Occult

This is a masterpiece of the found footage genre. A must watch for any horror movies fan. This can truly pass as authentic if it appeared on my YouTube feed today. Its vlog-style presentation predates YouTube culture yet anticipates its aesthetics of confession and amateur evidence. The film's gradual shift from mundane interviews to cosmic revelation preserves authenticity while eroding trust in recorded truth.

This director has really got the whole 'camcorder horror' schtick down to a fine art. The film is a great combination of realism, suspense and chills (both supernatural and more tangible terrors).

The pace is pretty good throughout and picks up nicely towards the dramatic climax.

All the actors put in a good turn and the lead role is outstanding. His character is difficult to define and this ambiguity adds nicely to the general feel of unease and confusion.

My only moan would be the special effects. Now I know that you can get away with very cheap effects if they are executed well (indeed, this happens regularly throughout the film) but on a couple of occasions (trust me, you'll know when) it becomes impossible to ignore the realisation that the SFX budget wouldn't have paid for a 2nd-hand television.

But Im nit-picking. The film really delivers. I am a big fan of Japanese horror and this one is right up there.

Since I was a child, I've always been fascinated with sci-fi conspiracy shows and documentaries. This film teleported me to my 13 years old self.

I would've never discovered this film if I didn't go on a j-horror binging. I started out with Audition (1999), Ringu (1998) and then I saw Noroi: The Curse (2005). And something about the found footage/documentary style of cinematography felt... Humane. So I decided to watch more of Koji Shiraishi's films and I stumbled upon Occult (2009). It's in the same style as Noroi: The Curse(2005), found footage film in the style of a documentary. Even though watching the plot slowly unfold is a sight to admire, at some points it gets too slow. But what truly keeps this film alive is the truly amazing soundtrack. The CGI was horrible but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

All and all, a wonderful mixture of Sci-fi Conspiracy, J-Horror and Lovecraftian Horror. It gave me nothing short of a strange sense of nostalgia.

{If you enjoyed this film, you should check out Resolution (2012) and Endless (2017) }

The sound mixing and soundtrac of this movie genuinely got under my skin. I started watching with headphones but had to stop because my anxiety was going through the roof. The plot is interesting and enjoyable, and the not-great graphics at the end actually adds to the surreality. The twist seemed obvious due to the guy in the alley, but that's ok. It was well executed nonetheless.

The scariest scene to me was the hike up the mountain. I've never been to Japan but when I see those large swathes of forested mountains, it always gives me a similar feeling as the book House of Leaves, like Japan is bigger inside the island than it should rightfully be. I know that's not true, but it's my gut feeling anyway. And the way the camera focuses on the landscape and the person leading the hike, no words spoken between the two, it unsettled me deeply.

A Mockumentary by the director of the brilliant Noroi, Occult follows a documentary-making crew and a survivor of a cult-like accident. The film is scattered with lovecraftian imagery and themes of a higher being driven world. The score is very eerie and adds to the film's charm. Acting and direction are decent for a low budget film. The ending is incredibly weird and is well worth the watch. The main negative I'd say is the special effect but as it's a low budget film, the flaw is easy to overlook. Another thing is unlike Noroi, the film doesn't delve into the mythos in deep so that's a disappointment. Albeit it's still a decent watch.