Most horror flicks are meant to send a chill down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat, not leave you wondering what color the walls of the theater were in the light. This remake of a J-horror film, “Shutter,” made me do precisely that.
The story line was fairly enticing. It is set in Tokyo in accordance with the film’s Asian origin. A major photographer Ben (Joshua Jackson) and his new bride Jane (Rachel Taylor) have just arrived in the city for a photo shoot when they have a serious car accident. The mysterious woman in the other car disappears only to show up in photos the couple later takes.
They are haunted by peculiar happenings. Unsure of who the woman is and why this is happening, the overly curious Jane (Taylor) tries to find out the identity of the woman in the accident.
Incapable of discovering anything solid, the couple takes more pictures, the woman reappears and Taylor searches for more answers. It’s a vicious cycle.
The ghost in question moves in slow, jerky movements consistent with the J-horror genre. The reason for the vengeful apparition’s presence in the couple’s photos and lives is never completely uncovered.
Confusion sets in as the supposed climactic scenes in the film and if you want to twitch and scream in fright, it will leave you wanting.
It’s been a long time since the days of “Dawson’s Creek” and Joshua Jackson’s roles have been like the scary points in this film (few) but he, like always, played his role and came off very likeable.
Despite the dramatic undertones of the film, I found myself crushing on him like I did back in the ’90s when he starred as Pacey Witter in the hit TV show.
Taylor played her role well too – it was the script that was inevitably lacking. Our era is full of movies about ghosts and with the Internet, TV and cell phones there is plenty of opportunity to switch up the same plot and turn it into multiple movies.
I think audiences everywhere are sick of the predictable and monotonous. I know I am.
I wouldn’t recommend this film to you because when it comes right down to it, if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. This is definitely just another link in the chain of similar horror films that can’t be broken, like our taste for bad reality TV shows.
But I beg you, don’t be predictable. Be original. See something different this time. Go outside your box and be pleasantly surprised.

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