Apartment 1303

I remember the days when we were satisfied with cheesy camp horror flicks.

Those days are long gone.

Now, it seems that Japanese horror is at the forefront of the genre. One main element of these films is they have a psychological aspect that so many other horror films lack. Now, the list of J-Horror films keeps growing. Another title to add to that list is Apartment 1303. Following in the tradition of The Ring and The Grudge, Apartment 1303 brings the same psychological terror that the Japanese films have a reputation for. This one is about (you guessed it) a haunted apartment. But it doesn't stop at just a typical "haunted house" film. There's a horrifying secret as to why the apartment is haunted, as well as family tension with the main character Mariko and her mom. The journey by Mariko to uncover the mystery of Apartment 1303 is what carries this film. One thing that always gets me in these movies is WHY does the person insist on staying in a place they know is haunted?? I would have gotten the hell out right away. But then, the film would be cut way too short if that happened! And since Mariko lost her sister tragically when she lived in 1303, she's determined to figure out why all the apartment's previous residents died tragically. If you're looking for your typical blood and guts horror film with a shallow plot, then this isn't your film. The smart plot and terrifying scenes that come out of nowhere separate this from those type of films. What I noticed about this is how improved the creepy sound effects are compared to other films such as Ju-On (The Grudge), and so on.

After seeing this, you may want to check the history of an apartment before moving in.