Howling Village

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Howling Village

Released Aug 13, 2021

1h 48m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

44%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

After her brother goes missing, Kanade, a young psychologist visits his last known location, an infamous haunted and cursed site known as 'Howling Village' to investigate his disappearance. Her investigation reveals that the village's mysteries are connected to her family and works to uncover her family's dark history.

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Ali Arkani

Film Threat

In the end, despite some strong visuals, the film feels just like a ride through a tepid haunted house: scary and mysterious, yet empty and unremarkable.

Rated: 5.5/10

Sep 2, 2021

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John Serba

Decider

[Director Takashi] Shimuzu draws us in just enough to spur our interest, and delivers just enough inspired imagery and eerie vibes so the movie's ever so slightly more than just another ghost story.

Aug 20, 2021

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Abbie Bernstein

Assignment X

It's intriguing for Western audiences for its handsome Japanese vistas, and it's not absurd enough to be a howl, but it's not exactly good, either.

Rated: C

Aug 17, 2021

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Thom Ernst

Original Cin

It aims high but this overly busy horror fails to knit together its many disparate pieces into a compelling whole.

Aug 13, 2021

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Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

Shimizu proves with his latest horror-narrative that one does not need to reinvent the genre to be able to deliver a film that satisfies spectators seeking thrills and scares.

Jan 3, 2021

Full Review

Anton Bitel

SciFiNow

Gone is the raw terror of the Grudge films, but in its place is a convoluted story about the different ways in which a community lives - or dies - with the misdeeds of yesteryear, carried out in the name of 'progress'.

Mar 27, 2020

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Gabriel S

The Howling Village starts out interesting, but fails miserably. The plot choices are ridiculous and nonsensical, ending with an ambiguous revelation that seals the coffin of this film. Kanata, a clairvoyant who sees spirits, must uncover the mystery surrounding her sister's death before an ancient secret destroys her family. The acting is the usual one of oriental films, despite the Brazilian dubbing that leaves a little to be desired. In some moments, the actors can't convey the emotions they try, they seem fake, especially if we consider the context present in the film. The film has the hallmarks of low budget. The practical effects are good, but the CGI sucks, a weird overlay that doesn't feel real at all, not believable at all. The scene of Kanata's sister's death is hilarious, I can't help but comment. A satirical death, with an unnecessary dark humor. It would be more efficient to keep reality in focus. The plot revolves around the mystery of the Howling Village and what happened to its inhabitants. The story tries to highlight the contrast between the actions of the big corporations against the humble and desperate, but the plan backfired, since, in the course of the film, we realize that the inhabitants of the village were not so good guys. All of these facts lead to the final revelation, a confusing and out-of-context revelation. The last piece of the puzzle doesn't fit, giving the impression that the writers didn't know which story to tell, culminating in this hybrid story full of bitter holes.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

Will G. F

There's a 50-50 chance you'll like it, but the real life story is far more interesting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

started off promising then got really weird in a dumb kind of way

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/24/22

Full Review

Tourillon A

Après un premier tiers très réussi, le film chute drastiquement en intensité et se perd dans un récit confus : voyage dans le temps, malédiction fantôme et même loup garou. Le film n en reste pas moins réussi et un film de J-Hortor convenable

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/24/21

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Takashi Shimizu

Director

Ayaka Miyoshi

Kanata Morita

Ryota Bando

Yuma Morita

Megumi Okina

Yuko-kun

Renji Ishibashi

Hayato Nakamura

Tsuyoshi Furukawa

Kenji Narimiya

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Howling Village: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

After her brother goes missing, Kanade, a young psychologist visits his last known location, an infamous haunted and cursed site known as 'Howling Village' to investigate his disappearance. Her investigation reveals that the village's mysteries are connected to her family and works to uncover her family's dark history.

Director: Takashi Shimizu
Producer: Chikako Nakabayashi
Screenwriter: Takashi Shimizu, Daisuke Hosaka
Distributor: Dread
Production Co: Booster Project, Toei Company
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 17, 2021
Runtime: 1h 48m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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