Spiral (2000)
"Uzumaki" (original title)

The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.

Director:

Higuchinsky

Writers:

Junji Ito (manga), Kengo Kaji (supervising screenwriter),

Stars:

Eriko Hatsune, Fhi Fan, Hinako Saeki

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eriko Hatsune	...	Kirie Goshima
Fhi Fan	...	Shuichi Saito
Hinako Saeki	...	Kyoko Sekino
Eun-Kyung Shin	...	Chie Marayama
Keiko Takahashi	...	Yukie Saito
Ren Ohsugi	...	Toshio Saito
Denden	...	Officer Futada
Masami Horiuchi	...	Reporter Ichiro Tamura
Tarô Suwa	...	Yasuo Goshima
Tooru Teduka	...	Yokota Ikuo
Sadao Abe	...	Mitsuru Yamaguchi
Asumi Miwa	...	Shiho Ishikawa
Saori Nakane	...	Little Kirie
Yasuki Tanaka	...	Little Shuichi
Yuki Murakami	...	Yukky

Storyline

In a small town in Japan, Kirie comes upon her boyfriend's father silently videotaping a snail. He seems unaware of her presence and she thinks no more of it. Later, the mans obsession with spirals becomes more and more bizarre, ending in his suicide in a washing machine which turn his body into a spiral. Soon other inhabitants become possesed with different forms of spirals, one student seems to be mutating into a snail, another's hair becomes strangely medusa-like. The entire town becomes possesed.

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Plot Keywords:

spiral | snail | suicide | obsession | small town | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

official uzumaki website, lighthouse pictures. Singapore

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 February 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Spiral

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Omega Micott Inc., Shogakukan, Space Shower TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

6 and 9, being nearly spiral numbers, can be seen on several occasions: e.g. on the license plate of the reporter's car, as room number in the hospital, as a date in a video recording at the end of the movie etc.

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Connections

Referenced in Suicide Club (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Raven"
Performed by Do As Infinity

User Reviews

Don't be fooled by lazy critics...

It's very true that this film defies convention by not spelling out the plot for the viewer. While some may have a problem with having to figure it out for themselves, I embrace "Uzumaki" for its irreverence. There is a PLOT, it's just that it may not be immediately accessible to a lazy viewer. This is a film that invites numerous interpretations, as all great art does - however, this film is also very entertaining, making it a rare film experience. It's simultaneously provocative and fun.