Kuru

Um drama-horror surpreendentemente complexo (sobre recém-casados que estão prestes a ter um bebé) que interpreta os demónios assombrados como traumas da infância e da educação dos pais e como algo que nós inventamos para responsabilizá-lo pelos nossos próprios erros. Mas para além disso, contém também um verdadeiro demónio que despedaça as pessoas e as transforma em fontes de sangue. Numa história complexa cujos personagens principais morrem progressivamente e heróis menores substituem o papel deles, há saltos frequentes no tempo e entre vários níveis de enredo (mais trechos de sonhos, alucinações e visões do mundo dos mortos), com ênfase nas personalidades dos personagens e nas razões psicológicas para as suas ações. A culminação é o final, com uma cena fantástica de exorcismo envolvendo uma dúzia de exorcistas, uma dúzia de monges e meia dúzia de dançarinas, mas o grande obstáculo é a sobrecomplicação, demasiados personagens e motivos, e um estilo narrativo desconcertante que não lhe permite absorver bastante o conteúdo representado. (07/10/2019)

I found it more of a critique of society than a horror film. Sure, it's got its antagonist, it's got its deaths, it's got its suspense and fear, it's got amazing imagery, it's got great cinematography, but underneath it all it just seems to be beating the drum of social criticism along the lines of actually raising a child vs. look how well we're raising our family/ how great our family is doing. It struck me that the author is basically saying, and literally showing, that all posers and internally corrupt or empty people need to be gotten rid of. Though of course through the characters he is saying that the poser may not mean it, that they can't "find fulfillment". It's simply a film that has several layers and is also divided into three parts. It has so much it wants to say that it doesn't have proper space to do so, despite its relatively long running time. It's a Nakashima that has accumulated a lot of ideas from Confessions that he wanted to vent. But he vented them quite impressively. As I've written before, the cinematography is great and takes an ordinary horror film somewhere further, the final exorcism in particular is very impressive and I like how there's a mix of Shinto and Buddhist rituals along with Korean shamanism. There are just a number of perspectives to explore in this film and it's definitely interesting. It works as a horror movie, as social critique, and as a visually evocative film. But it's clear to me that getting it all together is not for everyone. (10/05/2021)