Time: 119 Minutes
Cast:
Kumiko Asō as Michi Kudo
Haruhiko Kato as Ryosuke Kawashima
Koyuki as Harue Karasawa
Kurume Arisaka as Junko Sasano
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

After college student Taguchi (Kenji Mizuhashi) commits suicide, a number of young adults living in Tokyo witness terrifying visions transferred across the Internet. As more people disappear throughout the city, the Internet becomes a breeding ground for malevolent spirits. Three seemingly disconnected stories follow Michi (Kumiko Aso), Ryosuke (Haruhiko Katô) and Harue (Koyuki) as they attempt to solve the mystery behind the ghostly visions that are seeping beyond their computer monitors.

Cure was an incredible psychological horror thriller which really surprised me when I saw it. When I learned that the director Kiyoshi Kurosawa had directed Pulse (another horror movie I heard about), I knew I had to check it out. It’s another fantastic film from Kurosawa.

The plot is pretty thin and simple, and it’s paced very slowly. It starts off on a smaller scale and then quietly grows into something unexpected. Pulse is one of the more unique ghost stories I’ve seen, with it relating to computers and technology, and the resulting isolation, depression and loneliness, represented by the ghosts. With the thought-provoking social commentary on such things, Pulse is ahead of its time considering it came out in 2001. It is very chilling and creepy, with its ever present brooding atmosphere. However, it also has this melancholy and sadness to it, which is fitting considering how this movie is about loneliness and depression. 

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s craft is on point as ever. The cinematography is unsettling, the imagery is haunting, and the soundtrack is eerie. These help to build up a dread filled atmosphere. While it’s not without jumpscares, the scares are generally atmospheric and come from the existential, and build up terror and anxiety within the viewer.

Pulse is an atmospheric, thematic and haunting horror film, which is fantastically written and directed, with some unsettling and unforgettable imagery. It’s an excellent movie that is well worth checking out.