Effigy

I'm not sure who is adding all the negative star ratings and if they have actually seen the movie and genuinely didn't like it or are just trolling, but as with most of the other people who actually wrote reviews, I would definitely recommend watching this film if you like movies that are dark, highly-atmospheric, and artistic slow-burn suspense (almost a sort of mythic-Japanese-metropolitan-noir type feeling. Subtle, dark-fantasy cyberpunk, maybe).

I don't usually watch horror movies, but I found this movie highly enjoyable because it presented an atmospheric, artistic and motif-heavy exploration of the horrors of living in a soulless metropolis full of lost people, without resorting to jump scares and chases scenes. If you want "I'm scared to turn out the lights after watching this" type J-Horror, this ain't it. If you want a thoughtful meditation on the kind of casual cruelty and isolation that can characterize modern life in a mega-city, seen through a rich and immersive horror-type-lens that elevates the mundane and mixes it with the mythic, this is the movie for you.

Effigy is, on the surface, a simple story about a woman's gradual mental/moral spiraling. Much of the runtime is spent on atmospheric thematic development rather than detailed or dramatic plot points. The slow-burn is kept from being boring, however, both through the immersive visuals and sound, and, even more so, through the layering of symbols, analogies, motifs, and myths on top of the base storyline.

Imagine a dark version of "Drive My Car," but instead of 3-hours of pretentious monotone reading of Chekhov lines that are hard to understand out of context, it layers in an easily accessible Hans Christian Andersen-type haunting fairy-tale on top of the main story. This, combined with repeating visual motifs, ties things together and creates a feeling of inevitability-the protagonists mental and moral decay feels tied to the physical and social decay of the world around her. I would compare it a little bit to AMC's "The Killing," or "Bird Box Barcelona," - a focus on the decaying fringes of a cyberpunk-metropolis, mixed with a heavy dose of poetic and mythic imagery and symbols.

This is a movie about, to some extent, the struggle for meaning amidst an uncaring world, and this struggle operates on multiple levels, from mythic fairy tale to gritty undercity drama. The greatest impact of this movie is in its seamless mixing of all of these levels together.

For a relatively low-budget independent film, the quality is extremely high, the writing and acting is enjoyable and believable, the visuals are somehow both immersive and claustrophobic, the sound and music rival any big-budget Hollywood movie in terms of quality, and the concept is unique, creative, and memorable.

There is not a huge amount of plot, the pace is a little slow at times, and the budget constraints shows in some of the CGI sequences, but the expertly crafted use of motifs and layered stories, combined with the immersive atmosphere make it an enjoyable and memorable film if you are up for the sort of immersive suspense that is horrific, but not shocking, artistic, but not pretentious, and low-budget, but not low-quality.

If you go in expecting a slow burn, something that leans more atmospheric than narrative, I think you'll have a good time. Or, like a disturbing time. Lots of darkness, lots of unsettling soundtrack, and plenty of weird, unsettling affect from the lead - it certainly all combined to give me the heebie-jeebies. For what they were going for, I don't think a standard, dialogue-heavy narrative would have suited the movie - themes of isolation and alienation even when surrounded by people in a huge city. I was in the mood for phantasmagoria tonight, and this fit the bill.

And while I enjoyed it, I hope my review is enough to tell you, dear reader, whether this is a movie you yourself would enjoy. It's not a slasher film, there are no jump scares, and while gross at times, it's more unsettling than anything. And not even really that gory. Just a slowly-ratcheting feeling of unease.

Also, shoutout to Kwaidan, Yuki the Snow Maiden would have loved the spider story in this movie.

Effigy blends art-house and horror elements well and has a plot that effectively explains things that would normally be hindrances in other independent films and uses them to its full narrative advantage. The film prioritizes atmosphere over sheer shock value, building an eerie, unsettling ambiance that leads to its conclusion. It's a unique approach that distinguishes it from mainstream horror flicks.

The protagonists' psychological state and the immersive settings contribute significantly to this sense of unease, Effigy isn't just about scaring you with immediate threats; it's about drawing you into a world where the very fabric of reality feels uncertain and off-kilter.

If you're in the mood for a dark movie that avoids all the usual horror tropes, a movie that gets under your skin and squirms, even a movie that makes you ask a lot of uncomfortable questions, then Effigy is just what you might be looking for.

First of all it's gorgeously shot which I really appreciate. As a long time Japan resident, I got extra chills with all the near deserted city shots.

Also, I felt the folktale that the protagonist makes up is the heart-thread that holds together the lives and stories of all the characters in the movie, making it a beautiful and beautifully disturbing flick.

Effigy caught my attention for its atmosphere. While I didn't fully absorb the story on my first viewing, its aesthetic and tone stood out. Cairns sets the story in Tokyo but doesn't allow the locale to overshadow the narrative. Themes of greed, detachment, and exploitation weave through the uncanny atmosphere. The language choices, performances, and nighttime settings all heighten the sense of disconnection, with palpable schisms between even physically close characters. We are invited to decipher not only what is said but also what is shown and what is meant. This ambiguity adds a layer of tension and complexity to the film. I prefer to digest films slowly rather than being overwhelmed by an overt message-or lack thereof-and Effigy definitely gave me plenty to ruminate on.

One of the most striking elements was the audio. The layers and textures, combined with droning soundscapes, conveyed an atemporal sense-as if time itself was being blurred. This auditory choice deepened the film's atmosphere, making it easy to lose track of time. That said, the day/night cycles felt significant. They highlighted the contrast between the waking world and the quiet, unsettling stillness of night, contributing to the film's themes of isolation and disconnection.

While Effigy includes subtle nods to 90s J-horror, it deftly avoids the overused tropes of that genre. Its more reflective, unsettling tone and imagery reminded me of films like Under the Skin and Audition, as well as Yoko Ogawa's book The Diving Pool and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The film's budget is noticeable at times, but it manages to create an intriguing atmosphere, with motifs and motivations that invite further contemplation.