Director: Hideo Nakata,
Starring: Atsuko Maeda, Hiroki Narimiya,
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Hideo Nakata was one of the pioneers of J-Horror back in the mid-late 90s. His offering RINGU singlehandedly changed the face of horror with an investigative supernatural mystery which introduced the world to tropes we are now all too familiar with. Here, Nakata returns to the genre and simplifies things into a very claustrophobic horror which unfortunately stays too close to the formula he perfected in RINGU and DARK WATER.
THE COMPLEX stars Maeda as Asuka, a young girl who moves with her family to a new apartment. Of course, she soon finds out that the complex in which she now lives is supposedly haunted and a series of peculiar events unfold and the only way to stop them is to solve the mystery. If it sounds familiar, that’s because it is. It looks and feels like Nakata’s previous output, but also feels like one of the many imitators that followed. Nakata has unfortunately done nothing to remove himself from the genre here, which is a shame given his fantastic Hitchcokian thriller CHAOS shows he’s capable of more. But having been roped into directing the sequel to the Hollywood remake of RINGU, a decent but unbalanced spin-off to the DEATH NOTE franchise, and a dated thriller CHATROOM, this comes across as a need for something comfortable..
The biggest letdown is that THE COMPLEX does suggest it could be so much more, as the lines between supernatural and psychological are discussed, but never blurred to the extent where we find ourselves questioning the events of the film. It takes the easy route too many times, such as a cleaner Sasahara (Narimiya) having just the right exposition at the right time and knowing exorcists, which probably comes in handy for those in a Nakata film.
True to form, there are a number of disturbing visuals, and also some emotional content that becomes just as nerve-racking and surprisingly upsetting. The build-up isn’t as slow as many similar horror films, thanks to a mid-point twist, but you’ll still be waiting until the final moments for the truly terrifying stuff. When it hits, it’s over far too soon, and in a film this predictable, it should have either been a lot shorter, or got to the point a lot faster.
Performances are great, the restrained use of POV shots adds some interesting stylistic flourishes, and it does leave a sense of dread with the viewer. However, this is very recognisable material from a director who seems to be stuck in a cyclical curse of his own. With his next film a remake of the wonderful Korean film HAUNTERS, it may be a while before Nakata attempts something as refreshing as his earlier career defining pieces.
[usr=2]THE COMPLEX is released on DVD on 27th January.
