The Curse

An extremely violent opening to The Curse sets up a satire on social media and the like and in a sense updates The Ring.

Riko (Yukino Kaizu) works in trendy hairstylist in Tokyo and is getting concerned about her friend Shufen’s (Tammy Lin) online posts and not receiving any response from her. She reaches out to her ex Jiahao (Yu) living in Taiwan and acquainted with Shufen. When the news comes back that she’s been dead for six months Riko becomes suspicious and enlisting her flatmate Airi (Reika Oozeki) they try and find out what happened.

However the quest has also taken on some urgency as when Airi tried to confront the person who took over Shufen’s social media she received a message that made her eyes bleed, and well it’s the title of the film. From here Airi begins to deteriorate mentally and physically. Answering a call Riko is herself cursed and she is left with no option but to go to Taiwan and with Jiahao find out what is going on.

There’s no great surprise or subtlety to see in writer and director Kenichi Ugana’s satire on social media with references to Ringu. That said it’s very unlikely that he thought these would just fly by the viewer, without questions. The context is that technologies have move on and are now far more potent and insidious than a VHS and TV.

That said this isn’t a techno thriller. As the film progresses and changes location to Taiwan Riko despite her assorted gadgets is beset by the more traditional issues of language and cultural ignorance. Add to that the forces are now grounded in tradition and expertly manipulated by a malevolent individual that requires more established rituals to counter them, if not that successfully. These elements accumulate over the second half leading to a body strewn and bloody climax.

The Curse had its UK premiere at FrightFest Glasgow, March 2026.