Based on the successful 2004 Thai horror film of the same name, Shutter is the first English speaking film for Japanese horror maestro Masayuko Ochiai.
Newly married Ben, a photographer, is transferred to Tokyo with his wife Jane. All is well until Jane accidentally runs over a Japanese woman while driving at night with Ben. When they regain consciousness they cannot find the woman or any trace of blood.
Of course after the accident, all kinds of spooky things start going bump in the night; in particular, spirit like images start appearing in Ben's photos. Strangely, Ben is unperturbed by the events but Jane is determined to hunt down the woman's identity.
This below average remake is disappointing: though it may appeal to some J-horror fanatics. But for me, having enjoyed other Asian remakes, Shutter feels a bit like painting by numbers. It is a pity.
Tokyo looks brilliant and the scenes depicting the alienation felt by foreigners worked well. But on the whole, Shutter lacks suspense and class.
The film seems unsure of its footing from the get go. It is an Americanised script, based on a Thai horror film, now set in Japan, with a renowned J-horror director. The result just does not gel. The film overall was bland, boring and predictable.
Unfortunately this remake is not a patch on the original. 2 stars.
