IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
A TV production crew are making a documentary about the infamous painter Mamiya Ichiro. When they start filming at his old home, they come under attack from the ghost of the painter's wife.A TV production crew are making a documentary about the infamous painter Mamiya Ichiro. When they start filming at his old home, they come under attack from the ghost of the painter's wife.A TV production crew are making a documentary about the infamous painter Mamiya Ichiro. When they start filming at his old home, they come under attack from the ghost of the painter's wife.
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Featured reviews
Haunted Mansions Japanese Style
First off, to anyone who sees the version I did. The film starts out with a commercial of the video game based on the movie. They show some scenes from the movie, and pretty good ones at that. So, if you start the flick and see a video game commercial I'd turn my head away just so you don't ruin anything for yourself.
Japanese Horror is something of a hit or miss with me. I'm not a fan of the jerky ghosts who walk like they have rheumatoid arthritis, or the pale-faced long hair girls. I'm not saying those movies can't deliver a chill or two, but overall it's a very played out scare-tactic and it's almost eye-rollingly cliché nowadays. Well, back in 89' there was a movie called Sweet Home, and this flick suffers from zero of these problems. It's unique in it's scares and chills, and that's what I really commend it for.
With a story revolving around a family/team heading to a abandoned mansion to investigate whether the house has a rare painting the story plays out like any haunted house flick. There may be something wrong, but no one really cares or believes. Well, after a little bit, they finally do begin to realize the mansion is cursed, but by the time they realize, the wheels of horror are in motion, and it's now a fight to stay alive.
Sweet Home, isn't a perfect flick, there are some drags in the film, and I personally think the movie could have been a lot scarier. They had perfect set-ups mixed with perfect camera-shots, but only used them for the creepy factor instead of the scare-factor. You're presented with a sense of dread, but rarely do they ever really try to scare you. Nevertheless, the film does offer chills and enough of them to satisfy the viewer.
But with a cool story, good acting, fantastic atmosphere/cinematography and great fx, the movie more than delivers enough for an entertaining and unique little haunted house flick. If you're into Japanese horror/haunted house flicks, give this flick a shot. It's worth it.
Japanese Horror is something of a hit or miss with me. I'm not a fan of the jerky ghosts who walk like they have rheumatoid arthritis, or the pale-faced long hair girls. I'm not saying those movies can't deliver a chill or two, but overall it's a very played out scare-tactic and it's almost eye-rollingly cliché nowadays. Well, back in 89' there was a movie called Sweet Home, and this flick suffers from zero of these problems. It's unique in it's scares and chills, and that's what I really commend it for.
With a story revolving around a family/team heading to a abandoned mansion to investigate whether the house has a rare painting the story plays out like any haunted house flick. There may be something wrong, but no one really cares or believes. Well, after a little bit, they finally do begin to realize the mansion is cursed, but by the time they realize, the wheels of horror are in motion, and it's now a fight to stay alive.
Sweet Home, isn't a perfect flick, there are some drags in the film, and I personally think the movie could have been a lot scarier. They had perfect set-ups mixed with perfect camera-shots, but only used them for the creepy factor instead of the scare-factor. You're presented with a sense of dread, but rarely do they ever really try to scare you. Nevertheless, the film does offer chills and enough of them to satisfy the viewer.
But with a cool story, good acting, fantastic atmosphere/cinematography and great fx, the movie more than delivers enough for an entertaining and unique little haunted house flick. If you're into Japanese horror/haunted house flicks, give this flick a shot. It's worth it.
Why is this movie so important?
This film was made into a game by Capcom for the Japanese Nintendo system in 1989. This game was also called Suito Homu (Sweet Home in English). This led to another game in 1996 called RESIDENT EVIL! So, a whole genre of video games (called Survival Horror) traces back to this movie and its game! That's the main reason I give it a 10.
Almost everything about the Resident Evil games was drawn from "Sweet Home!" There are monsters, it's set in a mansion, you are fighting for the lives of your team members while trying to solve a mystery, and you are collecting keys, weapons and other items are you investigate the place.
For more info on this, check WIKIPEDIA.ORG under "Sweet Home" and my books,"The Sweet Home of Resident Evil" and "Resident Evil is Snapping at your Heels" on LULU.COM.
Almost everything about the Resident Evil games was drawn from "Sweet Home!" There are monsters, it's set in a mansion, you are fighting for the lives of your team members while trying to solve a mystery, and you are collecting keys, weapons and other items are you investigate the place.
For more info on this, check WIKIPEDIA.ORG under "Sweet Home" and my books,"The Sweet Home of Resident Evil" and "Resident Evil is Snapping at your Heels" on LULU.COM.
An elite blend of haunted house horror and unapologetic gore that every genre fan should experience
I recently watched the Japanese classic 🇯🇵 Sweet Home (1989) on YouTube. The storyline follows a documentary crew who become trapped in a mansion and accidentally unleash a vengeful spirit that begins hunting them down and brutally murdering them. Can they uncover the mansion's dark secrets in time to escape, or will they become part of its maniacal history?
This picture is written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Pulse) and stars Nobuko Miyamoto (The Funeral), Noboru Mitani (The Geisha House), and Juzo Itami (The Funeral).
The movie is infamous for being released simultaneously with a video game, sparking ongoing debate about which inspired the other. For horror fans, this is a dream come true. It delivers an exceptional haunted house atmosphere with top-tier practical effects, inventive kill scenes, and gloriously over-the-top gore and flying appendages. The decomposition and corpse effects are particularly impressive. I loved how creative the kills were-there's far more gore here than I ever anticipated, and it's executed beautifully.
In conclusion, Sweet Home is an elite blend of haunted house horror and unapologetic gore that every genre fan should experience. I'd score this 8/10 and strongly recommend it.
This picture is written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Pulse) and stars Nobuko Miyamoto (The Funeral), Noboru Mitani (The Geisha House), and Juzo Itami (The Funeral).
The movie is infamous for being released simultaneously with a video game, sparking ongoing debate about which inspired the other. For horror fans, this is a dream come true. It delivers an exceptional haunted house atmosphere with top-tier practical effects, inventive kill scenes, and gloriously over-the-top gore and flying appendages. The decomposition and corpse effects are particularly impressive. I loved how creative the kills were-there's far more gore here than I ever anticipated, and it's executed beautifully.
In conclusion, Sweet Home is an elite blend of haunted house horror and unapologetic gore that every genre fan should experience. I'd score this 8/10 and strongly recommend it.
Gory and stylish haunted house movie.
A television crew enter the sprawling Mamiya mansion to film the restoration of a fresco painted by the artist who lived there decades before.They discover not one but several frescoes including one that seems to depict the death of a young child in some kind of furnace.That night the temperamental presenter wanders out into the grounds of the house and digs up a coffin containing the charred remains of an infant.It soon becomes apparent that the child's mother,although dead herself has not left the house and is still angered by her loss."Sweet Home" is obviously inspired by Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist" and Robert Wise's "The Haunting".The special effects made by Dick Smith are spectacular and there is a good amount of grue including dismemberments and melting faces.The action is fast-paced,the script is well-written and the characters are engaging.8 out of 10.A hidden gem.
very Argentoesque...
I would agree with the other reviewers that this is essentially a Japanese take on POLTERGEIST. Do not let that stop you from seeing it however.
If there was any way to truly describe this film, it would be if Dario Argento (during his heyday in the late 70's) directed a film with Japanese stars. Every shot has the look and the lighting from films like SUSPIRIA, PHENOMENA, TENEBRAE, even down to the tracking shots and steadycam work.
Which brings me to another point: if there is anyone who has a VHS/ laserdisc/ DVD of this film (preferrably with english subtitles), please let us know. I have a copy but it could have better image quality.
Regardless, seek this film out. You will not be disappointed.
If there was any way to truly describe this film, it would be if Dario Argento (during his heyday in the late 70's) directed a film with Japanese stars. Every shot has the look and the lighting from films like SUSPIRIA, PHENOMENA, TENEBRAE, even down to the tracking shots and steadycam work.
Which brings me to another point: if there is anyone who has a VHS/ laserdisc/ DVD of this film (preferrably with english subtitles), please let us know. I have a copy but it could have better image quality.
Regardless, seek this film out. You will not be disappointed.
Did you know
- TriviaThere used to be a debate about which came first, the game or the movie. Further complicating the debate about which came first: Sweet Home's trailer is both an advertisement from the movie, and a sales pitch for the Famicom game. It includes scenes from both. However, it's since been proven that while both came out in 1989, the movie was released in January of that year, while the game came out in December.
- Crazy creditsAfter credits go over footage of the mansion it fully and spectacularly collapses in the post-credits scene.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The J-Horror Virus (2023)
- How long is Sweet Home?Powered by Alexa
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