DARK WATER. The masterclass in horror tension

But even that view collapsed over time. I had the opportunity to watch two Asian horror movies (the second being a production of several countries, including Hong Kong and Thailand), which significantly contributed to the fact that I now look at this genre somewhat differently. The first one is the one described here, Dark Water, and the second one is The Eye. These two films convinced me to some extent that the Japanese (or rather Asians) make some of the best horror movies.

A turning point in this genre for me was The Blair Witch Project – a film that hardly had any blood, monsters, gore scenes, etc. – and yet managed to scare and give a good emotional kick. Several things contributed to this – a fantastic atmosphere, building tension, unease, and an interesting and quite original plot. After Blair Witch, there was a trend for such horror movies – not shockers or so-called slasher movies, where we are mainly shocked and scared by gore scenes, various monsters, or killers running around with a knife. There was a trend for something more ambitious, for something where more emphasis is put on atmosphere, increasing tension, a well-thought-out script, and to a large extent, the above-mentioned techniques are abandoned. That’s exactly what Dark Water is, the first of the two Asian productions I watched. That’s just by way of introduction, now I’ll move on to the actual review, or what “impression” this particular horror movie made on me…

What’s good about Dark Water is, among other things, the plot, which goes like this: a certain woman moves into a new apartment with her almost 6-year-old daughter. The building they live in is an already old construction – which is perfectly visible both from the outside and inside. Soon, water starts dripping from the ceiling in the apartment. The stain grows day by day, and the tenants from the apartment above do not open the door… The main character also learns that some time ago, a certain girl went missing in the area, and she has not been found to this day… Throughout the movie, everything comes together into one logical whole, and the viewer is constantly surprised. How everything is connected, what is the explanation for everything, and what dramatic finale all the events will lead to – you have to see it for yourself. I won’t reveal any important detail here because I wouldn’t want to accidentally spoil someone’s enjoyment of watching such a good production.

The whole movie has a specific structure, and it should be watched under certain conditions – characteristic, by the way, for most horror movies. To really get into it, absolute silence, concentration, and of course, the right time of day are needed – specifically, night of course! As for the mentioned structure – for the first hour, the film seems somewhat monotonous and tedious, dragging on endlessly. But that’s only during the first viewing – because the second time, I didn’t feel that way. On the contrary – I noticed several interesting details that had previously escaped me. During this first hour, the atmosphere is being built, tension is being heightened, and the viewers are being filled with a kind of unease and anticipation. Even the monotony and boredom are – I would venture to say – intentional. Because after this time, the viewer thinks to himself: “Nothing has surprised me for so long, so it will probably continue the same way.”

And then there is a kind of breakthrough and “boom!” – the part of the movie that most testifies to its quality begins. The part begins when there are moments that can give you a proverbial heart attack. There are four such scenes (two fantastic, two slightly weaker, but still good), during which solid chills ran down my spine. And for these scenes, it’s really WORTH watching this movie. And of course, for the whole atmosphere, the whole plot… Additionally, when the viewer realizes what actually happened in the movie and in the movie’s retrospections – Dark Water becomes even better. Of course, watching Mr. Hideo Nakata’s work once is not enough – it’s best to watch the movie again. Then it will definitely grow in your eyes (that’s how it was in my case), and you can notice the aforementioned details that may have escaped you during the first viewing.

A good horror movie is not just about fear, intense scenes, and techniques that put the viewer in the right state, mood, but also about the execution of the film itself – acting, music, sound, or set design. There are no objections to the acting and sound, the set design is good – an example is the outdated and sinister-looking building where all the events accumulate. The music is composed by Kenji Kawai – known, for example, for the excellent score for the outstanding anime movie Ghost In The Shell (one of the best in its genre). The composer created very dark and very sinister music for Dark Water. There are also plenty of interesting and surprising motifs in the movie, connections, and retrospections are woven in – thanks to them, you can even more deeply immerse yourself in the whole plot. It is also worth mentioning that the script is based on a book by Mr. Koji Suzuki, who is considered the Stephen King of Japan. The ending is also good and somewhat surprising – mysterious and unexplained. And that’s probably the best solution, because I was already afraid of a completely botched ending and forcing an explanation. Fortunately, my fears were groundless.

What can I say in conclusion? The film certainly won’t appeal to everyone and won’t have the same impact it had on me. Many may find it boring and monotonous (especially for the first hour), but honestly, I prefer horror movies where the action and tension slowly, almost sluggishly, develop for a while until we reach that brilliant climactic moment, deserving of a very high rating. And for those strongest moments – even if they are few – it’s worth watching such a film. I’ve never really thought about ranking the best horror movies I’ve watched. This was for two reasons: first, I’m not that avid a fan of this genre, and second, I’ve seen a lot of horror movies, but not that many, especially those of Asian production. But now I’m certain that Dark Water is at the forefront of my personal ranking. Heck, I’ll even say it’s one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen. It’s time to conclude my musings with a certain point: if most Japanese (Asian) horror movies are this good – count me in.