"Words create lies. Pain can be trusted."

From the land of the rising sun comes two starkly contrasting films. One a classic teen horror flick set in a haunted Japanese mansion, the other an intense psychological thriller set in a modern cityscape. Spanning the entire spectrum of what might be considered horror, both are certainly worth watching.

House

My first attempt to find a good Japanese horror film yielded something more comedic than scary. This supernatural flick reads like classic horror on the surface, following a group of school girls as they are killed off one by one while staying the night at a mysterious mansion. Unfortunately over the top comedic relief and special effects that were beyond the technology of the time distract from any dramatic tension. Despite all of this, the originality of the film still manages to shine through providing an overall entertaining viewing experience.

Audition

At the other end of the spectrum is Audition. It is horror refined to its purest form. There are no monsters or jump scares to be found in this film. The viewer is saddled with a general sense of uneasiness that slowly builds until finally exploding into raw and intense psychological terror. Audition is incredibly effective at tapping in to a deep level of the human psyche and causing a great deal of discomfort. At times almost impossibly painful to watch, this film stands as one of my favorites.