Tormented (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2011 Japanese horror film
directed by Takashi Shimizu
. The film involves Kiriko (Hikari Mitsushima) and her younger half-brother Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) who are haunted by a large rabbit-doll. Tormented premiered at the at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
on September 7, 2011.
) and her younger half-brother Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) live with their father Kohei (Teruyuki Kagawa) who is a book illustrator. One day Daigo inexplicably beats a rabbit to death outside his school and subsequently stops attending classes. Kiriko becomes worried by Daigo's behaviour while their father ignores the problem as he is caught up in latest job: a pop-up book about The Little Mermaid
. Later, Kiriko takes Daigo to watch a 3-D
horror film
involving a rabbit doll which appears to float out of the screen and into Daigo's hands. Daigo takes it home. That night a large version of the doll pulls him through a cupboard into a fairgound. The next night Daigo is pulled by the rabbit through the mattress of his bed. Kiriko follows him this time and the group goes to an abandoned hospital. Later, Kiriko tells her father that "Kyoko is coming. I saw her. Daigo too." Kyoko then recalls a time when she was younger when Kohei arrived home with his pregnant second wife and that she attacked her. Kiriko and Daigo seem to believe that Kyoko has come back to haunt them in a rabbit costume and are determined to destroy the doll.
Tormented was the first film where director Takashi Shimizu
had worked with cinematographer
Christopher Doyle
. This film was Doyle's first work in 3D. Shimizu stated that he and Doyle "clashed a lot" on set, but also that "if any one understood our intentions -- or more to the point, felt them -- it was probably Chris, the Troublesome but Refined Old Bastard."
on September 7, 2011. The film was released theatrically in Japan on September 17. The film is slated to be shown in competition at the Sitges Film Festival in October and at the Stockholm International Film Festival
in November.
Along with Shimizu's The Shock Labyrinth
, Tormenteds theatrical, DVD, digital, video on demand
, and television rights have been bought by Well Go USA from Fortissimo Films
.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
. The film involves Kiriko (Hikari Mitsushima) and her younger half-brother Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) who are haunted by a large rabbit-doll. Tormented premiered at the at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
68th Venice International Film Festival
The 68th annual Venice Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, took place from 31 August to 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on 4 September,...
on September 7, 2011.
Plot
In Japan, Kiriko (Hikari MitsushimaHikari Mitsushima
is a Japanese film actress, born on 30 November 1985, in Okinawa, Japan. She began her career in 1997 as a teenage idol singer in the J-pop groups Folder and Folder 5. She made her acting debut in Rebirth of Mothra II in 1997, but did not start acting regularly until 2005...
) and her younger half-brother Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) live with their father Kohei (Teruyuki Kagawa) who is a book illustrator. One day Daigo inexplicably beats a rabbit to death outside his school and subsequently stops attending classes. Kiriko becomes worried by Daigo's behaviour while their father ignores the problem as he is caught up in latest job: a pop-up book about The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" is a popular fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince...
. Later, Kiriko takes Daigo to watch a 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
involving a rabbit doll which appears to float out of the screen and into Daigo's hands. Daigo takes it home. That night a large version of the doll pulls him through a cupboard into a fairgound. The next night Daigo is pulled by the rabbit through the mattress of his bed. Kiriko follows him this time and the group goes to an abandoned hospital. Later, Kiriko tells her father that "Kyoko is coming. I saw her. Daigo too." Kyoko then recalls a time when she was younger when Kohei arrived home with his pregnant second wife and that she attacked her. Kiriko and Daigo seem to believe that Kyoko has come back to haunt them in a rabbit costume and are determined to destroy the doll.
Production
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
had worked with cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Christopher Doyle
Christopher Doyle
Christopher Doyle is a cinematographer. He has won the AFI Award for cinematography, the Cannes Technical Grand Prize, Golden Osella, the Golden Horse awards , and Hong Kong Film Award . Doyle is an affiliate of the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.-Biography:Doyle was born in Sydney,...
. This film was Doyle's first work in 3D. Shimizu stated that he and Doyle "clashed a lot" on set, but also that "if any one understood our intentions -- or more to the point, felt them -- it was probably Chris, the Troublesome but Refined Old Bastard."
Release
The film will be shown out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival68th Venice International Film Festival
The 68th annual Venice Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, took place from 31 August to 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on 4 September,...
on September 7, 2011. The film was released theatrically in Japan on September 17. The film is slated to be shown in competition at the Sitges Film Festival in October and at the Stockholm International Film Festival
Stockholm International Film Festival
The Stockholm International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year in the second half of November...
in November.
Along with Shimizu's The Shock Labyrinth
The Shock Labyrinth
-Synopsis:Its a story of a group of teenagers with a shared mysterious past, that are confronted suddenly with the return of a friend who was thought to be dead...
, Tormenteds theatrical, DVD, digital, video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
, and television rights have been bought by Well Go USA from Fortissimo Films
Fortissimo Films
Fortissimo Films is a multi-national film production, sales and distribution company. The company has been behind such East Asian films as Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, the Thai films Tears of the Black Tiger and Last Life in the Universe, as well as such independent films as Pleasure...
.