Hideo Nakata arguably revolutionised the horror genre around the turn of the century. With the release of Ringu, Ringu 2 and Dark Water he brought Asian horror cinema to the rest of the world. He pathed the way for many other directors to get their work known and inspired a raft of American remakes (even unwisely getting involved himself). Dark Water got the Hollywood treatment but the original still remains the vastly superior film.
In the middle of a divorce and desperate for somewhere to live and a job, Yoshimi (Hitomi Kuroki) moves into an old apartment with her young daughter Ikuko (Rio Kanno). She notices that the ceiling is leaking, which rapidly worsens. At the same time, she begins seeing a mysterious dark haired girl. As odd events unfold she starts to believe that the little girl is Mitsuko Kawai, who was abandoned by her mother and disappeared just over a year ago.
Dark Water is not a horror film which relies on big jumps, gore or CGI phantoms flying through walls. Instead of terror, Nakata relies on creepiness and a growing tension to unsettle his audience. Essentially, he’s created a film which affects you whilst watching, but will stay with you for years to come. Dark Water is a classic of Asian cinema. A film which could only be crafted by someone from a certain culture.
Special Edition Contents:
- High Definition digital transfer
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original 5.1 audio (DTS-HD on the Blu-ray)
- Brand new interview with director Hideo Nakata
- Brand new interview with novelist Koji Suzuki
- Brand new interview with cinematographer Junichiro Hayashi
- Archive interview with actress Asami Mizukawa
- Original ‘Making of’ documentary
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain
Dark Water is released on Dual Format Blu-ray and DVD by Arrow Films and is out now.
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