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Uzumaki
EMAILPRINTTwo Boots Pioneer Theater
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 9 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Mystery
Written by:
Kengo Kaji
Takao Nitta
Chika Yasuo
Junji Ito (manga)
Directed by: Higuchinsky
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 1, 2002
DVD: July 6, 2004
Running Time: 90 minutes, Color
Origin: Japan
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Eriko Hatsune, Fhi Fan, Ren Osugi, Hinako Saeki, Masami Horiuchi, Taro Suwa, Eun-Kyung Shin, and Sadao Abe
A horror film about the residents of a small Japanese village that become obsessed with spiral-shaped objects.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan
It's creepy, but it's not horrifying. Still, the movie has its distorted, haunting moments that will stick with you, and it's stunning to look at.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
A mix of H.P. Lovecraft madness, David Cronenberg biological mutation and David Lynch small-town weirdness, it teasingly dangles explanations never delivered and escapes never sought, while diving into one of the most gonzo horrors to twist onto celluloid in years.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Ross Williams
Unfortunately, this horror gem won't even receive the same fate as a crappy "Children of the Corn" sequel, that of ending up on the back shelf of the local Blockbuster. This all but guarantees, that some kid won't accidentally come upon it and scare the crap out of himself. And that's just sad.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
This deliriously unsettling film evokes H.P. Lovecraft's exquisitely creepy stories of encroaching madness -- not so much in story terms but in its perversely spooky ambience -- with a subtle dose of David Lynch's dark sense of humor.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Edward Crouse
With playful, compelling gore having slowed to a near trickle stateside, Uzumaki demands attention.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Higuchinsky turns the screen into another giant vortex, drawing the characters and the audience deeper into a dark, captivating spell.
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
Perhaps the most gripping thing about the ultimately disappointing Japanese horror film Uzumaki is the patient way the picture develops mood.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune John Petrakis
Like many horror films, it loses steam as it gets more graphic.
Read Full Review >New York Post Megan Lehmann
At some point, all this visual trickery stops being clever and devolves into flashy, vaguely silly overkill.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
C gave it a5:
This really didn't capture the feel of the manga for me. I highly recommend any of Junji Ito's comics if you like Japanese horror. I get sort of sick thinking about his work, but I think that is the point. The film adaptations don't do that for me.
Karl J. gave it a4:
I didn't like it. Not scary, not good looking.
Autumn C. gave it a 10:
I loved this movie the first time I saw it! I have just recently started reading the manga for this movie, they are good as well!
Yoon C. gave it a 4:
Genuinely eerie premise spirals into nonsensical effects and pointless horror. An interesting twist on horror films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a vision of a world where everyone seems to be falling under the spell of some disease that might be called spiralitis, psychologically and physically succumbing to spiral visons and shapes. At its most fascinating the movie seems to suggest that the world is a conspiracy of patterns and that we're all helpless in the long run against funneling into an hole into another dimension. Yet, like so many other Japanese horror movies, the idea lacks investigative depths and stops at second rate effects.
William Y. gave it an 8:
I felt compelled to rate this movie highly for it's sheer uniqueness. It really does summon a Lovecraftian mood with it's sense of unknowable horror and images of people going through grotesque physical changes, but it also evokes Clive Barker and Tim Burton. Many of the images resemble Barker's artwork, although I don't know if that was intentional or if I'm only making the connection myself. Yet despite these perceived influences, Uzumaki is definitely it's own creature, with a lot of imaginative force lent to it by the entire creative team. At times, it seems a bit too ornate, the acting a bit over-exaggerated, but these seem to have been stylistic decisions and they ultimately work well at establishing the appropriate surreal flavor for the piece as a whole.
Mandi A. gave it a 9:
Hugely enjoyable, beautiful on the eyes and the heart, full of stunning imagery and hilarious shlock-shocks - a total winner! I would suggest also reading the original Junji Ito manga, which focuses a lot more on horror and less on laughs...
Michael S. gave it a 7:
If someone came to your home and delivered the cheese and the silliness, you would consider that person to be a very good pizza-man, and you'd tip him generously. That's about how UZUMAKI works. It is funny, has a few genuinely disturbing moments, and while I admit that it peters out, it manages to entertain on the basis of its own audacity. (How many films are there in which a town is menaced by a design motif?) UZUMAKI is a bit like Tim Burton-does- J-Horror, and as such it is stylish, disposable, and well worth your time.
