Creepy

Really not a fan of the way the big “mystery” is handled in this. The building suspense, which had been so effective and really the driving force of the film, is cut short by placing the reveal only halfway through its runtime. This rushed reveal creates the illusion that there are what feels like two films here—one a lot less interesting than the other.  Aside from the reveal not having the proper amount of build-up, it manages to be pretty underwhelming as well. The neighbor ends up feeling like a poor and unconvincing rehash of Mamiya from Kurosawa’s other film Cure. Despite having a suspenseful first half that promises a gripping mystery, Kurosawa circumvents what could have been a more intriguing premise for a reused one—this time around with similar narrative devices as before, but without the same mastery he once had.