Hello and welcome to the first Holy Horror! Scriptophobic’s very own comparative religion meets horror movie analysis column. To get this off on the right foot, I decided to start with Koji Shirashi’s 2005 mockumentary Noroi: the Curse. The title should sound familiar to my Everything But Bone readers, as I’ve mentioned this film a few times. I chose Noroi because I wanted to start with a religion that wasn’t Christianity, and because it’s a terrifying folk horror story.
The film is one of the better entries in the horror mockumentary genre. It does not cross into found footage or shaky cam until the end and by then the element is earned. Noroi follows a Japanese paranormal investigator named Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki) as he investigates small incidents of strangeness which soon connect into a larger curse. The audience already knows this isn’t going to end well as the opening tells you Kobayashi’s house burned down shortly after completing the documentary. His wife Keiko’s body was found inside and he himself is declared missing.
Noroi is meant to be the in-universe documentary Kobayashi made before his disappearance. He and his loyal cameraman, Miyajima, gradually realize the cause of the problems come from an entity called Kagutaba. This is a being responsible for, among other things, accidents, dead pigeons, apparitions, and the kidnapping of a little girl named Kana who appears to have ESP.
Shinto Shrines are the religious spots Noroi emphasizes. Shinto shrines are where kami, or spirits, live. The shrines are important to the communities they belong to, and this is why the forgotten shrine at Shimokage village is the main thread of the plot. While the horror does not come from the shrine itself, the forced neglect allowed the evil to be unleashed. Because of the struggle between folk tradition and modernity, the location was flooded to make a reservoir, thus preventing the shrine from being properly tended to.
The demon Kagutaba may have religious (I use the term loosely) origin, however religion does provide help to Kobayashi and his allies. Part of why this is effective is because Kobayashi himself. He is one of the gentler paranormal investigators in the genre. He is kindhearted towards all he encounters (for better or for worse). When the mystery deepens, he listens to the folk historians about Shimokage’s rituals and what to do about Kagutaba, and then does what they recommend.
I am not an expert about Japanese culture in any way, but the country and its society are probably more important than religion when it comes to Noroi’s themes, specifically the Japanese treatment of the mentally ill and abortion. Japan does not have the best mental health system, and this is one of the reasons the evil is able to get so far. The characters of Hori and Kagutaba helper Junko Ishii are clearly mentally ill from their first appearances. Hori is a psychic who dresses in tinfoil and has a hat made of the same material. His house is even layered with tinfoil. A lesser film would have played Hori for laughs, but what happens to him is meant to be tragic. Junko is a disturbed woman who lives in filth with a young boy who is later revealed to not be her son. No one with authority checked on Junko and the child. A demon verses CPS never ends well, but Japanese social services are limited to begin with.
Junko’s taking of the aborted fetuses appeared to me as a perversion of the Japanese Mizuko kuyo or water baby memorial service. This ritual has Buddhist origins and became popular in the 1970’s. After a miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or death of an infant, a woman and her family make offerings to Jizo, a bodhisattva who protects children as a way to make peace for the loss. Since Noroi is a horror film, children do not find peace here.
Yeah, this isn’t the column where I talk about visual storytelling but we do need to discuss how the horror is presented to the viewers. Many of the frightening moments happen either in daylight or in well-lit areas. Audiences have a clear view of what is going on and this is especially effective as Noroi does not rely on jump scares to be scary. Your imagination is left to fill in the blanks, and that is always worse. Even the big bad Kagutaba is primarily represented by masks, clay icons, or drawings. And when he does show up in the flesh (for less than two seconds) it’s chilling.
I believe that Noroi: the Curse is one of the best of the best within its subgenre. The story would not have worked as effectively outside the mockumentary format. The veneer of reality adds to its uncomfortableness. Actresses Marika Matsumoto and Maria Takagi, among others, are credited as themselves. And at times, the film reminded me of true crime documentaries with its glimpses of new reports. Horror has forever been a genre to discuss social issues and even though I would not say Noroi is the best example of the former, the themes can’t be easily dismissed by critical viewers.
As for the religious aspects, they are treated with respect by the characters and plot. Noroi could have added unneeded drama by having Kobayashi not believe in the curse as many other films do. Folk wisdom and compassion are what’s valued as important here. Even though, as Kana says “I guess it’s too late for us all.”
Next Time: Holy Horror examines an intimate look at a cult for Women in Horror Month.
