Social worker Megumi Okina is assigned the case of an
elderly invalid, and finds a creepy little boy in her house. Earlier on
in the same house, a family was haunted by the same ghostly boy. The
film’s title relates to a ‘rage’, resulting in some form of tragedy,
that leaves behind an evil spirit that can drive other people to
similarly violent acts.
Although I might be so bold as to suggest that the
American (and more streamlined) remake is a slight improvement over this
Takashi Shimizu ghost story, it’s still one of the better films in the
rather dull, overrated J-horror genre. The one thing it does have over
the remake, is a more agreeable and talented lead actress (but really,
is it hard to find someone more agreeable and of greater talent than
Sarah Michelle Gellar? Start with the rest of the cast of “Buffy”, for
instance…)
The grainy-looking opening alone is scarier than
anything in any of the “Ringu” films. In fact, the film’s overall
bizarreness and creepy sound FX put it way ahead of those films. I must
admit, though, that the drab production design in all these films still
ticks me off royally, and neither version gives us a single character to
care a whit about.
But it’s definitely creepy- especially that messed up
little kid- and certainly one of the best in the genre, for whatever
that may be worth. One scene in particular stands out, perhaps for the
wrong reasons; A terrified girl barricades the door, only it’s a sliding
door, dummy!
OVERALL SUMMARY
One of the better films in a subgenre that I’m not especially partial
to. Quite creepy at times, but I actually prefer the American remake,
ever-so slightly. Still, this does the job OK.
