Dark Water (2002)

I can see why some people give mixed reviews of the original 2002 Japanese version of Dark Water. For those only familiar with the J-horror genre through such offerings as The Ring and The Grudge, this film will probably not be what they expect. Dark Water is not as scary as these movies, or rather, it’s scary in more subtle, refined ways, relying much more on psychological and atmospheric horror. In this way, it’s more like the original Japanese version of Pulse. While I was not a big fan of Pulse, however, I actually sort of liked Dark Water.

Like many of the J-horror films, the supernatural terrors lurking in Dark Water are effective because they are based in fears found in everyday, contemporary life. Pulse, for example, contemplates some of the fears inherent in the increasing isolation of the human spirit in the technological age. Similiarly, The Grudge looks at the inescapable and cyclical nature of domestic violence. In the case of Dark Water, the horrors are based upon the hardships of a single, working mother and her fears that she will be unable to provide for and protect her daughter. The film unfolds two parallel plots simultaneously – the one involving the daily struggles of Yoshimi Matsubara as she is embroiled in a heated custody battle for her daughter Ikuko; the other involving a supernatural presence that lives on the floor above them in their new apartment building. It turns out the presence is the ghost of a young girl about Ikuko’s age who inexplicably disappeared a few years earlier. As events begin to take their toll on Yoshimi’s already fragile psychological state, the viewer begins to wonder if the supernatural occurrences are real or if they are merely reflections of her internalized fears as a struggling parent.

The film is directed by Hideo Nakata, who also directed the Japanese version of The Ring (Ringu) and its sequel, as well as the American remake of the sequel. As he does in those other films, Nakata does a pretty good job of creating a dark, suggestive atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is, however, a little slow paced, and even though it kept me engaged throughout, I sometimes found myself wishing it would get to the point with just a little less tedium.

What I think sets Dark Water apart the most is its story. Based on the novel by Koji Suzuki (who also penned the Ring trilogy), the script so effectively interweaves its supernatural aspect with Yoshimi’s struggles as a parent that it probably is one of the saddest horror films I’ve ever seen. Unlike other horror movies, Yoshimi isn’t simply in a life-or-death battle with horrific forces. Rather, the supernatural forces she faces – be they real or imagined – are representative of her fears as a parent, and her success or failure as a parent is dependent upon the outcome of this conflict. Having seen her relationship with Ikuko and how much she cares about her, it’s difficult not to pull for her as she faces her own inner demons.

Dark Water isn’t without some flaws, and I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s one of my favorites in the genre. It is, though, a well done film with a mature, complex story, and it’s brave enough to take some chances and do something a little different from the status quo.