The Complex

I wonder if Asian horror will ever make a comeback? This movie wouldn't be the start of it, but it was rather enjoyable to watch. I haven't really enjoyed an Asian horror movie for... years it seems?

The story is solid and rather intelligently written, but I feel like the delivery wasn't very effective. The acting was good, I guess it could be a bit awkward for the average Western person who is not accustomed to Japanese movies. Overall, it just feels like something is missing. I didn't feel a creepy atmosphere or anything. They could've taken the psychological thriller aspect and ran with it, with the addition of more creepy elements, but it sorta fails to deliver.

I could see a Hollywood remake happening as I watched it, which in this case, could actually go very well.

Second Japanese movie in a row for me, in the hope this one would be better than the previous one, but unfortunately it was of the same mediocre level. The cinematography just could have been much better. But even with a better directing and filming I don't think I would have rated it much more. Sure there were some interesting twists but I found them a bit predictable so really nothing that wowed me. As for the acting, it was average at best. Korean actors are most of the time good, which can not be said from Japanese actors. As for the horror I guess some people of the audience might find it scary, I found it a bit boring. Tonight not another Asian movie as I need a break from it.

"The Complex" does deviate a bit from the standard Japanese horror genre with some pretty interesting twists, which was a very welcomed change of pace to the genre. However, the movie was nowhere near being scary, or I am just too seasoned and hardened to horror, and that resulted in a mediocre result.

The story is about Asuka who moves into an older apartment complex, and soon after strange things start to happen which threaten to send Asuka's mind down a spiral of despair.

Story-wise then "The Complex" was following a stereotypical 'how-to-make-a-horror-movie' blueprint, but it has some interesting twists and turn of events.

The acting was good and helped the movie along quite well. Atsuko Maeda actually carried the lead quite well.

The effects in "The Complex" were adequate, but not overly impressive or dazzling. But they did serve the purpose well enough.

However, the lack of proper scares was the downfall that plummeted the movie into mediocrity. And as such, what could have been a unique movie ended up as a movie that you will Watch once and then never again.

I watched this film during the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2013. I had high hopes for this film, as it was being directed by Hideo Nakata, director of Ringu. It was an OK movie, unfortunately there was nothing too special about it.

The story was based around a new family that moved into a new housing complex, but the daughter, Asuka, began having strange experiences around the home, involving her neighbour & a young boy who always played alone.

There was good cinematography & Nakata did set the scenes well, building the tensions as you would expect from him. He created a sense of normal everyday life early on, while at the same time giving the audience an subtle clues that all is not quite right. There was a great use of unsettling music to add to the scenes, but I just felt like it didn't pay off, it just felt creepy at best.

The characters were interesting, with the lead actress playing Asuka doing a great job at carrying the tension & suspense through the earlier parts of the movie. There were a few typical Japanese horror clichés, but it didn't take away from the movie. I ended up feeling like I witnessed an interesting story, with the odd cheap scare & nothing more, when I was hoping for a little more creepy & scary.

Hideo Nakata, director of the original The Ring and Dark Waters, returns with The Complex, supernatural horror about a young woman that moves to a new apartment in a mysterious complex. The Complex is a weird and hard to review movie... It is very intense and very scary at times, with a type of horror that never bets on jump scares, but mostly on anticipation and build-up intensity. The problem with The Complex resides with its structure. The movie changes mood and pace too often and too drastically, leaving the audience confused questioning the legitimacy of some scenes. The scenes seem to be placed with little criteria, like a puzzle that's is missing some pieces and has others upside down. It lacks solidity, leading to the inevitable feeling of unrealism: we are always aware that this is only a movie, and that is a shame because we should be absorbed and bothered by horror films. Scary? Absolutely. Well directed? Maybe this time Nakata got a little sloppy. Visit thefadingcam blog for more!