Better Late Then Never

A Major Disappointment

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I found this a creepy and psychological horror from Japan. It wasn't especially original compared to Ring (1998) but it was fittingly scary. It didn't make me jump but I was grabbing hold of anything tightly so that I wouldn't feel so scared. There was one amazingly scary moment. I found the end part of it pretty confusing although I can excuse that because of all the fear and tense atmosphere that was built up with the sole purpose of giving the viewer some paranoid scary thoughts. Scary and enjoyable.

A mother (Hitomi Kuroki) and her 6 year old daughter (Rio Kanno) move into a creepy apartment whose every surface is permeated by water.Director Hideo Nakata had been working in the horror film business for many years and had achieved international success thanks to "Ring" (1998) and "Ring 2" (1999). With "Dark Water", it seems as though the American remake gained more traction; at least, it was the one more readily available in my neck of the woods.Thanks to Arrow Video, the film is back in all its glory. We have some genuinely creepy water effects, as well as a dark, unsettling atmosphere created by an old, prison-like apartment and the endless downfall of rain that makes Seattle look like a desert. Exactly what the connection is between water and Japanese horror is unclear to me (think the shower in "Grudge" or the well in "Ring") but it is pushed to its limits in this film. Though, as I recall, it may have been pushed even more in the remake (but less effectively -- sometimes less is more).The plot could be a bit tighter. There are flashbacks that serve little purpose, and an unnecessary epilogue that adds about ten minutes of running time and really nothing else. But overall, the horror elements balance very nicely with the mystery aspect: where is the missing girl who used to live nearby? Mix in more than a dab of psychological horror to the supernatural, and you might be left wondering how much is in our heads. "Dark Water" is a well-measured recipe of success.The Blu-ray from Arrow Video is packed, simply packed! Leading the way is a new 30-minute interview with Hideo Nakata, where he discusses "The Ring", "Dark Water" and more. There are a few other in-depth interviews, and even some audition footage to give audiences a look of how casting was accomplished. The only thing really missing is an audio commentary, but for obvious reasons one could not be produced for an English-speaking audience. And my only issue with this release is that the subtitles are white rather than yellow, which makes them difficult to read in certain scenes. But, that being said, it is still an overall winner.

A truly memorable film, which succeeds not so much as a literal ghost story as an aching depiction of struggle, heartache, loneliness and loss.In some respects, the film might come across as pretty formulaic stuff, with generally predictable scares, a sometimes dubious script, and generic horror-film score (although there are also effective uses of background silence). Having said this, though, I should also add that the climax in the lift is genuinely shocking and heartrending. But what matters even more than the supernatural thrills is the all-too human story of the characters, the bleak atmosphere created, and the haunting imagery. All these elements the film pulls off remarkably well.The acting is pretty good. Admittedly, at first the mother appeared rather too high-strung to me, but that really is the kind of character she's meant to be. And the mother-child team is superb - there's real chemistry between the two.Dark Water is a notable accomplishment. It does often look like a formulaic supernatural thriller yet it transcends tired old clichés and conventions to be so much more; it manages to be consummately chilling, desolate, and poignant, all at the same time. As a work of art, and in terms of provoking genuine emotion, it succeeds (at any rate I found myself crying openly at the end, and I can honestly say I don't usually cry at films). Dark Water is arguably the best of the whole raft of Asian-horror films of the past two decades. At its core, it is a subtle, moving, and highly intelligent film, the like of which I've rarely seen, whether in the supernaturalist genre or out of it. A treat..

"Honogurai mizu no soko kara" or "Dark Water" is the first movie of Dark Water three years before the American version and I have to say that this movie is really better than the American version. This version has more suspense, action and is more creepy than the American and I believe that it's also the definition of a horror movie.After "The Ring", "The Ring 2", "Grudge" and more Japanese movies (or based on Japan culture) we watch this one. First of all the whole movie is based on the novel of Kôji Suzuki which is really impressive. Secondly Hideo Nakata did a great job in the direction of this movie. Thirdly the interpretations of Hitomi Kuroki who plays as Yoshimi Matsubara was magnificent and Rio Kanno who played as Ikuko Matsubara when she was 6 years old is outstanding.Finally I have to say that "Dark Water" is a really nice horror movie which has to give you and it can transfer to us many feelings from the actors and that is something that direction and especially Hideo Nakata did a very good job under the guidance of course of Kôji Suzuki.