This is basically a compilation of killings by murderous spirits with enigmatic motives, which means that the entire film consists of horror sequences. The storytelling structure begins with the last segment (#10) and progresses backwards (to #1 and Prologue), but the stories and characters have little to no development so the setup seems like a gimmick.
The score and sound effects are excellent and are the strongest positive of this movie, even using some chanting at times. The use of blurred images for ghosts is also effective. In some cases the entities will appear very subtly in the background, which is an impressive technique. The segments themselves range from mediocre to very good – Chapter 5 being the best with a really cool staircase scene. Atmosphere is dark and thick throughout. Yes, the onryo ghost girl is used at times (as well as the croaking noises from The Grudge), but this much maligned debut film from director Koji Shiraishi is better than its reputation suggests.
