The Curse is marketed as an homage to iconic J-Horrors such as Ringu and Ju-On. A wave of Asian films in the late Nineties and early Noughties that made audiences afraid of everything from mirrors to damp in the ceiling. From videotapes to mobile phones.
Twenty years on, the medium for the curse to pass from victim to victim is something that can be outright frightening in its everyday form… social media. This film amplifies the fear of logging in to that toxic and terrifying place. This film proves the adage correct… never read the comments!
A film like this follows a very simple formula. A young woman investigating the mysterious death of a friend, unwittingly becomes cursed and the next target for a vengeful spirit. One that, more often than not, takes the form of a ghostly pale woman with a twisted face covered with long, black hair.
When replicating a tried-and-tested, often terrifying, format, the simple truth is that you need to subvert expectations or deliver something as good, if not better, than what has come before.
Led by Yukino Kaizu as the cursed protagonist, the cast delivers suitably distressed and disturbed performances. Unfortunately, the story and screenplay are not strong enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seat during their quest to discover the terrifying truth.
While it does have the odd effective jump scare, coupled with a genuinely gory and memorable death sequence, the film is unable to conjure up the same level of insidious dread that made The Grudge and Ringu so terrifying. It is missing that sense of long after audiences had left the cinema. In fact, there are times when some questionable CGI may elicit more sniggers than screams.
At its core, there is a moral to the story. Spend less time doomscrolling on social media, and when you do… be nice! Ultimately, however, this J-Horror finds itself cursed to live in the shadow of the superior films it aimed to emulate.
The Curse is on UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand digital platforms from July 13
Rating: 
Director: Kenichi Ugana
Stars: Yukino Kaizu, Yu, Mimi Shao, Shiho, Ray Fan
Runtime: 94 minutes
Country: Japan/Taiwan
