'Kairo' starts out promising with some very creepy imagery (that seems to have been ripped off more than a few times since). But it doesn't take long before you start wondering why you're continuing to watch, other than the creepy images, and ultimately just want it to be over.
The central problem with the film is lack of character development. Granted, none of the characters seem to last long, but I've seen slasher films where characters are knocked off straight away and even those characters are better formed.
Unfortunately, this leads to not only a lack of empathy for the characters, but a fatal lack of motivation to continue watching. Forget the 'hero's journey', there's not even a backstory to the characters. In fact, it's not even clear who the main protagonist is until about halfway through the film.
I'll give Kurosawa credit for a visually interesting film with wonderful creepy imagery. But even ignoring the lame script (and the truly embarrassing and completely unnecessary explanation of what's happening), some basic errors in storytelling make it extremely difficult to follow. The geography of where he action is taking place, the mysterious changing of clothes for no apparent reason, the jumping back and forth between characters and storylines.
Ultimately, like a slasher film, you know who's going to be next and roughly how it will happen. Personally, I prefer horror that taps into deeper themes or social like 'The Babadook' and 'Get Out'. Regardless, it's possible to give people the creeps and make you at least care about the main character's fate. 'Kairo' just fails to go there.
The central problem with the film is lack of character development. Granted, none of the characters seem to last long, but I've seen slasher films where characters are knocked off straight away and even those characters are better formed.
Unfortunately, this leads to not only a lack of empathy for the characters, but a fatal lack of motivation to continue watching. Forget the 'hero's journey', there's not even a backstory to the characters. In fact, it's not even clear who the main protagonist is until about halfway through the film.
I'll give Kurosawa credit for a visually interesting film with wonderful creepy imagery. But even ignoring the lame script (and the truly embarrassing and completely unnecessary explanation of what's happening), some basic errors in storytelling make it extremely difficult to follow. The geography of where he action is taking place, the mysterious changing of clothes for no apparent reason, the jumping back and forth between characters and storylines.
Ultimately, like a slasher film, you know who's going to be next and roughly how it will happen. Personally, I prefer horror that taps into deeper themes or social like 'The Babadook' and 'Get Out'. Regardless, it's possible to give people the creeps and make you at least care about the main character's fate. 'Kairo' just fails to go there.