Reincarnation (2005) User Reviews

You'll really go to another level

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 19 March 2008]

Like a lot of psychological horror, you have to invest some time and energy in this film. It appears to be one thing, but you are not prepared for the changes, and certainly not the ending.

I really expected that Nagisa (Yûka in her first film) was going one way, and then it went a completely different direction and the ending was most unexpected. It challenges you because Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on and The Grudge and sequels) has put together something different with characters and actions moving back and forth through filming and the actual location of horror, and you never really know where you are at any time.

It is a heavy horror film that has less blood, but more challenge.

A Mystery Waiting to be Unraveled

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 19 November 2006]

A young actress is drawn to her role in a horror film and also to a hotel from her dreams: a hotel where eleven people were murdered before she was born. What is her connection to her character and the ill-fated hotel? I have two concerns with this film. First, as the film was in Japanese, I am left thinking there were certain aspects that were left out for the American audience (condensed dialogue in the subtitles). Second, the story is pretty simple and might have been better as an hour-long episode of something like "Masters of Horror" (though by no means am I suggesting it was unworthy of being a film). I could also say certain parts were unclear (there are what I assume to be spirits that are never explained), but this does not take away from the film.

I enjoyed the film taking place largely on the set of a horror film. Horror films referencing the making of horror films (or in the case of "Popcorn", the watching of horror films) have a unique style about them. A self-critique. There is also something ironic about how the actress is told the director in the film will want lots of blood and gore, while the film we were watching had relatively little (and compared to some of the Japanese films I've seen I thought this was about as tame as you can get).

The film also offers a great bait-and-switch I cannot reveal. Through most of the film you will be expecting a particular direction or ending. But I assure you what you think you're going to see after the first several minutes will change considerably.

If you find dolls creepy, there's a doll in the movie for you to be creeped out by. Personally, I did not find it very disturbing, but I can see how for others it might be. (Also, there's something less scary about reading words on a screen rather than hearing them whispered ominously to you in a language you understand.) Not a bad film by any means. As far as Asian films go, I'd sooner recommend "The Untold Story" or "The Eye", but this one is alright. And if "Ju-On" is any indication, we'll soon be seeing an Americanized version of this piece. So catch the original first, while you can.

Intriguing Movie Open to Interpretations

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 5 February 2007]

The actress Nagisa Sugiura (Yûka) is selected for the cast of a horror movie about a professor called Norihasa Omori (Atsushi Haruta) that killed eleven people, including his family, guests and staff in the Ono Kanko Hotel thirty-five years ago, to prove his theory that people's souls are reincarnated after death. When the director, cast and crew arrive in the hotel, Nagisa sees dead people moving around the place. Along the shootings, she has nightmares and visions of the killing and she realizes that the people involved in the movie are actually reincarnation of those killed in the hotel, and she was the killer professor Omori in her previous life, ending absolutely insane.

"Rinne" is an intriguing movie with open end that slightly recalls "The Shinning", since the story is based in an insane man that kills many people, including his own family, in an isolated hotel. The story is open to interpretations, and there are some good and helpful discussions in IMDb Board with different opinions about the last scene of the movie. I have the intention to see this film again in a near future to understand it better, but I liked the supernatural screenplay and the cinematography. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Almas Reencarnadas" ("Reincarnated Souls")

There is no peace in Reincarnation

[caylablue · 17 November 2006]

Take a spiritual concept and really make it gruesome. Reincarnation was a reminiscent of The Shining with the whole haunted hotel and spooky kids thing going on.

Reincarnation was less horror and more a supernatural thriller packed with suspense and intelligence. The film start off with a basic horror movie feel, and for the first part Reincarnation feels like an average movie this unfolds and takes on a different pace as the movie carries on, ending with a very unexpected conclusion. Wow, I didn't know sublety can knock me on the head that way. Though not as scary as previous films, Reincarnation is original.

Rewarding Supernatural Thriller

[tonberrykinged · 7/10 · 6 March 2008]

The Japanese film industry has built up a strong reputation for its chilling horror movies, and many of them have been remade by Hollywood studios whose philosophy goes something like: "Why create something new when so much good stuff has already been made!?" The Ring, The Grudge, and Darkwater are just three examples of Japanese horror films that have been adapted for that Western English speaking market who would otherwise be unable to enjoy the originals. Reading subtitles can be tough.

Reincarnation has the same foreboding atmosphere as the previously mentioned movies: it's a slow-burning, thought-provoking, piece of supernatural horror. The storyline centres around a young actress who wins an audition to star in a movie based on a real-life hotel massacre. Her role is of the last person to be murdered - a little girl - who it turns out has been spooking her for the last few days. When shooting begins, she starts experiencing the murders as if they are actually happening. Do you follow!?

Anyone familiar to supernatural mysteries such as The Sixth Sense (not mentioning Takashi Shimizu's previous movies) will be familiar with some of the plot devices, and fully prepared to expect the unexpected. Still, the revelation at the end is a good one and is not simply there to say: 'LOOK… we FOOLED you!'. Though I'm sure it will.

Those hoping for an unremitting orgy of blood, guts and violence will be left disappointed. Nonetheless, there are still a few scenes here not suited to the squeamish (well, a child DOES get stabbed). This film is more about subtle scares and the power of suggestion, which is usually one of the most effective ways of cranking up the tension, but here they are guilty of over-using the ploy in a predictable way. For example, how many times does a character need to be unsettled by something they've seen out of the corner of their eye? What really does make this film work is the combination of very good storytelling, and a direction that lends it a very dark and intense feel which never lets go. The characters are mostly just an extension of the general mood and atmosphere of the movie. Under Shimizu's guidance it is the supernatural that takes centre stage.

Reincarnation seems longer than its 95 minutes running time, but it's worth sticking with it for a satisfying conclusion that you may want to re-live again.

Mark: 7/10

Mel Dixon

Inventive and scary horror story...

[dwpollar · 7/10 · 18 February 2009]

1st watched 2/13/2009 – 7 out of 10(Dir-Takeshi Shimizu): Inventive and scary horror story from veteran Japanese horror director, Takeshi Shimizu. I've never seen his other stuff but I guess he was at the helm fro the ground-breaking "The Grudge." This one is about the filming of a movie based on a mass killing/suicide done at a hotel. There was only one survivor, but many of the characters are connected to the incident because they are reincarnated versions of those who died. The main character, who wins an important role of the youngest one killed, begins having dreams and seeing visions after receiving the script. As each scene passes, we start seeing how others are connected to the story. There are actually three movies involved here – the actual movie we're watching, the making of the movie, and the film made by the killer. The killer made a film supposedly because he wanted to prove his reincarnation theory and would be viewed by those reincarnated, I guess. We really don't find out who's who until near the end of the movie, which is the mystery behind the movie. The chills are done in the context of the story which makes the movie interesting, instead of it just being a slasher film like American audiences are used to. OK, so the Japanese are again better at something than we are – OK, not better just different. All in all, this is definitely an enjoyable and scary movie to watch but beware you may have nightmares after it's over.

A worthy psychological thriller

[Spookykinkajou · 7/10 · 18 May 2007]

I had no idea what this movie was about upon clicking play but was immediately interested and am glad I watched it.

I found it psychologically thrilling, and at times I found myself wondering if what I was watching was really going to turn out interesting or is it just a flop? The Shining or Signs? I think it leans more towards the shining...

I wish I knew Japanese.

It made me think a bit, but nothing too complex. You are rewarded at the end with the feeling everything ties together.

I thought overall it was pretty fun to view. A few of the scenes were a bit lame, but to reveal them would spoil the movie so just leave it at: I recommend this for anyone in to psychological thrillers with a bit of horror and violence twisted in. Nothing grisly.

Can shrug be a rating?

[fortey · 4/10 · 23 August 2007]

This movie seemed to be bathed in mediocrity trying hard to be something more. The curious use of late 70's era horror music in a number of scenes was rather distracting, I thought as it rather sucked back in the day as well. Worse, this movie works on a twist and twists can have inherent issues. Movies like the Sixth Sense or The Usual Suspects have effective twists as, for the average viewer, they're not easy to see coming but still logically make sense. Other movies leave you hanging though, by either making the twist some manner of illogical impossibility or giving it away far too soon. For me, this film spilled the goods far too early.

The moment the second girl with memories of the hotel is introduced, you're left to ponder if the little girl was reincarnated twice or if the main character in this film is, in fact, the killer. And you can't ponder that for long because it doesn't make sense. Obviously she's the killer.

The isn't the only issue, mind you. The fact that this is a film about reincarnation is a head scratcher since the reincarnated spirits exist as people now...but also as spirits still. And they're jerk spirits. Ghost stories always bug me a little if I think too hard about what possible motivation the ghosts have for acting like jerks all the time, but it takes the cake in this movie. They work as a group to inexplicably kidnap and/or marginally possess the people they already are? I'm not sure what's happening there, to be honest.

If they wanted to punish the spirit of their killer, that's fine, but why kill damn near a dozen innocent people in the process? Of course, then there's the whole issue of the curious morality of the story anyway. The killer is reincarnated so now this poor girl has to be tortured in a nuthouse for the rest of her life. Well, that's what you get for being born I guess. Kind of a flat ending if you ask me.

Overall, not a great movie, but it has some good ambiance.

One of the Best Finale's In Any Horror Film . . . Ever

[ebossert · 8/10 · 24 December 2006]

Well, I kept hearing all sorts of disappointing statements about Reincarnation. Needless to say, I was a bit reluctant to see it in my local theater. But then I remembered that I have never seen a Japanese film on the big screen, so I went mainly for the experience. Wasn't I surprised when I realized – after seeing the film – that it's pretty damn good.

I'll keep things vague, so as to not spoil anything for those who haven't seen it yet. I admire originality, and while Reincarnation is no Marebito or Tetsuo on the originality scale, it definitely scores high. Sure, there are a lot of horror elements used in this film that have been seen before, but they are not used in quite the same manner. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that the concept of reincarnation itself is used to bridge and interconnect all of these elements in a new and satisfying way. It's like a chef who takes a bunch of foods that you've eaten before, but uses a special ingredient to shake things up. In short, Takashi Shimizu works well as a movie chef here.

Some have complained that the ending is predictable, but this is a misleading assertion. There are essentially three twists that occur back to back to back. Surely, most viewers will probably be able to guess the first twist, but there is very little probability that they will be able to guess either of the other two.

Of course, you can be sure that incompetent, tasteless reviewers will criticize this film for lacking "integrity and weight" (as well as entertainment value), only to then recommend completely weightless trash like Friday the 13th in the same breath. For the rest of us who actually enjoy a quality horror film, we'll stick with our Japanese gems. Other reviewers will claim that all Japanese horror movies are the same, but a skim of my user profile will convincingly prove their ignorance.

The pacing of Reincarnation is very similar to Audition (although not nearly as violent in its culmination). The first 70 minutes is basically a slow paced set-up for the finale, with some dashes of formulaic scares. Fortunately, the final 25 minute finale is one of the most interesting, original, and compelling horror sequences in recent memory. So for those planning to see it, please be patient, and rest assured, the crap will hit the fan . . . hard. Quite frankly, the final series of events in Reincarnation had this viewer giggling with amazement. Just when I thought I had the next scene figured out, Takashi Shimizu would pull the rug from beneath my feet and turn the film in another direction.

I think that the reasoning behind some negative reactions to Reincarnation is the fact that it was marketed ineffectively. There is nothing extremely violent in this film, yet it was packaged within a Horrorfest of films that were allegedly very violent. I'm sure that the gorehounds entered the theater looking for lots of guts and blood, in which case they must have been greatly disappointed. In addition, no one knew the film was in subtitles. I watch East Asian films almost exclusively, so I prefer subtitles to dubbings any day of the week, but I must say that the audible groans and moans from the audience when the subtitles appeared was remarkably entertaining. Apparently, reading a few lines on a screen is too difficult for American audiences. :)

All in all, this was a classic horror film that scores relatively high in originality. I highly recommend it for those who can appreciate a slow-buring, plot-driven horror film with a fantastic finale.

Promising enough concept but in the end it's nothing more but an average movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 4 February 2011]

This movie is filled with plenty of good ideas in it. But perhaps one too many. The movie does definitely not life up to its potential but in the end the movie still remains a more than watchable genre movie, especially when you are into Japanese horror movies (sorry, I just don't like the term J-horror anymore).

Thing that I really didn't liked about this movie is the fact that it explains far too little. The movie decides on being scary, by throwing in a whole bunch of supernatural stuff but without thinking about any of the consequences for its story. It's a very simple way of horror film-making; just throw in a whole bunch of scary moments and make the movie mysterious but don't worry having to explain any of it. Sorry, I'm just not buying that. Lots of stuff really doesn't make much sense in this movie, once you start thinking more and more about it. The movie its mystery works overly confusing, not because it's being complicated but more because of that it doesn't bother to explain very much.

But it overall didn't ruin the movie for me. It was still a good viewing experience and at times I was actually really into it. It's too bad because with just a few minor script changes the movie could had been a really truly great one. Now instead the movie only shows small hints of what could had been a great movie.

Can't really say that it's being a very scary movie or that it's being much good as an horror, also not in the least because it seems to recycle mostly from other, previously successful, genre pieces. But I also don't think that this was what the movie was aiming for. Perhaps its trying to be more of a psychological horror, that is more about its mystery and atmosphere, than ghost appearing out of the walls or ceilings. The movie does a good job at creating a nice suitable mood and atmosphere, which enhances the movie its viewing experience and the overall pleasure of it.

It's definitely a well done film, that perhaps was trying to be and to do just a bit too much with its story.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

It put me to sleep

[goodnode · 1/10 · 7 December 2012]

Dialog was disjointed and pacing was problematic. Acting was wooden. The children seemed very well mannered kids, that their distressing scenes seemed polite and staged. The doll element was used quite effectively.

As usual, people do not seem to behave naturally throughout the movie. Understandably, it wanted to keep the audience guessing about its concepts of reincarnation, but it didn't engage the audience immediately enough. "Who's who?" Who cares.

It also fell into the pit of not wanting to explain itself and provide resolutions by the end of the movie.

Put me to sleep halfway into it.

Brilliant

[battlemike68 · 8/10 · 17 November 2006]

Reincarnation is a brilliant film, plain and simple. It is unique in that it relies on imagination and psychology to scare you and make you think twice about the world around you. The director did a fabulous job constructing the imagery of the film, and I genuinely did not know about the ending until it was revealed. Quite a shock! Reincarnation goes in my book as the single greatest indie horror film I have ever seen. Anyone who bashes it is simply not giving it a chance or doesn't fully realize the complex dialog and imagery around them. It is an intriguing story and has good acting in it and most of all the camera angles are really scary. Japanese film has something the western films do not have, something almost surreal, at least to us, being from a different culture and all. Brilliant!

Life after death? Memories of a massacre.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 27 July 2007]

Creepy. Nightmarish. Eerie story of a film director recreating a thirty-five year old mass murder of eleven people. A crazy professor studying reincarnation commits gruesome killings, including his wife and small children, before his own suicide. The movie director for realism and wanting the cast to get a feel of what actually took place..returns to shoot his movie in the abandoned Japanese hotel where the gruesome killings took place. A young starlet gets the leading role and as shooting commences she becomes haunted by the souls of the massacre victims. Even the cast members begin to suffer the fates of those whose roles they are playing. Watching in the dark enhances the chills. Starring are: Yuka, Karina, Kippei Shiina and Shun Oguri.

More of the same

[alansmithee04 · 4/10 · 20 November 2006]

Ju-on director Takashi Shimizu brings us more tales of the vengeful dead in Japan. It's a wonder there's anyone left alive in the entire country - what with all the revenge-hungry spirits and evil curses and such. I mean, sure, they've got great wireless over there - but would you want to take the risk of being pulled into the netherworld by an angry ghost for it? 'Cause the odds look about 3 to 1 in the angry ghost's favor. I'm just sayin'.

This was clearly the best of the three today. Shimizu's competent direction and Takahashi's snappy editing came as a much need relief after the other two pics. Also, the audible groan that came from the Friday night bar-fly audience when they learned the film was sub-titled was the most amusing thing to happen to me all day. But really there's not much to Rinne that Shimizu hasn't already done in the several Ju-on films. It's just that Shimizu creates actual suspense whereas Singer and Ipson only created inadvertent comedy.

Japanese psychological horror film, with subtitles

[StanleyStrangelove · 15 August 2007]

Reincarnation is a Japanese film with subtitles. The plot is very difficult to follow but it involves a film crew making a movie depicting the events of a murder. As part of the filming, the director, crew and cast go to the actual hotel in which the multiple murders occurred. The main character is the female lead in the film. Almost from the start of the project, she begins to have visions or hallucinations. She sees people who no one else sees. When the crew arrives at the hotel, her visions become more extreme and frequent. You sort of understand what this film is about when it is over, however the ending left me confused. This is not a haunted house or slasher horror film. Most of it takes place in daylight. Do not expect scantily clad bimbos or knife-wielding maniacs to jump out from the closet. The story reminded me somewhat of the Roman Polanski film "Repulsion" about a woman who goes mad and has hallucinations. Overall, I thought the film was on the slow side. In its favor, it is not one of the gross torture porn flicks that are destroying the horror genre.

Would you pay to see a 6 out of 10?

[ericbdepraved · 6/10 · 28 November 2006]

Reincarnation was the first Horrorfest movie I saw over that weekend. I saw all eight movies. I knew it was done by the guy that did the Grudge, but come on. This movie is the Grudge or ju-on or ringu with a movie crew. Now all you makers of J horror listen up. A good horror film is rated R!!!!!!!! A film gets an R rating when it has adult content. Horror films need to have some Nudity and some Graphic Violence. This film has none. It has a couple of creepy moments like when the doll comes out of the well then rolls down the stairs in a ball and then they watch that video that kills you in seven days. There's the boy with the bowl cut and the bluish face make-up and Jennifer Connelly lives in that building and there's a wet spot on the floor. There were a couple of creepy scenes but this film is not even marginably memorable.

decent. not great. but worth seeing.

[ShirleyFilms · 7/10 · 17 November 2006]

Without giving anything away...

If you are a J-Horror fan... you will like this. If not... you should stay away.

That said... even if you ARE a J-Horror fan... don't expect anything on the level of Tale Of Two Sisters or Ju-On. Actually this movie is only a few steps above Marabito. Not to say its bad.... but its Asian pacing. There are a few really decent payoffs tho (especially toward the end).

I REALLY hate to say this.... but I could see this one being re-made... and being better than the original.

Hope you like it. I did.

6.5 out of 10.

Shining in a Japonese Hostel.

[moimoichan6 · 7/10 · 8 September 2007]

No doubt about it : for a scary movie, it's really scary. Some scenes are really frightful, especially when some characters come to see impossible presences, that make their rational universe slowly collapses into madness, and that transforms their fake fear into a more than real one.

There's lot of things in that movie, maybe to much. "Rinne" tells the story of the filming of an horror movie, but also of of the murders that occurred in a Shinning-like hostel thirty years ago, or of an actress who's too involved in her part. There's maybe way too much to tell to find coherency in all that, and what the movie wins in abstract fear, it loses in unity.

But if Takashi Shimisu fails to tell us a linear story, he archives to make us fell the deep fear of his characters : some scenes are incredibly frightened and beautifully directed (especially the ones with the ghost-father and his creepy camera-eyes). He really uses noises and visual codes to creates a (Jap')horror atmosphere. It's really too bad that the movie ultimately looks like a catalog of style effects : of course, it works, but is it enough to make a movie ?

Not a good example of Asian horror movie

[charlesdias · 3/10 · 2 November 2006]

I really like this new wave of Asian horror movies. These movies are very interesting for using imagination and not special effects to scary the viewers.

I went to the movies anxiously to watch this movie but I must confess I think it's one of the worst Asian horror movies I ever watched. The plot is nice but the logic of the movie is weird. There is a lot of flashbacks, parallel stories and so on. It's very confusing and in the second half of the movie I spent more time trying to understand what was happening than really enjoying the movie itself. It's a shame that a good plot, actors and locations got lost for the excess of confusion.

Compelling And Creepy Asian Horror.

[drownsoda90 · 8/10 · 11 April 2007]

Another one of the "8 Films To Die For" from After Dark's Horror Film Festival, this little Japanese chiller is a complex and spooky film. The movie follows Nagisa, a Japanese actress who gets the part in a horror movie that is based on a real murder spree that took place in a large hotel forty-some years ago. At first she is excited that she has gotten the part, and is looking forward to filming, although it is a "scary movie" that she is being a part of. But things begin to get a little spooky, when Nagisa begins seeing a ghostly little girl everywhere. Her visions intensify when the film's director takes the cast to the real hotel where the actual murders happened, for inspiration. It seems she has a connection with the hotel and the grisly murders... but how, and why? She may find out the answer very soon...

I haven't seen a lot of Asian horror, I saw part of the original "Ju-On", and I've seen the remakes of those films, but that was about it. Although I haven't seen much of it, I know what it's like pretty well. So, I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this film - luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. "Reincarnation", or "Rinne" in it's original language, is a solid supernatural horror film that rose far above my expectations. The writing here is really nicely done, I must say. It has a few inconsistencies here and there, but nothing too major. About midway through the film, I thought that I had everything figured out - I was almost positive that I knew what the whole plot "twist" was going to turn out to be. I was pretty confident that I had all of it figured out. Then, during the final five minutes of the film, my entire assumption disintegrated, leaving me minorly shocked. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I did not see the plot twist coming. I suppose what I was expecting to be the twist in the film was a set-up to trick the audience, and I have to admit it worked on me.

Along with the intelligent writing, director Takashi Shimuzu (who directed "Ju-On" and "Ju-On 2", and both American remakes of those films ("The Grudge" and "The Grudge 2"), has an eye for the eerie. Unlike the style that is found in "The Grudge" films, "Reincarnation" boasts a subtle spookiness that I personally find much more menacing than those annoying 'jump scares'. There are numerous shots and scenes in this film that are hard to forget, and the direction is great. Lots of creepy shots and disturbing imagery (the homemade snuff footage is beyond eerie) really make this a creepy film. The music is good as well, and fits the movie perfectly. It's slow and subtle, just like the film is itself. Acting-wise, I'd have to say the movie succeeds as well. The performers are pretty believable, and while there is the language barrier, I thought they were really good. Again, the conclusion to this movie is the real kicker. I was surprised and creeped out by the way the entire thing came to a close.

Overall, "Reincarnation" is a really good supernatural horror film. Take your traditional ghost story, throw in a hotel, and the reincarnation theme, and you've got this movie. If you enjoy slow moving horror films and/or are a fan of Japanese horror, I'd recommend this film. It has a few very minor problems, but the good easily outweighs the bad. And the ending is really surprising. I'm not sure if it fits everyone's tastes, but for me, I couldn't have picked a better foreign horror flick. 8/10.

Best of the fest

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 21 October 2019]

I think this might have been the best of the After Dark Horrorfest (it was the initial one if I'm not mistaken). If not the best then surely the second best, can't remember all the other titles (another 7 movies were shown), but if you care you can check how I rated them. I did not watch them at that fest should be noted, rather have seen most on Disc and some in a different festival (likely).

Now that that is out of the way, it should be noted that I generally like how Japanese horror movies take their sweet time (no irony, I mean it). And this movie does the same, which makes it extra creepy. Not the best J-Horror I've seen but a pretty solid one with a strange backstory and quite a lot of weirdness to add to the mix ...

A must-view for any thriller director, but not because it's good.

[Jacques98 · 4/10 · 11 November 2008]

This is the classic example of a pretty interesting, somewhat intelligent plot that goes to waste because of poor execution. The problem isn't the directing—that was very well-done—but because of the pacing and immersion. Instead of either thrilling the audience with action or drawing it in with atmosphere, Reincarnation just tells the plot through stale storytelling.

Let me put it this way: I can count the amount of directors who can write interesting dialogue on one hand. When you're working for any of the genres that aren't based in strait-up drama—such as action, thriller, and horror—there is no reason for endless scenes of dialogue that could be summed up in 2 minutes if necessary. That's the major, fatal reason Reincarnation simply isn't that interesting. The director, Takashi Shimizu, takes his blessed time by making characters repeat the same things over and over again for no reason whatsoever. It simply isn't interesting. By the time the characters realize what we've known from the first trailer, the movie has 15 minutes left. In essence, the majority of the movie is downright pointless. The first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes are the only parts of the movie that make any difference whatsoever to the plot. The rest is just dull talking scenes and cliché ghost-scare scenes that Asian cinema is parodied for. It just adds a layer of typicality to an otherwise semi-original plot, and that is just sad.

People are complaining this movie really isn't scary or tense, but other than Ringu, what Asian movie is? I've seen the majority of what Asian horror has to offer, and none of them are scary. They repeat the same tired clichés to the point of idiocy. Anyone who honestly believes the lie that "Asians are the only people making real horror" really needs to sit back and actually watch an Asian horror film. They're all the same.

Reincarnation follows the stereotype I just made. Though the plot is interesting, the movie as a whole is nothing you haven't seen before. Ghosts, little girls, dolls—same old stuff. I've heard one person put it like, "The plot is so much more interesting than the actual movie!" and that's the perfect way to express it. Instead of doing what The Shining did and take an interesting ghost plot, then throw out every genre cliché, Reincarnation does the opposite.

The final 15 minutes reveal another layer of depth to just how intricate everything is, and it's very cool and all, but by that point I just didn't care. I had been bored to tears, annoyed by the clichés, and it would take the greatest ending of all time to make me even give this a semi-positive review—and the ending really wasn't THAT great, anyway.

In the end, all I can say is: do Asians realize how much they repeat themselves, or is it just the Americans who notice it? Or let me put it another way. Maybe it's only the SMART Americans who notice it, while the others flaunt in mindless acclaim for something that is just a copy of a copy.

5/10

Creepy in its subtlety and intelligence

[jnethollyday · 10/10 · 18 November 2006]

An absolutely creepy film of subtlety and intelligence. I loved Reincarnation for it was DEEP as well as spooky. Everything about this film is spoken in the undertones and because of that, I felt it was a film that gets under your skin and scares you there. The thought and complexity of transitioning from imagination to "reality" as in the PAST was amazing. First you are looking at a set model and then you are in the actual place and you are wishing you were back with a rendition. These such creative shots were my favorite. Music was ambient as well. Everything about this movie swirls in a concerted chaos as the main character Sugiuara intensely becomes sensitive to the memories of her murdered victim as she portrays the victim for a movie. Reincarnation takes a philosophical concept, superimposes it on actors filming a movie and creeps them and the audience for a heart thumping and mind boggling experience..

8 films to die for first showing

[sundaykrevork · 7/10 · 17 November 2006]

Let's talk about a hidden little gem we have on our hands. Having heard nothing of this Horror Fest event until I showed up at the theater and to my dismay Casino Royal was sold out, I wasn't ready to get back in the car and drive my date and I home just yet. We decided to go see Reincarnation instead and both really enjoyed it. Well, let me rephrase that, I liked how my girlfriend grabbed me every time she jumped which was basically every other minute or two. Knowing nothing about the film going into it, we were unaware that it was subtitled but new it was some sort of horror film from the movie poster. The theater was pretty crowed too, so I think that everyone else's emotions added to the fear within the theater. Not being the biggest horror fan myself, I was still able to enjoy the movie and get over the fact that I was going to have to wait to see James Bond.

No surprises. No scares. Only pasty little Asian kids.

[bobbybrazco · 2/10 · 17 November 2006]

If you've seen the Grudge, and you've seen the Ring, you've seen this movie too. It offers nothing original. It's slow moving and never seems to go anywhere. As far as being part of "Horrorfest", which claims to be a collection of 8 movies too scary to be seen by the general public, I'd like to call "bull*&$%" on whoever decided to advertise it that way. I felt like I was watching a Japanese take on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, "Child's Play", "The Shining" and "Gothika" (which I never actually saw but hear is quite awful). This, to say the least, turned out to be a great recipe for boredom. It also goes without saying that the "twist" (which has saved many movies from a review like this) does very little in terms of redeeming the lackluster 80 minutes of the movie that precede it. If you want to watch a good Japanese horror movie, it's a much safer bet to watch "TheAudition" or even "Battle Royale." Hell, skip both of those and just go rent "Old Boy." Now there is a good movie.