Reincarnation (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2005
Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu
and written by Takashi Shimizu
and Masaki Adachi. Preceded by Infection and Premonition (予言)
, Reincarnation is the third film in producer, Takashige Ichise's, as part of J-Horror Theater
.
In the present day, horror movie director, Matsumura, decides to make a film about the massacre. As the date of the shoot draws near, Nagisa Sugiura, the actress who is set to star as the professor's daughter, is haunted by the ghosts of the victims. She begins to hallucinate and is plagued by nightmares of the killings. However, Nagisa is not the only person who has these visions.
Another college girl has a vision that is similar to Nagisa's first visions of arriving just outside the hotel. She wakes up in the middle of a psychology class, in which the professor publicly opposes the ideas of reincarnation and "cryptomnesia" (a sense of nostalgia that does not match actual life experiences). She decides to write an essay supporting cryptomnesia
and meets with a girl, Yuka, who was shown in the beginning of the movie, auditioning. Yuka says she remembers things in a "past life" of hers and reveals a mark that would appear to be evidence of strangling on her neck. But that "had been there since [she] was born." The two girls check out the college library, but Yuka disappears, dragged away by mysterious forces.
Meanwhile, Nagisa begins to believe herself to be the reincarnation of the professor's younger daughter, until she goes to the cubby where the little girl was slain and finds someone else there. When she sees the real reincarnation of the young girl and other victims (that are appearing as their reincarnations) are drawn back to the places where they died. (Two of the reincarnations were the girls in the previous paragraph.) Nagisa realizes she is not the reincarnation of a victim. Instead, she was the homicidal professor.
The film ends with Nagisa in a mental hospital, bound in a full-body wrap and haunted by the souls of her past incarnation's children. The killer's wife (who is a sole survivor) brings Nagisa the girl's favorite doll and the boy's favorite ball. She screams as they are shoved through the slot of the door into her solitary confinement cell but as the ghosts of the children close in, she calms down with a sinister smile on her face.
's Kaidan
, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
's Retribution
, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai
's Infection.
on October 27, 2005. It was theatrically released in the United States
as one of the eight films in the nationwide film festival
After Dark Horrorfest
, which ran November 17 through 21, 2006
.
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
and written by Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
and Masaki Adachi. Preceded by Infection and Premonition (予言)
Yogen
is a 2004 Japanese horror film directed by Tsuruta Norio. Yogen is based on the manga Kyoufu Shinbun by Jiro Tsunoda, published in "Shonen Champion" in 1973.- Plot :...
, Reincarnation is the third film in producer, Takashige Ichise's, as part of J-Horror Theater
J-Horror Theater
With the success of the Japanese film Ring , a group of six directors were asked by producer Takashige Ichise to create a film, each to be released under the umbrella of J-Horror Theater....
.
Synopsis
35 years ago, a series of terrible murders took place in a tourist hotel. A college professor had apparently gone mad and, as part of his wish to understand reincarnation, filmed himself killing 11 of the hotel guests, employees and his own children. Then, he finally committed suicide. Since then, the footage of the murders has disappeared.In the present day, horror movie director, Matsumura, decides to make a film about the massacre. As the date of the shoot draws near, Nagisa Sugiura, the actress who is set to star as the professor's daughter, is haunted by the ghosts of the victims. She begins to hallucinate and is plagued by nightmares of the killings. However, Nagisa is not the only person who has these visions.
Another college girl has a vision that is similar to Nagisa's first visions of arriving just outside the hotel. She wakes up in the middle of a psychology class, in which the professor publicly opposes the ideas of reincarnation and "cryptomnesia" (a sense of nostalgia that does not match actual life experiences). She decides to write an essay supporting cryptomnesia
Cryptomnesia
Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognised as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original...
and meets with a girl, Yuka, who was shown in the beginning of the movie, auditioning. Yuka says she remembers things in a "past life" of hers and reveals a mark that would appear to be evidence of strangling on her neck. But that "had been there since [she] was born." The two girls check out the college library, but Yuka disappears, dragged away by mysterious forces.
Meanwhile, Nagisa begins to believe herself to be the reincarnation of the professor's younger daughter, until she goes to the cubby where the little girl was slain and finds someone else there. When she sees the real reincarnation of the young girl and other victims (that are appearing as their reincarnations) are drawn back to the places where they died. (Two of the reincarnations were the girls in the previous paragraph.) Nagisa realizes she is not the reincarnation of a victim. Instead, she was the homicidal professor.
The film ends with Nagisa in a mental hospital, bound in a full-body wrap and haunted by the souls of her past incarnation's children. The killer's wife (who is a sole survivor) brings Nagisa the girl's favorite doll and the boy's favorite ball. She screams as they are shoved through the slot of the door into her solitary confinement cell but as the ghosts of the children close in, she calms down with a sinister smile on her face.
Sequel
The film is part of the J-Horror series which exists from Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, Hideo NakataHideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water...
's Kaidan
Kaidan (2007 film)
is a 2007 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata. The title means 'ghost story'. The screenplay for this film was written by Satoko Okudera, based on the kaidan-banashi "Shinkei Kasanegafuchi" by Enchou Sanyutei....
, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
is a Japanese filmmaker. He is best known for his many contributions to the Japanese horror genre.-Biography:Born in Kobe on July 19, 1955, Kiyoshi Kurosawa is not related to director Akira Kurosawa...
's Retribution
Retribution (film)
is a 2006 Japanese horror film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.-Plot:Yoshioka, an experienced detective, investigates the murder of an unknown woman in a red dress. She was drowned on the Tokyo waterfront, but an autopsy reveals that her stomach is full of seawater...
, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai
Masayuki Ochiai
is a Japanese film director, mostly famous for Kansen and Saimin.-Filmography:# Shutter # Kansen # Dark Tales of Japan, episode Presentiment,...
's Infection.
Release
Reincarnation premiered at the 18th Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
on October 27, 2005. It was theatrically released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as one of the eight films in the nationwide film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
After Dark Horrorfest
8 Films to Die For
After Dark Horrorfest is an annual horror film festival featuring eight independent horror movies, sometimes with "secret" bonus films, all distributed by After Dark Films in the USA...
, which ran November 17 through 21, 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
.
Reviews
- variety.com
- Dread Central
- Nippon Cinema
- Reincarnation review at SaruDama.com