse horror releases, ranging from a slasher largely observed from the killer’s perspective, a film featuring a child vampire ballerina, and a crime thriller showcasing Nicholas Cage in a way that we never could
After winning Best Original Screenplay for Juno (2007) at both the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards, Diablo Cody was given carte blanche on her next full-length picture. What the general audience might not have expected at the time was that Cody was—and still is—a huge fan of horror films, so she took this opportunity
The fact that both Hideo Nakata (Ringu, Dark Water) and Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, Reincarnation) have been consistently releasing new horror films as of late is astonishingly overlooked. At the same time, one can argue that the not-so-favorable critical reception for these films is the reason why they’re not gaining the traction that their predecessors once
If you’re familiar with the name Ryuhei Kitamura, you are most likely familiar with either the beloved zombie action flick Versus (2000), the exquisite jidaigeki (period drama) Azumi (2003), the explosive kaiju epic Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), or, my personal favorite, the genre-bending supernatural action flick Sky High (2002). In fact, it is very likely