House of Sayuri, also known as Sayuri, tells the story of the Kamiki family, whose pursuit of happiness within their home masks a darker reality.
The youngest son, Shun, and the family’s grandmother become attuned to a supernatural presence haunting the house, but despite these warnings, the family dismiss all the strange occurrences that are happening.
Bad move.
The first thing I will say about House of Sayuri is the lighting and visuals are really well done, as it subtly shifts to reflect the escalating tension on screen, and all the practical effects used in the film compliment the overall Japanese horror charm you will be familiar with if you have watched these type of films before.
The film also has a good range of humor thrown in as well, and while I thought it was pretty well done overall, it also does feel out of place at times, but it is conveyed better then in some other Asian horror films I have seen.
The performances are definitely another highlight, in particular Ryoka Minamide as Norio, who transitions convincingly from a secondary presence to a central figure, and all the cast effectively convey the family dynamics impressively.
The greatest strength the film conveys though is the atmosphere throughout the film, and along with the impressive sound you have an ever constant feeling of dread as you watch even in moments you wouldn't normally feel any dread, and if you have are familiar with films such as Noroi: The Curse, you will get similar atmospheric vibes in this one as well.
And while I do not want to spoil anything, the film has a good twist in the 2nd half and what starts off as a haunted house type story quickly changes to something else.
But much like a lot of J-horror, House of Sayuri doesn’t really stray far from the established tropes you will be very familiar with if you are a seasoned watcher of Japanese and Asian horror films in general.
Although these elements are fairly well executed, it does make it hard for the movie to stand out on its own, even with the well done humor elements thrown in, and at times, I felt like the film didn't really know what its identity was.
It's also a bit of a slow burner, you need to stick with it as the first half is a bit predictable but it does get better as the film goes on.
And while I did enjoy the family characters portrayal, the character development could have also been better, as the film does seem to abandon that at times when it could have added a bit more depth to it all.
But overall, House of Sayuri delivers an effective slow burn approach that builds suspense through its atmosphere and its visuals.
While the tropes are in full force and it can be a bit slow at first, stick with it as the film delivers some crazy and amusing moments that is worth a watch, even if it is a little bit all over the place.
Read some more horror movie reviews: