Black Kiss (2004)

Dir: Macoto Tezka

Having become so jaded with Asian horror of late (thanks to a flood of soggy dead girls) it's a good feeling to see a new(ish) movie that reminds me why I got into it in the first place. "Black Kiss" is a beautifully shot nerve-shredder about Asuka (Reika Hashimoto) and Kasumi (Kaori Kawamura), two models who wind up sharing a seedy Tokyo apartment. In true "Rear Window" stylee, Asuka witnesses a brutal murder in the hotel across the street and this plunges both girls into a nightmare of slaughter, taxidermy, voodoo and more besides. Yeah, "Black Kiss" has it all. It's lengthy and character-driven but surprisingly well-paced, with murders as disturbing, inventive and stomach-churning as anything I've seen. The final third is tense and exciting and there's one scene (where the murderer is finally revealed) that sent me flying out of my seat, shrieking. Don't even get me started on all the incredible camerawork. An intelligent, original, well-made shocker that lives up admirably to the Asia Extreme tag. ****