Marebito

Critics Consensus

The scares are lacking in this J-horror flick, and the plot soon turns half-baked.

40%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 30

50%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 10,618

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Movie Info

Terror takes on both human and mechanical form in this independent horror film from Japanese director Takashi Shimizu. Masuoka (Shinya Tsukamoto) is a freelance photographer who has become malignly obsessed with fear. Masuoka believes there is a physical component to terror, and he is determined to find it. While his rattrap apartment has become a shrine to documents of fear, he's particularly fascinated with a videotape of Furoki (Kazuhiro Nakahara), a disturbed man committing suicide in a Tokyo subway tunnel by stabbing himself in the face. Masuoka think if he can recreate Furoki's experience, he might be able to find out what he saw at the edge of panic, and after throwing away his antidepressants he makes his way down to the place where the suicide was recorded. Masuoka finds a mysterious passageway in the tunnel, and discovers Furoki is alive and unwell underground. Masuoka also learns of a strange breed of robots who terrify people both beneath the Earth and on the surface; he also finds a strange feral woman and attempts to rescue her, but someone else has already claimed her, and wants her back immediately. Marebito (aka The Stranger From Afar) stars Shinya Tsukamoto, himself a noted Japanese horror filmmaker, best known for his experimental feature Tetsuo (aka Ironman). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
  • Rating:
    R (for strong bloody violence and some nudity)
  • Genre:
    Art House & International, Drama, Horror
  • Directed By:
    Takashi Shimizu
  • Written By:
    Chiaki Konaka, Takashi Shimizu
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Tartan Films

Cast

Shin'ya Tsukamoto
as Masuoka
Tomomi Miyashita
as F
Kazuhiro Nakahara
as Arei Furoki
Miho Ninagawa
as Aya Fukumoto
Shun Sugata
as Mysterious Man

Critic Reviews for Marebito

All Critics (30) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (18)

View All Critic Reviews (30)

Audience Reviews for Marebito

  • Dec 09, 2011
    A slow but eerie and interesting bit of urban horror as a man enters a subterrainian hell via the metro system and finds a naked, animal-like woman who he brings to the surface in an attempt to tame her. There's more going on than meets the eye and it's down to the viewers patience to stay with it and get what you will from the plot, which isn't explained in great detail in some cases. I thought it was watchable and intriguing enough to see it through. It lacks the usual thrills that I look for in horror films, despite the occassional bloody moment. It's a decent effort overall, especially as it was made in just 8 days. But not my favourite from Shimizu, miles better than Shock Labyrinth though!
    Lee ? Super Reviewer
  • Apr 09, 2010
    There is something that?s always a litte different about Asian Horror, thou this one isn't one to send a chill up or down your spine, it does have its moments, like near the end of the film when our free lance camera man puts a box cutter in his mouth and slashes away. Story is about this cameraman and his dwell into the netherworld or sub world in which he finds a girl chained up in a cave, he rescues her to try and save her, only to find out she lives off Human Blood, ahh so now we have a serious problem. Worth 3 1/2 stars
    Bruce B Super Reviewer
  • Apr 10, 2008
    strange..more like david lynch..just got bored waiting for smoething to happen..interesting concept and dark visuals...jut lost my interest with this one ..yawn
    alan j Super Reviewer
  • Sep 02, 2007
    This film was pretty bad. The acting was pretty terrible (Shinya Tsukamoto, stick with MAKING films, not acting in them). I liked the way it was shot, but it wasn't enough to save a few scenes that were just hilarious. Some of the violence was pretty nicely done. While its plot was interesting, it's incredibly confusing at times. I liked how throughout the film the main character became more and more psychotic as the movie progresses, so it was nice touch. It would have been better had the acting been decent. So overall this film is bad but it has some moments, but not enough to make this a good, or even, a passable one.
    Jesse O Super Reviewer
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