In the early 2000s the mainstream public got their first taste of what the Japanese horror genre had to offer, movies such as Ringu and Ju-On, managed to break out of the very localized market that is Japan and become hits in the heavily saturated market that is Hollywood. To the public the genre was a breath of fresh air and a welcomed departure from stale mainstream franchises that had crossed into parody long ago. Directors such as Hideo Nakata and Takashi Shimizu became overnight household names both directors saw the opportunity to bring their art to wider audiences and took it, Nakata by directing the American sequel to The Ring and Shimizu by adapting Ju-On, or the Grudge, for Western audiences. However, the vast majority of what the genre has to offer remains a mystery to mainstream audiences, few other movies have managed to bridge the gap and neither has had the impact that both Ringu and Ju-On have had on the West.
There are many hidden gems to chose from within the genre and some slipped through the cracks and failed to get the attention that they truly deserve, Marebito is one such movie, a psychological horror directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Chiaki Konaka, an anime writer known for his work on Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 and the incredible series Serial Experiments Lain which serves as a foundation for Marebito’s aesthetic and story, the movie also starts the extremely talented Shinya Tsukamoto of Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Ichii The Killer fame.
In Marebito we are introduced to the world of hikikomori (shut in) Masuoka a man who has become obsessed with the concept of fear after watching a man commit suicide by brutally stabbing himself through the eye, his obsession gradually leads Masuoka to explore a sprawling underground tunnels where he discovers pale human like creatures that defy all logic and explanation. Through his exploration he meets a homeless man that warns him about the “Deros” living inside the tunnels. The term “Deros” was first coined by author Richard S. Shaver and refer to “Detrimental Robots” who live inside underground caves, which in Marebito are presented as the service tunnels used by subway workers to make repairs. Through his exploration of the subterranean tunnels Masuoka comes upon a naked girl who has been chained to a wall for unknown reasons, Masuoka rescues the girl and takes her back to his apartment, where he discovers that she cannot speak and refuses to eat or drink, he inspects her and discovers that this girl, which he decides to name “F”, is not quite human.
Rescuing “F” only adds fuel to Masuoka’s obsession as he desperately tries to communicate with her and care for her, he sets up cameras around his apartment and links them to his phone so that he can keep an eye on her whenever he needs to step outside his apartment. In one such moment Masuoka witnesses F speaking to someone standing out of the camera’s frame. When he returns to his apartment we are introduced to a new character a middle-aged woman wearing yellow who is hiding in the stairs in front of Masuoka’s apartment. Inside the apartment he finds F violently convulsing, he cares for her and unsuccessfully attempts to feed her once more, Masuoka then sets off on the task of investigating his apartment in an attempt to figure out who F was talking to. Instead, what he discovers is that 12 seconds of recording are missing from his cameras. From this point on Masuoka starts falling victim to severe paranoia which become a launching pad for the film to turn everything on it’s head and deliver a great and terrifying shift in the perspective of the events that have been presented.
Marebito’s ambience and aesthetic borrow heavily from classic authors such as H. P Lovecraft, whose work is even directly referenced in the movie when our protagonist witnesses the “Mountains of Madness” and even theorizes about the ruins sitting at the mountain’s feet. As the movie progresses Lovecraft’s influence becomes more apparent as Masuoka’s narration becomes a greater point of contention, as it becomes increasingly obvious that our narrator has gradually been losing his mind in front of our eyes. Something that has been a staple of Lovecraft’s writing since the very beginning. Everything presented in Marebito oozes existential dread from the start. From Masuoka’s paranoid hikikomori life style to the very twisted ending of the film we are given a glimpse into a mind that is shattering into a million pieces and is taking reality with it.
Marebito’s ending is very much open to interpretation and that is why it is so tremendously impactful for the viewer, we are not spoon-fed a story but rather are given small morsels and pieces and are trusted by the writers to piece it together into something that becomes relatable to us, even if it is grim and uncomfortable to accept. This is a staple of Chiaki Konaka’s writing style and it’s at the forefront of his most successful title to date, Serial Experiments Lain, which toys with the horrors of rapidly shifting technology and the world’s increasing dependency and misunderstanding of the rapidly shifting technological landscape.
Good horror leaves a lasting impression on the mind, a nagging feeling gnawing at the brain of the viewer, kicking the mind into overdrive as it tries to process what it has just witnessed on screen. Even though Marebito doesn’t present many “scares” and uses blood and goods sparingly, to great effect I might add, where this movie shines is in creating persistent feeling of dread through its 92-minute run time, slowly ramping up to a climax as Masuoka’s world shatters entirely and the audience has the wool over their eyes removed and bares witness to the horrific reality of Masuoka’s life and all the dread that comes with the understanding of his actions giving the audience that lasting impression and nagging feeling that will stay with them for a very long time.
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