The impact trailer of the movie Noroi has caused quite a buzz in the horror film community. Released in 2005, Noroi is a Japanese found-footage horror film directed by Koji Shiraishi. The film follows a paranormal investigator named Masafumi Kobayashi as he unravels a series of mysterious events leading to a horrifying conclusion. The impact trailer of Noroi immediately grabs the attention of viewers with its atmospheric and unsettling visuals. The trailer starts with a series of seemingly unrelated footage, hinting at the presence of supernatural elements. The use of found footage adds a sense of realism, creating a feeling of unease that persists throughout the trailer.
Being born a Muslim, and from a cultures that believes in Jinns and their ability to take over people and do malicious stuff, (I was unlucky enough to watch exorcisms happen irl) and a lot of weird religious stuff by my parents to keep us "safe" I never found movies about curses and deities to be that scary, except maybe Siccin-2 but that's for personal reasons.
But, it felt uncomfortable, I felt like something was off right from the start, as if I was with the crew the entire time and things like these could happen in real life and I could potentially be a part of something like this in the future. Being born a Muslim, and from a cultures that believes in Jinns and their ability to take over people and do malicious stuff, I was unlucky enough to watch exorcisms happen irl and a lot of weird religious stuff by my parents to keep us safe I never found movies about curses and deities to be that scary, except maybe Siccin-2 but that s for personal reasons.
The use of found footage adds a sense of realism, creating a feeling of unease that persists throughout the trailer. One of the key factors that make the impact trailer of Noroi so effective is its ability to build tension. The trailer slowly reveals snippets of terrifying scenes, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.
‘Noroi: The Curse’ 2005 Review
Noroi has a little bit of a reputation. Initially released in Japan in 2005 it came at the tail end of the J-Horror boom in the US and never received a physical release here. Instead, it became an underground, cult experience. Shared on file-swapping sites and bootleg DVDs on eBay. Viewing it as a grainy, low-quality dub could only have enhanced its low-fi charms. It became almost an urban legend – the found-footage movie that was actually scary.
Not that I was aware of that reputation. My first experience with Noroi was almost casual. I had been looking for something J-Horror (or K-Horror or any Asian horror really) and stumbled across Sadako vs Kayako on Shudder. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it – I really enjoyed Ringu, Ju-On and their US remakes and I senses only disappointment coming from watching a film where those two characters clashed. (And I say this as someone who actually enjoyed Freddy vs Jason.)
I did see that they had a film called Noroi: The Curse by the same director, Kôji Shiraishi. Not necessarily a high recommendation, I know, but it looked like an early Japanese found footage horror film, which is an uncommon genre. (If you’re watching J-Horror found-footage it’s probably a Kôji Shiraishi film, actually.) I looked up the director, and realized I’d seen at least one of his films, Shirome, another found footage flick. I didn’t remember much about it (other than the butterfly imagery and a lot of screaming girls), but it was enough to make me take the plunge. “Five minutes,” I thought. “if it doesn’t catch me in five minutes I’ll bail and find something else.”
Well, it caught me.
It was only later that I realized the film was “internet famous” in certain horror circles. I’m glad I stumbled on it, rather than having it built up for me into something that couldn’t possibly live up to the hype, as underground as that hype might be. Which, I do realize, I’m engaging in a bit of with this introduction. Let me just wrap up this ramble by saying that, while it’s not the scariest found footage movie I’ve ever seen, it’s very effective, creepy and unsettling in a way most found-footage films are not and it’s become one of my favorites of the genre.
The Medium
Noroi is a Shudder exclusive and has been for a few years now. The quality is as good as you can expect for a film that appears to have been shot in standard definition on various media (including VHS tape). (That’s consistent with the context of the film, and not a budget consideration.)
In the US you can only rent or purchase the film via iTunes. There are no DVD or Blu-ray releases.
The Movie
Noroi: The Curse is a film-within-a-film, in that the framing sequence – a matter of a few minutes introduction and ending – is presenting the final work of a ‘well known’ journalist and paranormal expert, Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki). The majority of the film is presented as the actual documentary – finished before Kobayashi disappeared after a fire at his home that resulted in the death of his wife.
This is a great choice and allows for pacing, music, repetitive visuals, slow motion and generally all of the filmmaking tricks one uses when creating a documentary to try and tell a story. (An approach used in one of my other favorite found-footage films, Lake Mungo.) There’s no need to have long sequences of running through the woods with vague shouting (although, to be fair, there is a bit of that) or people saying things people would never actually say in order to get information across. We get newspaper clippings, segments from Japanese reality TV shows, interviews and footage from various sources edited together to create tension and mood, while still maintaining that ‘realistic’ feeling. And of course you’ve got a cameraman and a documentary filmmaker – the perfect excuse to keep the cameras rolling when most people would have dropped the damn thing and beat feet.
Kobayashi’s documentary is called The Curse (natch) and details his final investigation, starting with a woman’s call about a strange neighbor and developing through to a final exploration of the events in and around a ‘drowned’ village (flooded by a damn). Along the way we’ll see psychic kids, tinfoil hat (and clothes) wearing conspiracy theorists, strange knots, possessed TV stars, suicidal pigeons, ancient shrines and much more besides. It sounds like a lot – and it is – but here the films length actually works for it, allowing all these disparate threads to slowly weave together, forming a tapestry of unsettling events and people.
At nearly two hours the film is perhaps overlong, but it works for me. Noroi is not a film that depends on the usual half-glimpsed figures in the background or lound-noise jump scares. It’s filmed as a documentary, so if you see something weird they’re going to rewind and show it to you again in slow motion. The weird noise will get taken to an audio specialist and isolated so we can get a clear idea of what we heard. It’s the bright lights and accumulating mass of information that lead to the unease and dread, and you need time to build that up. I started off a little bored and ended up creeped out in the dark in my basement, unable to pinpoint the exact moment that I’d bought in again.
I’m avoiding a clear discussion of the plot of the film, in part because this is a movie the relies on the journey more than most. It’s how you start to put the events, people and images together in your own head that makes for much of the horror.
There are a few missteps in execution and not every actor is as good as the leads, but to be honest I’m only thinking about those things in retrospect. They didn’t bother me while I was watching – I was pretty engrossed. There’s also one dodgy piece of CGI, but it was horrific enough in context that I didn’t notice until the film re-used it later. The scares are more in a growing sense of unease and the creepiness of realizing what’s going on. There are some jump scares, but they’re few and used to good effect. I found the ending pretty clear (and horrifying), but some might find it either too ambiguous or too flat.
The Bottom Line
Noroi is an extremely effective horror movie – in mood and execution it reminds me of Junji Ito’s work, though not as gory or bizarre as they tend to end up. There’s a great mood and the sense of being unsettled by what you’re seeing. It’s in the unsaid things that slowly add up and the implications you’re led to. One of the best found footage movies I’ve seen and highly recommended.
Still not up for watching Sadako vs Kayako, though.
The use of jump cuts and quick editing techniques adds to the overall sense of dread and anticipation. By the end of the trailer, viewers are left wanting more, eager to discover the full story behind the unsettling events they have glimpsed. The impact trailer of Noroi also showcases the film's unique and innovative storytelling. The use of multiple video sources, including documentary footage, surveillance tapes, and personal recordings, adds depth and complexity to the narrative. This blending of different formats not only enhances the film's realism but also allows for the exploration of different perspectives on the supernatural occurrences. Furthermore, the impact trailer of Noroi effectively utilizes sound design to create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The use of ambient noises, eerie whispers, and dissonant music contributes to the overall sense of unease. The trailer carefully balances moments of silence with sudden bursts of sound, heightening the impact of each scare. In conclusion, the impact trailer of Noroi showcases the film's unique blend of found footage, innovative storytelling, and effective use of sound design. It succeeds in capturing the attention of viewers and creating a sense of anticipation for the full film..
Reviews for "Understanding the Cultural Context of Noroi: The Impact Trailer"
1. Samantha - 2/5 - I was really excited to watch "Noroi the Impact" after seeing the trailer, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The trailer made it seem like a thrilling and intense horror movie, but in reality, it was slow-paced and confusing. I found it hard to follow the story, and the scares were few and far between. Overall, I was disappointed and felt like the trailer misrepresented the actual film.
2. Michael - 1/5 - After watching the trailer for "Noroi the Impact," I was convinced that it would be an exciting and terrifying horror movie. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. The trailer showcased all the eerie and mysterious parts of the film, but it failed to mention how confusing and convoluted the story would be. I found myself bored and uninterested throughout the entire movie, and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied. I do not recommend wasting your time on this film if you're looking for a good horror experience.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I was really let down by "Noroi the Impact" after watching the trailer. It promised a unique and chilling horror film, but it fell flat for me. The scares were predictable and lacked any real impact. The storyline was disjointed and confusing, making it hard to become invested in the characters or the plot. Overall, it failed to deliver on the promises made in the trailer and left me disappointed.
4. David - 2/5 - "Noroi the Impact" seemed like it would be an intense and mind-bending horror film based on the trailer, but it ended up being a letdown. The scares were minimal, and the story was incredibly confusing. It felt like the film was trying too hard to be profound and ended up being a convoluted mess. I was hoping for a good scare, but instead, I was left scratching my head wondering what I had just watched. The trailer definitely misled me about the quality of the film.