I watched
Cure, another movie from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, as with Kurosawa's other films, it is an atypical horror film. Random people commit murders with a signature 'X' carved into the throat of the victim which baffles a detective and a psychiatrist who is assisting him. The only thing linking these murders is a man who is suffering from amnesia and can barely even hold any short term memories which further frustrates the investigation. A very non-standard horror film which is only one ellipsis away from David Lynch. The scares are mainly a creepy atmosphere and there isn't many 'shocks' or gory scenes, as Kurosawa is seemingly concerned with something a bit more cerebral.
A theme I see developing in Kurosawa's oeuvre from the few films I have seen is murder or harm stemming from an incomprehensible motive. Since his movies concern malice from a source that refuses rationalization, his movies are a bit more abstract than normal horror. As with Kurosawa's other films, not much effort is made to develop a sympathetic protagonist or victims, and so there is a coldness about the film. The sense of dread doesn't come from suspense involving any of the characters on screen, it stems more from the ideas which the movie suggests and the manner in which those ideas are presented. It is a quiet film with no music that I can remember, no loud sound effects, and no screaming. The locations are all drab, grey muted places, the world as seen by Kurosawa is a depressing place. It reminds me of Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert in its tone and setting.
I liked Cure, but I have to warn anyone looking for traditional J-horror spookiness will probably be disappointed. This movie is much more interested in its own puzzle than scaring the audience, however that puzzle is creepy enough that there is no doubt it is very much a horror film.