Tag: Asian Horror
Director Kenichi Ugana is profoundly interested in exploring societal outcasts and obsessives in his work, whilst maintaining a distinct punk and transgressive style. With titles such as Visitors: Complete Edition (2023), Extraneous Matter: Complete Edition (2021), and The Curse (2025), to name a few, the young director’s vast number of films feature elements from all
Extraneous Matter: Complete Edition (Ibutsu – Kanzenhan) is a 2021 Japanese horror drama film written and directed by Kenichi Ugana. Renowned for directing bloody horror, Kenichi is recognised as the creator behind films such as Visitors: Complete Edition (2023), the Japanese-Taiwanese collaborative horror The Curse (2025), and the upcoming Incomplete Chairs (2025). The film compiles
Born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1984, Kenichi Ugana is a Japanese film director and screenwriter who graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Aoyama Gakuin University. Beginning his career in film with his short films, Access (2010) and Smell (2011), Kenichi would break into feature-length titles with Gangro Gal’s Riot (2016), a film based on the Ganguro
Chewed-up nails, dizzy spells, why-haven’t-I-thrown-up-yet, bullets of sweat, racing heart and aching head- anxiety can be arduous to experience. The last thing you’d expect someone to suggest to help with it is to experience it recreationally? Yet, studies not only show that those with anxiety are more likely to seek out products in the horror
Known as one of the most gruesome series of Japanese rape-revenge and torture films ever made, the All Night Long Series has long been associated with a sense of infamy. Consisting of six films written and directed by Katsuya Matsumura from 1992 to 2009, these films are known for their graphic portrayal of mutilation, torture,
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
Neu Mirrors is a 2024 Japanese short horror film written and directed by Keishi Kondo. The film is a direct sequel to Keishi’s 2022 feature-length horror drama New Religion (2022), picking up moments after its explosive conclusion. There remain stories yet to be told after New Religion. It begins with Mizuki waking up in a
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