Years after moving to Tokyo with her parents, Hinako returns to her hometown in rural Shikoku. She soon learns that her childhood friend, Sayori, died several years ago and that Sayori's mother, who used to perform seances and exorcisms, has gone almost insane with grief. After seeing Sayori's ghost several times during the night, Hinako consults with some local experts on the paranormal and discovers that Sayori's mother has something planned for her daughter...
Acting
Toshie Negishi's unraveling mother is genuinely unhinged
Cinematography
Shikoku's misty island landscapes that swallow characters whole
Direction
Nagasaki's patient dread before the final act detonates
Director
Shunichi Nagasaki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Chiaki Kuriyama filmed this right before Battle Royale—her ghostly fragility here is the polar opposite of Gogo Yubari.
Shikoku is literally Japan's 'fourth island'—rural, spiritual, and historically associated with the dead, making the title a pun on 'death country.'
JP
