While I certainly appreciate a good remake, it's also my belief that people should first and foremost take them for what they are — homages to their source film. That's being said, there are two legitimate reason for seeing this film: as a compare/contrast piece against Bryan Forbes' 1964 thriller Seance on a Wet Afternoon (would make for an interesting double feature), and more importantly Kiyoshi Kurosawa's direction. If you're not familiar with the other Kurosawa, or you're dying to get into Asian Horror, this is as good a place as most to cut your teeth.
Opening in the city, a small girl is (not so easily) coaxed from a playground by a stranger for the purposes of ransom. Cut to one Sato (Koji Yakusho of Doppleganger, Cure, and Kairo fame — I am, after all, watching this in the United States...), a humble sound technician, who ventures into the countryside to record natural sounds for a coworker in his studio, upon where he unknowingly takes possession of the girl originally kidnapped. Things become far more complex down the line when Sato's wife Junco, a self–described medium, involves her acquaintance Hayasaka — paranormal studies student who often works in tandem with the police.
Both films are based on a Mark McShane suspense short story by the same name. Kourei, originally released to television, adopts a slower, more methodical style, which Kurosawa juices up with touches of Japanese folklore — remaining true to his style, as well allowing the movie to progress on its own accord. There are several tense and frightening moments, there's no question Kurosawa employs his somewhat trademark mix of confusion and fright — a style which appeared as far back as his 1992 gem The Guard from the Underground.
So needless to say, the direction is great. There's a particular scene inside the Sato home where Kurosawa uses alternating planes of lightness and darkness, in varying distances among the doorways which makes for a spine-tingling scene. It borders on, not only directorial, but film greatness. Don't ask me why, but it's just brilliant. The telling of the story, while staying faithful to the crux of the original, does, (I say regrettably), lose a bit of punch with the addition of the horror aspects. Some essential action and substance is replaced with Japanese elements that quite frankly detract from an already suspenseful story. Then again, I tell myself that it was made for a Japanese audience, not unlike the American Grudge remake — sensibilities bound by geography.
