In 1998, director Hideo Nakata unleashed a chilling tale of technological terror on unsuspecting audiences, which redefined the horror genre, launched the J-horror boom in the West and introduced a generation of moviegoers to a creepy, dark-haired girl called Sadako. The film’s success spawned a slew of remakes, reimaginations and imitators, but none could quite boast the power of Nakata’s original masterpiece, which melded traditional Japanese folklore with contemporary anxieties about the technology boom.
A group of teenage friends are found dead, their bodies grotesquely contorted, their faces twisted in terror. Reiko, a journalist and the aunt of one of the victims, sets out to investigate the shocking phenomenon, and in the process uncovers a creepy urban legend about a supposedly cursed videotape, the contents of which causes anyone who views it to die within a week.
The festival assumes no financial or other liability for any mental or physical harm suffered by a viewer within seven days of watching this film. By purchasing a ticket to the screening, you agree to those terms and conditions. However, we still recommend that you avoid answering your phone after the screening.