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Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka, Masatoshi Matsuo ... see more see more... , Shun Sugata , Kenji Mizuhashi , Masayuki Shionoya , Jun Fubuki , Shinji Takeda , Koji Yakusho , Takumi Tanji , Hassei Takano , Atsushi Yuki , Go Takashima , Sho Aikawa

As one of the most cutting-edge Japanese filmmakers, Kiyoshi Kurosawa once again wraps a lowbrow, much-maligned genre -- in this case horror flicks (which were the rage in Japan at the time of this re... read more read more...lease) -- around some decidedly highbrow philosophical concepts. At the film's outset, Michi (Kumiko Aso) and her cohorts at a rooftop nursery cannot get ahold of their co-worker, Taguchi (Kenji Mizuhashi), who has an important floppy disk. When she ventures over to his apartment, she finds him pale, listless, and unusually quiet -- that is until he suddenly hangs himself. While the suicide is disconcerting, what really freaks Michi out is that Taguchi's body seems to dissolve into the wall, leaving a sickly black stain. Meanwhile, college slacker Ryosuke Kawashima (Haruhiko Kato) logs onto the Internet for the first time even though he is not particularly fond of computers. Instead of stumbling into a porn site or a chat room, he finds himself in a most peculiar site -- he just sees ghostly images of other people going about their everyday life. Then the computer prompts him, asking, "Would you like to meet ghosts?" Even though he eventually pulls the plug, the machine still on occasion springs to life. He eventually consults a comely computer maven named Harue (Koyuki), who is also utterly baffled. As more and more Internet users seal themselves into their rooms with red duct tape and melt into black splotches, Kawashima and Michi independently come to discover that the Internet has become portal for an increasingly crowded afterlife. As Tokyo becomes increasingly depopulated, Kawashima and Michi cross paths. This film -- which also features cameos by Kurosawa regulars Koji Yakusho, Jun Fubuki, and Sho Aikawa -- was screened at the 2001 Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Flixster Users

61% liked it

11,108 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

48 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Release Date: November 9, 2005

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DVD Release Date: February 21, 2006

Stats: 878 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (878)

  • 366weirdmovies
    January 13, 2012
    366weirdmovies
    A plague of ghosts abduct the living, leaving Tokyo and the world nearly deserted. Confusing, creepy, ambitious J-horror that tries to say something about modern loneliness.
  • garyX
    July 5, 2011
    garyX
    A computer programmer succumbs to depression and suicide after viewing a mysterious website featuring enigmatic figures in morbid situations. One of the original of the new wave of J Horrors, Pulse actually has a far stronger premise than most; that the spirit world has become va... read morestly overpopulated and started to bleed into the living world. Unfortunately the story barely explores the implications of the idea til the last 20 minutes or so, leaving the vast majority of the rest of the film as a bunch of kids staring at pasty faced figures lurking in darkened corners and getting spooked by mysterious phone calls. In other words, exactly the same recipe as every other J Horror out there. It's quite atmospheric and the audio-visuals are occasionally interesting but by the time it had actually got to the point I didn't care any more. This may well be of interest to horror aficionados, but I'm just bored of the whole genre
  • WrenchLT
    January 28, 2011
    WrenchLT
    There's a good film here, unfortunately it took me too long to realize it, then it finished. I found the story quite confusing to follow early-on so I had a tough time getting into it. Not so many scary moments either surprisingly, but there's a constant creepy atmosphere and a f... read moreew moments that'll give you the chills. I really need to watch this again though when I'm in the mood.
  • ariuza1
    December 17, 2010
    ariuza1
    Well a not so scary film that seems to tend to really scar you with those really quite and just one liner camera scenes and a film that has a major apocalyptic twist to it. Yes it can be confusing but it's the most orginal idea I have seen it a long time for a ghost or horror mov... read moreie but I wasn't so scared though as what people have been saying about it. Cool yet complicated story

    A new computer virus is spreading throw the new invention for its time called the internet but for some reason this virus seem to make people committee suicide or is a virus? No there ghosts and there invading for some reason and plan to infect the population of Japan.

    Main question is "Can They Be Stopped??" You will have to see it shocking ending.
    As I said its not scary like you would be told but some scenes scare you for some reason because there all quite and not moving. And you feel as if something will jump out. The acting is okay not brilliant or average just okay. I think that warehouse scene was the most ambiguous because what did happen to him exactly? But the acting from there on was slightly better or worse.

    Unlike its remake it's not full of over the top visuals effects that just riddle the film like the ghosts for example or scenes or just really anything. I think the best scene in this film was the scene were that lady or girl jumps with no cut away that my friends was just mad. I think the main theme to this entire movie is loneliness or something like that. And your will to live And how the world is coming to an end with those grudge like ghosts that are scarier then the film itself.

    But I think but the end you should somewhat view.
  • animegirlaya
    October 16, 2010
    animegirlaya
    The philosophical premise of Kairo is nihilism expressed through loneliness. The superficial "connections" that one sustains with other people are conveyed as brittle, meaningless trivialities that shatter when confronted with the relentless isolation that exists on a much deeper... read more level. There are no cheap scares in this picture, as it relies on disturbing, long-sustained images highlighted by awkward ghost movements.. He has made no doubt the best horror movie ever made.

    Kiyoshi is a criminally unknown director who is undoubtedly the single best filmmaker in the history of Japanese horror cinema. Unfortunately, many people confuse greatness with influence. Hideo Nakata is not a great director, but he did influence the entire film-making industry with Ringu. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, on the other hand, just makes great films - Kairo, Cure, Charisma, Retribution, Séance, Loft, etc. That's the essential difference between excellence and mere market influence.

    The most outrageous criticism of Kiyoshi is that his films lack content. This is a patently false claim that holds no weight whatsoever. Taking Kairo as an example, there are a number of subtle references to LONELINESS throughout the entirety of the film - the literal isolation of characters, the individual dots expressed within the computer program, the patterns of dissolved ash, the influence of communication and information through both ghostly apparitions as well as red tape, apocalyptic doom, suicide, character mannerisms and interrelationships, etc. In other words, there's a boatload of content in Kairo. Those who say otherwise have no idea what they're talking about.

    This structure of film-making is one thing that makes Kiyoshi so amazing. He takes a simple concept like loneliness and creates a constellation of phenomena that reference back to the underlying theme of the film. Don't fool yourself: the entertainment value of Japanese horror is frequently about content, and Kairo is a perfect horror movie largely because of its philosophical elements. How many other films can make the same claim? What more do you people want?

    How the massive quantity of content within Kiyoshi's cinematic portfolio goes unnoticed is beyond me. The only possible explanation is that his stunning talent for creating dense atmosphere leads some viewers to overlook his content. Still, there's no excuse for missing it. For example, there are tons of reviews for Tsai Ming-liang's dreadfully atrocious Viva L'Amour that gloat about that movie's depiction of solitude. I read these reviews with the knowledge that Kairo gets little to no credit for its truly amazing portrayal of loneliness.
    But that's not all. We have even more ludicrous complaints coming from Westerners like, "The Japanese take their horror films too seriously." I laugh when hearing stuff like this. God forbid someone actually puts some effort into making a horror film. Has the Hollywood horror industry really crumbled to the point where even their most fervent followers don't expect anything remotely ambitious? That's a pretty pathetic state to be in.

    The point of this review-turned-rant is to simply point out the obvious: Kiyoshi Kurosawa is the greatest Japanese horror filmmaker that ever lived. It might just be my opinion, but considering how any and all criticism seems to be based on illogic or narrow-mindedness, there's really no valid reason for believing otherwise.

    Keiko's score 100% (not really a review something I type up while watching the film.
  • MovieGeek13
    March 19, 2009
    MovieGeek13
    It is unsettling, but it fails to deliver the scares.
  • rubystevens
    October 11, 2008
    rubystevens
    i wasn't always sure what was happening but it was pretty damn creepy. now i want to see cure
  • Stinger839
    October 1, 2008
    Stinger839
    Suffers from a slow pace, typical of ghost movies, but the number of times I checked the running length was pretty absurd (over seven). The plot specifics was at times indecipherable because of the cutting and some intentional ambiguity; also I think something may have been lost ... read morein the sub translation (I saw the version at Netflix).

    On the positive, of which there is a significant chunk: the ghosts are actually scary. The visual team here very much understands the aspects of pixelated cameras that is creepy and lends itself to horror cinematography. The way these ghosts move is truly odd and frightening. The atmosphere of creepiness and loneliness is thick, only I wish the feeling of loneliness had increased throughout the film and not stayed level. The sound design is also incredible and scary; the dark patches that people disappear into are eerie and unique. Overall, a great modern ghost film.
  • bbcfloridabound
    November 18, 2007
    bbcfloridabound
    Japanese Horror is Real Horror. This is Cutting Edge. This was out long before the American Version, Japanese Version Foucus on Horror and keeping watcher on the edge of his seat, American version seem to foucus on Pretty Non Talented Teenage Girls. Worth adding to the collection
  • newvogueravyn
    June 29, 2007
    newvogueravyn
    Some parts are genuinely creepy. The music really makes the film. I liked the begining but I'm not sure about the end. Unlike many Asian horror films (and most horror films in general), there doesn't seem to be much of a resolution or explanation - but that perhaps makes the film... read more more unsettling.

View All Pulse (Kairo) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris
February 24, 2006
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Where the average Japanese horror flick is petulant and nasty, Pulse is dolorous, shivery, and surreal. Full Review

Walter V. Addiego
December 16, 2005
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle

It's an apocalyptic ghost story with some eerie images and a surprising turn toward the end, but it bogs down considerably between the good scenes. Full Review

Bob Longino
December 15, 2005
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's not about blood, gore and oozing innards but unsettling creepiness that gets under a moviegoer's skin and makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Full Review

Terry Lawson
December 2, 2005
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

It's best just to give yourself over to its dizzy dreaminess and abstract analysis of the persistent, beckoning throb of the digital underground. Full Review

Tom Long
December 2, 2005
Tom Long, Detroit News

By the end of Pulse the world seemed a whole lot creepier place. I'm pretty sure that means it worked. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
November 23, 2005
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

You may go home and throw out your computer and lock the doors. Full Review

Carina Chocano
November 23, 2005
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times

You hate to call a ghost movie haunting, but there it is. It sticks around and rattles. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
November 16, 2005
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Did I mention that nothing in the two snail-paced hours of Pulse makes close to a shred of sense? Full Review

Peter Travers
November 14, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Pulse possesses the dark art to make your pulse pound and your hair stand on end -- with no cheating.

Elizabeth Weitzman
November 11, 2005
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Even though Kiyoshi Kurosawa's influential Japanese horror film captured a particular mood when he made it in 2000, its late arrival here is likely to elicit jaded yawns. Full Review

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