Sayuri

At the beginning, House of Sayuri is fun, filled with those classic jump scares that get your heart racing. It's all thrilling, and you're hooked-until the brutal tragedy hits. That's when everything changes, and the real horror sets in. The plot twist that reveals why Sayuri is the way she is completely shakes you. It's a chilling reminder that not all villains are born; some are made.

House of Sayuri is a Japanese horror film that truly gets under your skin. It's about an old mansion with a dark history, and as the story unfolds, you begin to piece together the horrifying events tied to it. At the center of it all is Sayuri, a character who, despite being a victim of tragic circumstances, ends up doing some truly terrible things. Her trauma, shaped by the darkness around her, drives her to actions that can't easily be forgiven. Once touched by darkness, it's clear that you can never truly go back.

After years of savings and sacrifice, a close-knit family is elated when their dream of owning a home in the countryside finally comes true, but when things turn violent and inexplicable accidents befall the family realize the ghost of a traumatized woman is haunting the house and try to appease it.

Generally, there's quite a lot to enjoy with the film. One of the best elements comes from a generally intriguing storyline that offers a slightly different take on the haunted house formula. The initial presentation of the family shows a well-familiar tale of a happy and excited family finally able to afford their first house and their children claiming rooms, adjusting to the increased space, and trying not to be spooked by the strangeness of their new surroundings. This setup works incredibly well to ground everyone in their roles easily enough so that the resulting scenario of the ghost's identity within the house helps with the later hauntings. The gradual discovery of the daughters' strange behavior signals that something is off within the house as the accidents escalate from a more serious-minded approach to a wackier style of setpiece later on, once the family decides to fight off the spirit. Having this be accomplished with the seemingly off-kilter Grandmother proving to be the sanest and most grounded character in the bizarre setup helps to make this all the more intriguing and is a great inversion of the expected tropes utilizing the traditional setups of the genre. That allows for the use of both creepy and silly setpieces to come about throughout the film. The first instances where the older brother would stumble upon strange creaking noises in the house or know that a shadowy figure was in the room with the daughter, unaware of its presence, offer a rather simplistic take that furthers the initial setup of the family arriving at a dangerous house. When it gets more physical, including a vicious sequence on the younger brother by the possessed daughter or the genuine attacks on the family members as they get knocked off one by one is where everything turns around into a series of gruesome and shocking scenes featuring some shocking antics and unexpected outcomes that lead into the feverish race to stop the spirit from continuing to wreak havoc. The series of tactics and concepts employed to fend it off, not just with physical training and nonchalant attitudes, but a series of gruesome practices designed to get the horrid truth out about the hauntings. These all manage to provide quite a lot to enjoy overall. While these all leave this one with a lot to like, there are some issues present. One of the few factors involved is the bizarre tonal shift that occurs once the ghost has killed off the family and left the two surviving family members. While the grounded first half, where the family is targeted and subject to a series of hauntings, comes off genuinely thrilling and tense, the sudden descent into wacky comedy at the hands of the grandmother is a weird shift to undertake. Going full throttle with the revelation that she's not just a confused, fragile near-dying member of the family, to one where her vibrant, rebellious punk-rock style of dealing with the ghost makes for a fun time, but is so out of nowhere it can be hard to see the switch. Moreover, this section dealing with plenty of training build-ups about how to fight off the ghost leaves less time for the more traditional hauntings associated with the genre, and can make for a bloated feeling where the film runs on a bit longer than necessary. While not truly detrimental, these can hold the film back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, and intense suggestion of child sexual abuse.

"House of Sayuri" is a 2024 Japanese horror film that blends elements of traditional ghost stories with modern anxieties. Directed by Koji Shiraishi, the film follows the Kamiki family as they move into a seemingly idyllic new home, only to discover it's haunted by the vengeful spirit of a young girl named Sayuri.

The film effectively utilizes a slow-burn approach, building suspense through subtle atmospheric cues and unsettling imagery. The haunted house itself becomes a character, its creaking floorboards and flickering lights adding to the growing sense of dread. The performances are solid, with the family members gradually unraveling under the mounting pressure of the supernatural forces at play.

However, "House of Sayuri" falters in its execution. While the initial premise is intriguing, the film struggles to maintain a consistent tone. It veers unexpectedly into slapstick comedy, jarring the audience and undermining the established atmosphere of fear. The comedic elements, while occasionally amusing, feel out of place and detract from the overall impact of the horror.

Furthermore, the film's resolution feels rushed and anticlimactic. The confrontation with the vengeful spirit lacks the intensity and emotional weight that one might expect from such a pivotal moment. This abrupt ending leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied and unresolved.

Despite these shortcomings, "House of Sayuri" offers a unique blend of traditional Japanese horror elements with contemporary anxieties. The film's exploration of family dynamics and the psychological impact of trauma adds a layer of depth to the familiar haunted house narrative. While it may not be a perfect film, "House of Sayuri" is an intriguing experiment that showcases both the strengths and weaknesses of blending horror with comedic elements.