Ring of Curse (2011)

            “The feelings of death make me understand more about it.”  Next up for our Teen Scream Tuesday is Gomennasai or Ring of Curse, directed in 2011 by Mari Asato.  The flick begins with three typically adorable Japanese girls, sitting in front of the camera and talking about the making of the rest of the film (as though it is based on a true story).  After their short introduction, the film ‘really’ begins.  Viewers are introduced to Yuka Hidaka and her classmates, including one Hinako Kurohane, who is regarded as one of the best writers in school because she won a contest the year prior.  What the kids don’t know, is that Ms. Kurohane can curse people through her writing…so as they pick on her and bully her, they unwittingly sign their own death warrants.  Fun fact:  Gomennasai translates as “I’m sorry,” in English. 

            The film begins from Yuka’s perspective and then switches to the diary of Ms. Kurohane, then back to Yuka for the denouement.  In Yuka’s original account, Hinako appears to be simply disturbed/crazy.  But when viewers see that the girl is fighting a malignant lymphocyte tumor, and how her family disregards her very existence, one can see why the sociopathic behavior developed.  It becomes hard to not sympathize with Hinako at this point, as she is going through serious pain both literally and figuratively, and has been given a very early death sentence due to the cancer.  She was in a desperate place.  Yuka realizes this as well in reading Hinako’s diary (sent to her prior to her death, as Hinako knew she would be dying).  But Yuka is still young, and still alive, and so she spreads the curse further unintentionally and inadvertently subjects herself to its wrath. 

            I felt the deep breathing in place of a score in parts of this film was very effective in setting the tone of the film, and often makes one think of one’s own breath and breathing (perhaps even providing the feeling of being short of breath).  The sequence of Hinako’s sister when she is out of breath for a month and scratching at her throat is also particularly chilling, and is probably the most gruesome thing in the movie’s entirety.  I wanted the girl to suffer, though, after the cruel things she said to her sister about her illness – and I’m betting most audiences probably feel this way.  I also dig that Hinako prefers to write her curses in her own blood (apparently even from early childhood), and that she actually fills a pen with blood and writes with it.  That was morbid and awesome.  The cinematography was decent as well throughout the film, and I enjoyed the different perspectives tying the storyline together.   

Though this film has a decent Body Count, clocking in at eight deaths total, there isn’t any gore to speak of.  This film is creepy in subtle ways, not in-your-face gore.  The Number of Killers completely depends on if you consider the jumper to also be a killer (his own killer).  In that case there are two.  Boob Count?  None to speak of, not even any kissing.  Cheap Thrills?  Zero.  Actual Chills?  One.  Raven’s Scream Meter says:  3 out of 5 Screams.  It is a subtitled film, and I generally prefer subtitled to dubbed, but I figured my fiends would want to be aware prior to popping it on for an afternoon of mindless horror (it becomes less mindless when one has to read).  Not as jump-out-of-your-skin as many Asian horror films, but still ranks as pretty great in my book due to its plotline and subject matter.  I hope you enjoyed the review, and please feel free to leave comments or begin dialogue below.  Thanks for reading! Xx ~ Raven