Shutter (2005)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Perfect cast and a good story

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Blistering performances.

I remember watching the American version at a sleepover and instinctively knew it was a remake of an Asian film (I had wrongly assumed Japanese) and that I had to watch it. The story stayed with me and I decided it was time to watch the original version and be spared the crassness of the Hollywood version. This makes use of a few jump-scares but also uses slow horror to freak the viewer out. But its the plot here that nails it. Good acting by the leads. This is Asian horror at its near best. I wouldn't say its one of the greatest (I will leave that title to the Jap ones), but this is a pretty good attempt.

I read about this movie on IMDb and reluctantly decided to give it a try because I really liked the concept of the story but didn't think it would amount to much. I can't even remember when I last saw a good horror movie. I couldn't have been more wrong. What I found was a really creepy and amazing movie from beginning to end.This is by far the best horror/thriller movie I have watched in years, maybe the best I've ever watched.Ignore any negative reviewsA must see!

I was halfway through watching the American version when I had to sleep for work next day. Then I started watching the original version shortly after, and I have to say, I was not scared one bit in the American version, which is a pity because it tries so hard to scare you.The Thai original achieves what the American one, I could probably say, can only hide in its shadow. There is something about the way Asian horror that seems so much more effective. I think it has to do with the fact that they don't seem to sensationalise everything whereas the remakes are simply putting a sign to the audience saying 'Something Scary: Please be scared'.Shutter is a story about a photographer and his girlfriend, whom the girlfriend accidentally runs into a girl who mysteriously appears on the road one night. Soon after, photos that are taken by the photographer show more to the photos than just the nice scenery and people who are in it, but a mysterious figure who just might be after more than just a shot in a photo that was taken with her not in it.....What makes this effective is that during the scary scenes, you are obviously expecting the scary part to happen, but what surprised me is that it came without me sort of expecting it at that moment or in that way. It actually made me gasp outloud. I think the story does follow a simple formula in which the characters go on a discovery journey to discover the past of this mysterious figure, who is a girl, and that was done in the Ring and the Eye, but it is still effective nevertheless. The camera shots are quite eerie, and the two main actors are pretty good in their performances.What is good about this movie is that they don't reveal so obviously who this mysterious haunting girl is, whereas in the American version, you see her face fully in the first five minutes! I think this is what made it less appealing in the remake. The fact that subtle means the viewer has time to think about what is happening and discover it for yourself instead of thinking we are really stupid and need to have everything thrown at us all at once.Recommended for fans of the horror genre, in particular the Asian horror genre. Forget the remake, this is the one you want to see!

I'm rating this 1 just to even the score up. This film is nothing but a cash-in on the Ju-on/Grudge films, and the worst I've seen in a long time. The direction and timing is awful, the acting is bad, and none of the intended scares have any effect at all - well at least not to me. With the lack of fear-factor it's really nothing more than a boring drama about a couple unearthing some of the less finer moments of their past, to terrible, but very boring, consequences. It has the overall effect of a made for TV film. It's basically just a Dawson's Creek special in Japan with added ghosts. This film has been a waste of time.