Director: Masayuki Ochiai
Adapted from a Thai film of the same name and relocated to Japan, "Shutter" is yet another Hollywood take on an Asian tale of disgruntled spirits. Blame it on "The Ring" 's that damn film inspired a whole new genre on the subject.
"Shutter" is every bit as formulaic as its numerous predecessors. Having used television, cell phones and computers in previous films, the disgruntled spirits are now revealed through photography. Whatever next? Haunted washing machines? Possessed kettles?
Benjamin Shaw (Joshua Jackson) and Jane (Rachael Taylor) are newlyweds who move to Tokyo after Benjamin lands a prestigious job as a fashion photographer. The problem is his photographs keep getting ruined by strange streaks of white light. Yes, it's yet another disgruntled spirit at work.
It turns out that the disgruntled spirit is an old girlfriend of Benjamin's from when he worked in Japan a few years back. The poor woman went mad and killed herself, or so Benjamin explains to Jane.
Needless to say, there is something far more sinister afoot and Jane sets out to find out more. She discovers a magazine called Spirit Photography which is dedicated to the phenomenon of disgruntled spirits popping up in people's snapshots. Poor Jane thinks that the spirit is hounding her but, as is often the case with the undead, it is actually a kindly little thing who just wants to help.
Although it's thoroughly predictable from start to finish, "Shutter" is nonetheless quite enjoyable as films about disgruntled spirits go. There are some genuinely spooky moments, and the "shock" finale is certainly memorable, much like the unforgettable ending in "The Ring" when the flickering spirit of a murdered girl emerges from a television.
But despite its spooky atmosphere and game performances from the two leads, the whole premise of "Shutter" is so preposterous that you just want to laugh. "The Ring" was striking when it first came out because of its novel use of technology as a spirit medium. But the whole idea has been done so many times now that it's becoming almost comical.
By their nature (and target teen audience), horror movies tend to be on the dumb side. But I can't remember the last time I saw a decent horror film that wasn't about disgruntled spirits or murderous psychopaths. The world is a pretty scary place: surely someone out there can make a decent horror film out of it.
Opens April 25 in Estonia. Now showing in Latvia and Lithuania
