The Forest (2016)

A woman goes into Japan's Suicide Forest to find her twin sister, and confronts supernatural terror.

Director:

Jason Zada

Writers:

Nick Antosca, Sarah Cornwell

Stars:

Natalie Dormer, Eoin Macken, Stephanie Vogt

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Natalie Dormer	...	Sara / Jess Price
Eoin Macken	...	Rob
Stephanie Vogt	...	Valerie
Osamu Tanpopo	...	Homeless Man (as Tanpopo Osamu)
Yasuo Tobishima	...	Sushi Chef
Ibuki Kaneda	...	Mei (Schoolgirl)
Akiko Iwase	...	Head Teacher
Kikuo Ichikawa	...	Businessman
Noriko Sakura	...	Mayumi
Jozef Aoki	...	Visitor Center Morgue Man
Yûho Yamashita	...	Sakura (as Yuho Yamashita)
Taylor Kinney	...	Aiden
Gen Seto	...	Narusawa Bartender
Terry Diab	...	Grandma
Nadja Mazalica	...	Sara / Jess (Age 6)

Storyline

The majority of the story is set in and around the Aokigahara Forest, a forest at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan known as a popular destination for suicide. Sara Price (Natalie Dormer), an American woman, receives a phone call from the Japanese police telling her that they think her troubled twin sister Jess Price (also Dormer) is dead, as she was seen going into Aokigahara forest. Despite the concerns of her fiance, Rob, she journeys to Japan and arrives at the hotel where her sister was staying. At her hotel, Sara meets a reporter named Aiden. They drink together, and she tells him of her parents' death. In reality, her father killed her mother, then committed suicide, but she tells him they were killed by a drunk driver. Her sister saw the bodies, but she didn't look. Aiden invites her to go into the forest with him and a park guide, Michi, so she can look for her sister..

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Plot Keywords:

japan | forest | suicide | ghost | british actress playing american character | 

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Taglines:

Where fear grows.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

8 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

El bosque siniestro

Filming Locations:

Tara National Forest, Serbia

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,741,176, 10 January 2016, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$26,583,369, 13 March 2016

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,687,600, 22 February 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

DragonCove Studios, Gramercy Pictures (I), Lava Bear Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Yukiyoshi Ozawa's film debut in an American film.

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Goofs

During their first excursion into the forest with Sara, Aiden & Michi remove a decaying dead body hanging from a tree; as Michi cuts the rope, Aiden takes the body in a "Fireman's Carry" across his shoulders and lowers it to the ground.

The chances of this happening in real life are extremely unlikely. Even an inexperienced person like Aiden would know better than to make close, direct physical contact with a putrefying corpse, which is undoubtedly swarming with bacteria & insects- as well as leaking any number of bacteria laden bodily fluids- creating a highly unsanitary situation.

Furthermore- immediately after having the corpse directly across his shoulders- Aiden continues his hike in close proximity to his companions; not only does his light color T-Shirt show no sign of bodily fluids or rotting flesh, in real life the smell of the decaying body on Aiden's clothing & skin would be so overwhelming as to be unbearable, not only to him but to those around him (that's why those who work around crime scenes, dead bodies, etc., wear special disposable bio suits and sometimes must even dispose of their street clothing if it is saturated with the odor of decaying tissue- the smell is that bad).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jess: [running scared through a forest] Oh, God, Help me! Somebody help! Help me!

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Connections

References Grave Halloween (2013)

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Soundtracks

Kotown
Written by Tom Hillock
Courtesy of Montmorency Records
Under license from 5 Alarm Music

User Reviews

Overall good, but not enough flavor on the surface for more than just a so so ghost story!

As a whole the movie works and is very satisfying. It's like a joke that seems to have a weak set up that's made up for with a hilarious punchline, but waiting for the punchline to come in a feature film can be dull.

It's not like pulling teeth dull or anything like that, It is a good story. It really does not hurt that Natalie Dormer is fun to look at for an hour or two as she plays a woman looking for her twin sister who entered a forest in Japan known to attract those who want to commit suicide and never comes out. For those of you not into Dormer, Taylor Kinney is in it as well as a reporter trying to help, but has his own agenda. If you you don't like either actor that will be a problem cause for the most part it's the two of them in the woods for the majority of the film.

It's not as scary or frightening as I hoped for. The disturbing images did the trick, but it did not get my heart jumping like I expected, but it feels like the overall story is what is supposed to haunt you. I get it but I'm not all that impressed.