MINI REVIEW: Kuchisake-onna vs Mary-san (2017)
Spirit battle movies don't get any lazier than this!
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What do you get when combine two fairly well-known Japanese urban legends into the one movie, but give them a completely new backstory?
This is the result of that idea. And after 65 minutes, you’ll be left to wonder if it was a good one.
[above] The eyes Chico, they never lie.
The Slit-Mouth Woman - aka Kuchisake-onna - is no stranger to pop culture. Almost a dozen movies, most of them in the last two decades, and countless animation series. While gruesome, she’s rather lame by today’s horror standards. Essentially, good story for kids.
And that’s the same thing with Mary-san, although she’s a bit more technologically literate, being able to hunt her prey via the phone - either the landline or a mobile!
The essence of both spirits are present in the film, it’s just the presentation that’s been mixed up, and for fans of either one, that may be just a tad frustrating. But just like most J-horror films, this is just an excuse for an idol to have some work - in this case AKB48 member Aki Takajo.
[above] Sister Act, but not the lame nun version.
PLOT
A reporter investigating the murder of a woman 15 years prior interviews a spirit medium who claims the woman committed suicide. At the same time, a woman she previously interviewed about mysterious murder of her younger brother approaches her to ask for clues about how she can find the murderer.
The reporter quickly releases that both cases are intertwined when her brother is marked for death by Mary-san, and the truth about the spirit medium and his relationship to both spirits is revealed.
ABOUT THE FILM
I don’t know enough about the Slit-Mouth Woman or Mary-san to make any judgments on the accuracy of the costumes and storyline, nor have I seen any of the previous movies, but I am pretty sure this is a completely stand-alone product considering the movie’s story mentions that they’re actually sisters who fell in love with the same man.
However, I know enough about low-budget film making and I know this movie has a miniscule budget, and the only computer effects work done here is a rather poor green screen attempt in the car. Otherwise, the same issues that plagued Death Forest are also here: watery blood, no blood splatter on the walls or floors, no or a very limited number of extras in the scenes, no blood on knives even after you can see it being used to stab someone and probably the worst part of all - the final battle at the end between the spirits is rather tepid, almost comical in presentation.
At least Mary-san’s costume looks good. And likewise, the acting for almost all characters except the man in the grey hat is satisfactory.
What are my overall thoughts?
I’ll give the movie some credit for attempting to try something like this, in the same year that Sadako and Kayako faced off against each other, Kuchisake-onna and Mary-san also did battle. But in the end people will only remember one of those movies, and it won’t be this one.
I’d recommend this only for fans of the series or those with an interest in spirit battle movies.
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Genre Spirit Battle Horror
Director Wataru Kudô
Starring Aki Takajo, Yutaro Watanabe, Aya Kunitake
Original Title 口裂け女 VS メリーさん
Country of Origin Japan
Release Date February 2 2017