Marebito (2004)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Takashi Shimizu

Writers:

Chiaki Konaka (novel)
Chiaki Konaka (screenplay)

Release Date:

2005 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

A fear-obsessed freelance cameraman (Shinya Tsukamoto) investigates an urban legend involving mysterious spirits that haunt the subways of Tokyo.

Plot Keywords:

Cameraman | Subway | Fear | Schoolgirl | Murder

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Shinya Tsukamoto	...	Masuoka
Tomomi Miyashita	...	F
Kazuhiro Nakahara	...	Arei Furoki
Miho Ninagawa	...	Aya Fukumoto
Shun Sugata	...	MIB

Directed by
Takashi Shimizu

Writing credits
Chiaki Konaka		(novel)
Chiaki Konaka		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tsukasa Ariyoshi	....	associate producer
Tatsuhiko Hirata	....	producer
Kenzô Horikoshi	....	producer: Euro Space/Yûro Supêsu
Takashi Horikoshi	....	associate producer
Yoshiyasu Ikezaki	....	associate producer
Hiroo Murakami	....	associate producer
Atsuko Ôno	....	producer: Euro Space/Yûro Supêsu
Fumio Sebata	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Toshiyuki Takine

Cinematography by
Tsukasa Tanabe

Film Editing by
Masahiro Ugajin

Production Design by
Atsuo Hirai

Costume Design by
Kuniko Hôjô

Sound Department
Akira Fukada	....	sound
Hajime Komiya	....	sound

Other crew
Hiroshi Takahashi	....	series supervisor

Production Companies

• Adness K.K.
• AtEntertainment K.K.
• Culture Publishers (CP)
• Euro Space
• Japan CableCast K.K.
• Panorama Communications K.K.

Distributors

• Celluloid Dreams (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Euro Space (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Crippled Brothers Films (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Geneon Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Palisades Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2006) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Stranger from Afar (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence and some nudity.

Runtime:

92 min | Argentina:92 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

France:-16 | Taiwan:R-18 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:R | UK:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:NC-16

Company:

Adness K.K.

Trivia:

Takashi Shimizu shot the film in just eight days, between the production dates for Ju-on (2002) and its remake, _Grudge, The (2004/I)_.

Quotes:

Masuoka: They didn't see something that terrified them. They saw something because they were terrified.

Horror or ancient wisdom?

A strange film by Grudge writer/director Takashi Shimizu.

Shinya Tsukamoto (Ichi the Killer) is consumed with finding out the source of terror that caused a man to stab himself in the eye. He wants to experience the same terror - terror so horrible that it would cause you to want to kill yourself.

He goes underground looking for the beings that inhabit the tunnels under Tokyo and finds a naked girl, who he brings home to live with him. The girls is more animal than human and he kills to provide her blood rather than give her his own blood, which she wants.

It is not certain throughout whether he is going mad or finding what he is searching for. He even tries to escape, but resumes the search until he finally succumbs to the terror.

Despite the shaky camera work, which some like, but which distracts me, it was a fascinating look at terror and certainly a film that contains much more than available at first glance. A blend of mysticism and horror, it is a worthy view for fans of Japanese horror.