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Rating: 0.5 out of 5
Have you ever heard of Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees in Japan? Aokigahara is a forest on the northwestern flank of Mount Fuji. Even though it is lush and seems peaceful, the forest is known to have a reputation as a home to evil spirits. The forest has a historical reputation as a home to yūrei or ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t sound like a place I would want to visit. I would say I ain’t afraid of no ghost, but I feel like the Ghostbusters would have difficulty with this place. The forest has become associated with suicide and is now known to the world as “The Suicide Forest.” I’m telling you that there are some evil spirits up in there, and there are some places you just don’t roll to.
Directed by Jason Zada, the film follows a young woman who travels to the infamous Aokigahara to find her sister. Sara Price (Dormer), an American, gets a call from the Japanese police informing her that they believe her troubled twin sister Jess (Dormer) is dead inside Aokigahara as that was the last place she was seen entering. Against the concerns and wishes of her fiancé, Rob, Sara hops on a plane to Japan and arrives at the hotel her sister was staying at. Sara goes to the school where Jess worked. The students become hysterical, believing that she is an evil spirit before telling her sister went into the forest. At the hotel, Sara meets a reporter named Aiden. During drinks, she tells him the story of her parents’ death but seems to lie about it as she said they were killed by a drunk driver, but in reality, her father killed her mom and then killed himself. Some messed stuff right there. Aiden convinces Sara that it is a good idea to go into the forest with him and a park guide, Michi, so she can look for her sister. Desperate to find her sister, night soon falls. Sara makes the decision to stay in the forest where the spirits of the forest come to life.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way with this film. For a freakin horror movie, it sucked major a**. I don’t think one time I was actually afraid or even jump. The film tries soooooooo hard to make it seem scary to the point you will scratch your head and start playing on your phone. First, when Sara arrives and he goes to that little place next to the forest. You might think the old woman might kill her or something will pop out, but it doesn’t. Then Sara hears so many stories about staying on the path and don’t be in the forest at night because angry spirits or yuri will get her. Those spirits just played mind games with her because she ended up running around the forest for a while only to see a spirit once in a while saying, “boo, or what’s up?”
Honestly, now that I think about it, this is a rundown version of Friday the 13th. All it was missing was Jason Voorhees standing behind a tree with his distinct music playing, telling viewers that he was close or watching. That would’ve been more entertaining than this. If you dropped Jason in this film and had various things pop out in front of Sara, it would be a Friday the 13th movie easily.
Why is it when people give you warnings to stay on the path and not stay at night, they don’t listen? It’s not that hard. I have a sibling, and if I learned he went in this forest, my first question would be? What the hell was wrong with him, and was he high? If I was searching for him, I’m taking like 20 people, and we staying on the path no matter what. If I hear one sound or see one ghost, “Fuck this s**t, I’m out.”
Also, I want to give a small compliment to the film’s location. I think the film had potential because of the location and history behind the forest. There has to be some demonic stuff going on in there. It’s not like film hasn’t been placed on a haunted place. There are loads of horror films like this. It’s just that with this one, an acorn could’ve been scarier.
I love me some Natalie Dormer. I think she is really good at her job, but this film right here did her a disservice. Taking on the job of doing dual roles, the film just failed her talents. I am not going to hold anything against Dormer for this film. She showed her range when the film presented her with hallucinations, and she made it seem like she was completely out of her mind.
If you are looking for a scary and intense horror film, the forest is not what you are looking for. Even with the premise being in the infamous Aokigahara, this film fails to deliver any frights. Natalie Dormer holds her own in this film, but ultimately it fails to get past the first tree.
