A missing occult-magazine editor\u2019s collection of urban legends points toward one terrifying place. The director of “Noroi” <\/i>turns a viral Japanese web novel into found-document dread at its most unnerving and entertaining.<\/p>\n
From Koji Shiraishi, the fiendish mind behind “Noroi” and “Sadako vs. Kayako”, comes a chiller that\u2019s equal parts unnerving and highly entertaining, adapted from Sesuji\u2019s viral web novel that became a major horror sensation in Japan. It starts with a disappearance: an occult-magazine editor vanishes after collecting reports tied to the Kinki region: missing children, mass hysteria, haunted livestreams, scraps of rumor that feel too strange to explain. Freelance writer Chihiro Seno (Miho Kanno) and the editor\u2019s colleague Y\u016bsei Ozawa (Eiji Akaso) follow the trail until the pieces, assembled into a single picture, converge on one location, and on something fundamentally wrong with it. Shiraishi works in the found-document genre he helped to pioneer, crafting dread from fragments with his trademark cheeky flair.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n \u24d2Courtesy of New York Asian Film Festival<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Q: I hear that the original work for this film originated on a novel-sharing website and reportedly sold nearly 700,000 copies. How did you adapt Sesuji\u2019s original work into a screenplay? I\u2019ve heard there are quite a few differences from the original.<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: First of all, it was a matter of selecting and discarding material. We had to choose the episodes that worked best for the screen and create a climax suited for the medium, so the ending has a fairly original storyline. Since we needed to shorten the film a bit, there were parts where we had to tweak the rules within the story, so we made those adjustments and rearranged the story to fit within a two-hour runtime.<\/p>\n Q: I\u2019ve heard that the original work is based on content from various sources\u2014such as posts on online message boards, magazine articles, and recorded interviews\u2014which have been compiled into a written narrative. When adapting this for the screen, were there any particular artistic choices or techniques unique to the visual medium? Could you tell us a little about what elements were altered, and which changes stemmed from your own creative vision?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: I guess you could say we extracted elements that were easy to translate into visuals. The part at the beginning with the internet message board, for example, was inevitably text-based, and the content was about adult videos and such\u2014 It wasn\u2019t really suitable for a general audience\u2014the film started from a point that wasn\u2019t quite appropriate for a general audience\u2014so we decided to omit those episodes. From there, we thought about how to structure the film, and what we\u2019ve done in the film is convert each episode into visual footage and wrap it all up in a narrative film style\u2014that\u2019s where the difference lies.<\/p>\n \u24d2Courtesy of New York Asian Film Festival<\/p>\n Q: I heard that the original author, Sesuji, was also involved as a script consultant. To what extent was the script actually adapted from the original work? I also heard that the script went through several revisions before it was finalized. What kind of discussions did you have with Sesuji when adapting the story into the script?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: During the scriptwriting phase, whenever I felt it was time to show Mr. Sesuji something\u2014like, \u201cWhat do you think of this?\u201d\u2014I\u2019d run it by him and get his feedback. I think we met in person about once while I was revising the script, but for the most part, we held online meetings to discuss the finer details\u2014 \u201cWhat about this part? How about doing it this way here?\u201d We received quite a few ideas like that. Also, there\u2019s a folktale from a picture book that appears in the film\u2014the setting is that it\u2019s animated within the movie\u2014but Mr. Setoguchi wrote a new version of that story specifically for the film. Since it would have been too long to include as-is, we shortened and adapted it ourselves to fit into the film.<\/p>\n Q: Ms. Kanno has appeared in horror films such as \u201cTomie\u201d and \u201cHypnosis\u201d in the past. This film features a so-called dual lead cast with Miho Kanno and Akaso, and I thought Ms. Kanno\u2019s performance in the second half\u2014with its almost manic, defiant quality\u2014was particularly brilliant. Could you tell us a little about how the casting for these two came about?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi:\u3000It\u2019s true that I approached someone who I felt would be able to embrace this material. However, since Ms. Kanno hadn\u2019t appeared in a horror film for quite some time, and given his nationwide popularity and name recognition, I thought his return to the genre after such a long hiatus might generate some buzz. Also, the fact that some elements of madness emerge toward the end of the film is reminiscent of the movies he starred in back in the day, and I figured there might be viewers who would find that aspect entertaining. That\u2019s why I decided to ask Ms. Kanno to join the project.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n Q: In the movie, there\u2019s a \u201changing house\u201d that the YouTuber visits. The set design there was really scary, but it also felt incredibly realistic. Could you tell us a little bit about how you worked with the set designer to bring that to life?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: The original story was a little different, but when adapting it for the movie, we decided to make it a \u201chouse of hangings\u201d\u2014a house with lots of ropes and strings hanging around, as if people were about to hang themselves. We worked on the design through repeated meetings with our production designer, Mr. Ataka, and as we reviewed it, we\u2019d say things like, \u201cLet\u2019s do this part like this,\u201d or \u201c \u201cLet\u2019s do this here\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s do that there.\u201d<\/p>\n One thing we really struggled with was the density of the hanging cords and how they looked. Since they were actually just hooked or taped to the ceiling, we had to discuss the details\u2014like what density would best hide that fact\u2014and go back and forth on those kinds of minutiae. We actually shot more footage, so I wanted to show more of it, but considering the overall flow of the film, we settled on that length. Still, quite a few people said they wanted to see more.<\/p>\n \u24d2Courtesy of New York Asian Film Festival<\/p>\n Q: Watching this film, I notice that it incorporates some incredibly realistic footage, as well as some unearthed footage that feels a bit like found footage from the past\u2014and it\u2019s all woven in very skillfully. While there have been various examples of that kind of footage in past films, such as \u201cThe Blair Witch Project\u201d, are there any American horror films that have influenced you personally, Mr. Shiraishi?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: There might not be that many found-footage horror movies in the U.S., but I grew up watching a lot of American movies in general, starting with John Carpenter\u2019s \u201cThe Thing\u201d, and even though it\u2019s a horror-animal-panic movie, I also really loved Spielberg\u2019s \u201cJaws\u201d, and I\u2019m a huge fan of George Romero\u2019s zombie movies, \u201cDawn of the Dead\u201d and \u201cDay of the Dead\u201d. Who else is there in the U.S.?\u2026 There are probably plenty, but they don\u2019t come to mind right away. I definitely feel like I grew up watching a lot of American horror movies.<\/p>\n Q: Since this is a horror movie, I imagine the set is designed to have a pretty gloomy atmosphere and a terrifying environment. However, Ms. Kanno mentioned that the set was actually surprisingly cheerful. Could you tell us a little about how you go about creating that atmosphere on set when making a horror movie like this, and how you work with the actors and staff to achieve it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: I might not have thought it through that deeply, but basically, I do want to create a set where things aren\u2019t too tense\u2014a relaxed atmosphere where everyone can have fun. Speaking of the Kinki set, Ms. Kanno himself is a very cheerful person. He\u2019s friendly and talks to everyone, which really helps lighten the mood on set. Still, when we\u2019re running out of time, a sense of urgency does start to creep in. (wry smile)<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n Q: What I found interesting was Ms. Kanno\u2019s approach to physically confronting the so-called supernatural phenomena in the film\u2014such as ramming into them with a car or hitting them with various objects. In typical horror movies, I don\u2019t think you often see such a physical approach to supernatural phenomena. Mr. Shiraishi, did you approach this with a different mindset than in other films, or was there a particular philosophy behind it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: Even though it\u2019s called \u201cJapanese horror\u201d or \u201cJ-Horror,\u201d I\u2019ve never really been that interested in the kind where human ghosts appear. After all, I grew up watching American horror, and American horror always follows a formula where there\u2019s inevitably a showdown in the climax. I really loved that as entertainment, so I\u2019ve been making films that lean in that direction. Also, I believe that at the root of anything scary\u2014even if it\u2019s a being from another world\u2014there\u2019s a kind of life force, a vital presence. So I thought, \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, surely there must be elements here\u2014physical energy\u2014that can counteract it,\u201d and because I want to create a climactic showdown, I generally incorporate elements where there\u2019s some kind of physical clash or battle. It just builds more excitement that way.<\/p>\n \u24d2Courtesy of New York Asian Film Festival<\/p>\n Q: Could you tell us a little bit about whether you, Mr. Shiraishi, intended to incorporate elements like human jealousy or resentment\u2014the so-called \u201cfears of humanity\u201d\u2014as horror elements in this film? I feel like this film really reflects not just the darkness or supernatural phenomena, but also the so-called \u201cfears of humanity.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: This might be a bit of a spoiler, but I think there\u2019s also this aspect to it: the love that lies at the core of the protagonist, Ms.Kanno, can take on a form that, depending on the person, could become something truly terrifying. However, I definitely wanted to portray that it is, without a doubt, love. People tend to imagine love as something happy and dreamy, but I wanted to show that it\u2019s not just that. It seems love can sometimes turn into madness.<\/p>\n Q: I\u2019ve heard that the original manga volumes by Sesuji-san were full of creative touches designed to keep readers engaged\u2014such as text suddenly switching from vertical to horizontal writing, or special inserts included as reference materials. Did you discuss with Sesuji-san any approaches unique to film that you wanted to try, and were there any specific ideas you discussed in advance?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: I think the film version has a certain level of complexity, but the novel ends in a way that feels like it just leaves things hanging. In that regard, I wanted to create a climax that would build up visually as much as possible. I explained my vision\u2014saying, \u201cThis is how I\u2019d like to handle it\u201d\u2014and they replied, \u201cOkay.\u201d I don\u2019t know what they were really thinking inside, but it felt like they accepted it.<\/p>\n The approach of taking the various disparate elements from the novel and presenting them in a highly mixed way is very close to the mockumentary style I\u2019ve developed. By incorporating those mockumentary elements while also including elements of a dramatic feature film, and by depicting various forms of expression, techniques, and frightening subjects, I hope that\u2014even though the form is different in a sense\u2014 I hoped viewers would feel a similar texture or vibe to the novel version.<\/p>\n Also, for the climax, I really wanted to build up the tension in a way that\u2019s unique to film and its visuals. So, I made the ending a bit more straightforward than the novel\u2014though some say I made it too straightforward. In Japan, there are quite a few people who say they\u2019d rather I hadn\u2019t shown certain things, but I\u2019m the type who prefers to show them\u2014I grew up on American movies, so that\u2019s why I chose that style of expression.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n Q: This film has been selected for the New York Asian Film Festival. What aspects of it would you like American audiences to focus on?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: Well, I just hope everyone enjoys it in their own way. Actually, there are some aspects I can\u2019t quite imagine\u2014like how people will react to it\u2014so I\u2019m planning to watch it with you all today, and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing what kind of reactions there will be.<\/p>\n Q: Regarding J-Horror, Koji Suzuki\u2014the author of \u201cThe Ring\u201d and \u201cSpiral\u201d\u2014passed away recently. Could you tell us what kind of changes have been taking place in so-called J-Horror over the past few years, and what changes you\u2019ve noticed?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi: Lately\u2014and especially since a little while ago\u2014there have been a truly enormous number of independent, low-budget Japanese horror films being released in Japan. Many of them seem to be influenced by A24; they tend to be quite artistic or experimental, and the quality is generally quite high. The variety is incredible. It\u2019s quite different from the stereotypical \u201cJ-horror\u201d that people used to think of\u2014you know, the kind where a female ghost with long hair appears and looks kind of hazy and scary. There are so many different kinds of films being produced\u2014almost to the point of mass production\u2014that I think Japanese horror is definitely going to be in the spotlight going forward. Since many of the people making these films are young, I feel like I can\u2019t afford to fall behind either.<\/p>\n Q: Mr. Shirai, are there any horror film directors who are currently in the spotlight\u2014or any other film directors you\u2019re interested in?<\/strong><\/p>\n Koji Shiraishi:\u00a0 <\/span>As for active directors\u2014though it may have just finished its run in Japan\u2014I\u2019m not sure if it qualifies as horror, but I\u2019m interested in director Yuta Shimozu, who has a bit of a comedic touch. His previous film was \u201cBest Wish to All\u201d, and while it might still be in theaters, he\u2019s currently screening his second theatrical feature, \u201cNEW GROUP\u201d. I found \u201cNEW GROUP\u201d to be absolutely hilarious\u2014it incorporates very Japanese elements in a way that could be described as \u201cA24-esque,\u201d yet it\u2019s portrayed in a uniquely Japanese style. It\u2019s a wildly unpredictable movie, but it was easily the most thrilling theater experience I\u2019ve had in recent years.<\/p>\n \u24d2Courtesy of New York Asian Film Festival<\/p>\n If you like the interview, share your thoughts below!<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Kinki\"](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kinki-Poster-707x1024.png\")
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