OUIJA JAPAN - Review
DISTRIBUTOR: Leomark Studios
SYNOPSIS: Karen is an American housewife living in Japan who desperately wants to fit in with her Japanese community, although there are those who continue to make her feel like an outcast. Trying to assimilate she goes on a camping trip with the local housewives where she bows to peer pressure and plays the Kokkuri-san (the Japanese Ouija) with the other housewives, unwittingly disrespecting a local deity. What results is a battle where they are forced to fight each other in a deadly game of battle royal. A mysterious app gets installed on their phones to aid them in their battle. It offers the women tools to fight each other, which they buy with credits. But they better be careful with their spending
REVIEW: There is a rawness to Masaya Kato’s OUIJA JAPAN that is reminiscent of the exploitation films of the 70’s regardless of the contemporary cinematography and production values. The plot skims a variety of elements that includes other genre films of that period into a hybrid film that is an engaging tale of cultural clashes, supernatural focus and graphic fight sequences.
At its core, the film is the tale of Karen Fujimoto. Karen is trying to be the dutiful wife and assimilate into Japanese culture. The role and the performance feels like the character of Rosemary in “Rosemary’s Baby” in being oot for her depth and trying to fit in for her husband’s sake. In this story, the other Japanese housewives pose a threat as their welcoming invitation may not be what it seems. The plot balances a supernatural element with a tech element that is different, refreshing, and harkens back to numerous Japanese horror films dealing with school girls and tech. I felt the juxtaposition of the two cultures and that Karen is not fluent in Japanese enables the viewer more access to the drama, suspense and horror. When the action begins you can't help but think of Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 film “Battle Royal.” Unlike that film, these characters must battle to be the sole survivor because their group has insulted a local spirit/god. There are three major players in this story, the plot does not provide much in the way of background for the other housewives in the group. It offers enough content and back story in the way of the Japanese Ouija and the supernatural elements, along with three strong characters, to sustain the viewer's interest.
For an independent film they’ve found some strong actors. Ariel Sekiya does an excellent job of carrying the film in the lead as Karen. She allows the viewer to empathize with her and her situation. As things turn deadly it’s a nice slow transformation as she must confront the deadly situation. I enjoyed the rest of the cast and they did a fine job of creating an engaging tale.
The filmmakers have nice looking locations. They do an okay job with the fight choreography. The special effects were solid. I liked the cinematography, the framing and the editing.
OUIJA JAPAN is not a studio film. It’s an independent film that does a solid job of creating a hybrid tale, gathering a talented cast in front of and behind the camera, and delivers some cool effects and solid fight scenes. It was impressive, enjoyable and entertaining. Again, it’s an exploitation film. Check your expectations and take the ride. You’ll most likely enjoy the film, especially if you’re a fan of these genres. I’m interested to see what Masaya Kato might do next, and possibly with a bit more money.
CAST: Ariel Sekiya, Miharu Chiba, Eigi Kodaka, Shizuka Ayagaki, Maya Ono, Setsuma Kaga and Takeaki Abe. CREW: Director/Screenplay - Masaya Kato; Producer - Wilco C. Rullens; Cinematographer - Hideki Shiota; Wardrobe - Masaya Kato, KT Rong & Ren Jie; Special Makeup & Effects - Siddhart Jaipal; Score - Shintaro Aoki OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/lHsPI-ICc-I RELEASE DATE: October 19th, 2021, on Amazon Prime Video & on Digital/Blu-ray
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri
