Plot: Hiroko has a crush on Naoto, but he's already married and his wife's pregnant. Seven years later, Naoto's wife dies in a traffic accident. Hiroko goes to visit the funeral, and after she returns home she finds she is haunted by a ghost. Naoto's wife always suspected Hiroko's feelings, and she cursed Hiroko to keep her away from her husband.
Watches
September 14, 2024
Much like Tsuruta and Shimizu, Hideo Nakata has trouble reinventing himself. The Forbidden Play is another archetypical J-Horror, with some minor twists, but the crux of the matter is that these films are past their expiration date, and horror cinema-wise, the world needs something else right now.
The Forbidden Play has an interesting setup and with a different director this could've been a fun Rampo-like chiller, but it all leads back to a pale ghost who goes through the usual haunting procedures. The scares are only mildly interesting and clocking in well beyond the 90-minute mark, the film overstays its welcome. It's not a terrible feature, but only for the hardcore horror crowd.