As more and more cheesy, unoriginal horror films emerge from Hollywood to bore their audiences rather than frighten them, some cinema goers are turning more and more to the east for their frights and chills. For approximately a decade now there's been a real renaissance in terms of Asian horror flicks, films which champion subtlety and old-fashioned fear over dodgy gore and rubbishy CGI. HAUNTED APARTMENTS is one of these films, a feature-length spin off of a television series called TALES OF TERROR from Japan. At first sight, it's a familiar-looking tale indeed; the ghostly antagonist is a teenage girl with long black hair who pops up to scare the leading characters. However, HAUNTED APARTMENTS is different enough to provide more than enough new scares for even the most jaded viewer.For starters, I liked the freshness of the plot. It's simple and it works: if residents go outside of their apartment building after midnight, they die. Plenty of exciting situations are built out of this idea, along with the more traditional hauntings which take place within the building. There's a ton of very scary moments, whether they come from the hideously rotted spirit coming for its victims or the poltergeist-style weirdness that torments the inhabitants at night. One scene, with a little boy being dragged along the floor by an unseen presence, is the scariest thing I've seen in ages. No jarring music, no fancy special effects work, no overacting from the cast; just solid frights that tighten the chest and constrain the breathing.The cast is quite wonderful. Following in the Japanese tradition of understated acting, Kurokawa leads things as the investigative schoolgirl, a fragile yet determined character. The actor playing her father handles a subtle role very well, while the assorted characters playing the other inhabitants make for an engagingly weird bunch. There's even a shocking moment when they gang up on our protagonists, bound together by common hatred; their subsequent NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD-style attack on the apartment is sure to have the pulses pounding. Things culminate with an outré twist that seeks to explain the back story to this film; it's not perfect but it does wrap things up nicely. A genuinely great example of Asian horror cinema.

When I started watching this, at first I thought it was too low-budget and too amateurish to be worth watching. As so many Asian movies, because one cannot help comparing them with big Hollywood productions. Especially, I think it was a mistake of the movie-makers to put that scene with the family with the small children so early in the movie. Because then one got the impression, that this should be another of those hackneyed poltergeist-and-exorcist movies - but with much worse technical effects than the American ones.But I am glad I hang on, because it turned out to be really exciting - with a rich story, a very intricate mystery, and some good scares.I realized as much from the beginning, that the body of the ghost girl must be hidden somewhere in the building. But I could not see the end coming anyway - I mean the explanation in the crime that we all know exist, but which is taboo. I think it is a good thing, that a movie that very many young girls will watch dares to touch upon that subject, so that they who are themselves victims realize that they are not alone. Then, maybe it becomes easier for them to talk about it and apply for help.All in all, this movie was well worth watching!

I started liking Japanese horrors from 'the grudge'.. I have seen the ring in the English version but still like to see the original 'ringu'. Since the language is Japanese you have to follow the story by the subtitles. But that did not deviate me much.In those good Japanese horror lists this haunted apartment can surely be added. It is not as horrific as Grudge. But different. No great special effects, no cheap tricks to jump you out of the seat. But certainly the story does as it unfolds into the apartments.One teen girl Aimi, and her father move in to an apartment after the girl's mother was dead in a car accident. The apartment complex they moved in is the haunted one by a girl's ghost who died of the same age. And the curse that surrounds the apartment and the mystery behind it. The script is the best thing that makes the movie stand. Acting, photography, music and direction are all supporting the script and brought to a good level.There are no unnecessary gore into the scenes. But the script is good and thrilling until the end. Even the music is played not to scare but to aid the story. The ending was an unexpected shock which I could not guess it at all. If you are a fan of horror stories and is OK with not much of gory effects then you'll definitely like it.

Not many movies i see today actually make me scared, this movie though that I accidentally happened upon actually made me very frightened. I was looking for a good scary movie to watch, I found this movie. This movie had one of the most original plots i had ever seen, even though it sounds like something you might see commonly in Japanese folk lore it was quiet a new concept to me.This girl and her alcoholic father move into a new apartment complex not to long after her mother dies. As soon as they move in they can tell things aren't normal. The tenants seem to act in a very strange manner. They later learn what is going on with the complex. It is haunted and they aren't allowed to move out, or stay out past 12. The only way they can move out is if they are the oldest renting tenant. If they move out too early, or stay out past 12 they are killed mysteriously. I don't wanna tell the whole story but it is extremely well made and very well written with a great plot twist at the end which will turn your whole outlook around completely. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone craving either a good plot, or a nice scare. I would not recommend it to anyone who hates subtitles, wants to see a lot of character development, or action.Make sure you have all your movie supplies ready and close while watching , it will paralyze you with fear.