After losing their child, a mother finds solace in a life-sized ancient doll she finds on the market. When a new daughter enters the family's life, strange things begin to happen and no matter how hard the family tries to get rid of it, the doll always finds its way back.
Acting
Nagasawa's hollow-eyed devotion to her object of comfort.
Direction
Yaguchi turns mundane spaces into claustrophobic nightmares.
Practical Effects
The doll's weathered, ancient presence needs no CGI enhancement.
Director
Shinobu Yaguchi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Japanese doll folklore (ningyo) treats possessed figures as vessels for vengeful spirits, not mere objects — the film weaponizes this tradition against modern maternal expectations.
The island setting mirrors Yoshie's isolation: she's literally surrounded by water with no escape from her grief, and the doll knows it.
JP
