It's fitting to start with the movie that gave rise to the epithet J-Horror. Ring was a huge success back in 1998 and has spawned numerous imitations, sequels and remakes. Japanese ghost stories are nothing new, they were in fact particularly popular in the 1960's, but Ring revitalized the genre and made it into a trend that lasted for roughly twelve years. Whereas American horror movies tend to rely on jump scares and gore, J-horror favours suspense and silence. Ring is based on the first in a series of novels, all of which were later filmed (although only Hideo Nakata's adaptation is worth your time, imo). The vengeful ghost of Sadako kills anyone who watches her videotape and it's up to reporter and single mother Reiko, along with her psychic ex-husband Ryuji (played by internationally renowned Hiroyuki Sanada) to solve the mystery and break the curse. Watching it again after many years, I find that the creepiest thing about the movie is the videotape itself, and what they've accomplished with the music and the sound effects is amazing.
2. Ju-On: The Grudge
Takashi Shimizu's classic Ju-On: The Grudge from 2002 was actually the third film in the Ju-On series but the first to be released theatrically and internationally. One of the most unforgettable ghost films ever made. Watching it again after more than a decade, I'm in awe at how scary the film (still) is even though it basically doesn't feature anything but a woman and a boy with whitened faces. Of course, the look of the ghosts in J-horror - the white make-up, white burial kimonos and long, unkempt hair - ultimately derives from traditional Japanese kabuki theatre. Ju-On: The Grudge, for those of you who don't know, tells of a curse that befalls anyone who comes into contact with the house where a woman and her son were brutally murdered; an all-consuming curse that so far has eight cinematic reincarnations to its name. Unlike the Ring films, the Ju-On films are all enjoyable on some level. I particularly love the non-linear narrative, it's very suitable.
3. Pulse (Kairo)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's cult classic from 2001 is definitely one of the best films on this list, although not necessarily the scariest. True, you're probably not going to jump out of your seat with fright, but it very well might stay with you for a very long time, it is very haunting. It's also very beautiful and poetic. It has often been called depressing, which is not surprising considering the film's central themes are loneliness and suicide. In this story, which incidentally is based on a novel, ghosts start to invade the world of the living through computer technology, because death equals ''eternal loneliness,'' and eventually bring about the apocalypse. If nothing else, you will find that there is something deeply unsettling about hearing a disembodied voice whisper ''help me'' over and over again.
This somewhat obscure J-horror masterpiece by Kôji Shiraishi from 2005 is a mockumentary that, in the vein of The Blair Witch Project, is made to look like the compiled found footage of a documentary filmmaker's last paranormal investigation before his disappearance. Japanese demonology and mythology is the very vibrant backbone of this movie. The Curse skillfully builds tension over almost two hours and is so realistically made that it makes for a riveting viewing experience despite its lack of ghosts or monsters. Also reminiscent in style and content of Adam Green's excellent Digging up the Marrow from 2014.
5. Premonition (Yogen)
After the success of Ring came a set of J-horror movies that were distributed internationally under the banner of 'J-horror theater' (which also included Infection, the last selection on this list). Premonition, directed by Tsuruta Norio in 2004, is based on a manga and tells the story of a man who is cursed with psychic visions after the death of his child. I love that it also tells the story of a husband and wife who find their way back to each other, and ultimately salvation, after said tragedy. This is a mystery thriller with some great acting and a couple of really good scares.
6. Dark Water
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Japanese filmmakers and storytellers know that all horror is rooted in tragedy, as Hideo Nakata's Dark Water from 2002 demonstrates very well. There seems to be a rule that a good J-horror movie always gets a slightly worse American remake, and this is no exception (the exception, in case you're wondering, is Takashi Miike's One Missed Called, where both the original Japanese and the American version were awful). The plot is simple. Mother and daughter move into a creepy and seemingly empty tower block after a brutal divorce, where they are summarily haunted by the ghost of a drowned girl who appears through the eponymous murky water of the film's title. In American ghost stories, the ghosts are usually seeking justice for what was done to them but in J-horror, the ghosts are out for revenge and don't care against who. Sometimes, these ghosts are just angry and confused. Other times, they're just lonely.
7. Carved
From the man behind The Curse (Noroi) (see above) comes this 2007 J-horror movie, one of several that is based on an actual Japanese urban legend. The legend being that of a tall woman in a trench coat and a surgical mask that approaches children and asks them if they think she's pretty. If they say yes, she removes her mask to reveal a mouth that is slit open from ear to ear, followed by another line of questioning and a swift death. Surgical masks are apparently a common sight in Japan, where they're often worn in case of sickness, so for Japanese viewers it must be a disturbing thought to consider what horrors may lie behind such a mask. Carved is more of a slasher than a ghost story, but it has the intelligence to realize that imperiled children is a key ingredient to a good and effective horror movie. It also features a touching side story of child abuse and an ending that I found to be insidiously defiant.
8. Apartment 1303
Ataru Oikawa's Apartment 1303 from 2007 may not be the most original or distinguished J-horror movie on this list, but it deserves a mention because it is nevertheless very effective. You've seen the plot before; young woman moves into a haunted apartment where her sister, and all other previous female tenants, committed suicide after encountering something sinister. A trademark of J-horror is the long black hair of the malicious spirits, and in Apartment 1303 it is cleverly used as a weapon. Even though the film has some shoddy acting and dialogue, there are several terrifying moments in it, which just goes to show that J-horror filmmakers can make really scary films seemingly without even trying.
Although I personally consider Takashi Miike's modern classic Audition from 2001 to fall into the category of ''torture porn,'' it is difficult to compile great J-horror movies without including it. If you've somehow managed to miss this, it tells the story of a widower who starts to hold auditions for a fake TV show in an attempt to find a date. Being a horror movie, this naturally backfires quite horribly. Ignoring the debate about whether the film is misogynistic or in fact a feminist revenge fantasy, I like to stick to the facts, which are that it is a masterpiece in filmmaking with terrific acting, writing and directing (one of hit-and-miss auteur Miike's most sure-fire hits). Starts out as a rather cheesy romcom before it's suddenly turned on its head, its leering snaggletoothed nightmarish head.
10. Infection (Kansen)
If there isn't, there should be an official subgenre of horror movies just called ''hospital horror,'' and Masayuki Ochiai's 2004 Infection is one of the best I've seen in that area. The script is great, although you could argue that it isn't very scary, but I guarantee that it's thoroughly enjoyable. Stylistically reminiscent of old 1950's sci-fi horror movies, and in some respects The Shining, it tells the story of an understaffed, drab and run-down hospital where a strange infection spreads that makes the staff hallucinate and dissolve in a puddle of green goo. If you can come across this little gem, don't skip it - give it a try and if you're like me you'll be highly entertained!
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