Kuchisake-onna

Plot synopsis:
As stories about the Kuchisake-onna ("The Slit-Mouthed Woman") spread through a Japanese town, an earthquake causes a corpse matching the entity's description (a woman with long hair, a trench coat, scissors, and a white mask) to break out of a closet in an abandoned house. As that occurs, Noboru Matsuzaki (Haruhiko Kato), a teacher, hears a voice ask "Am I pretty?" At a playground, a boy who had gone looking for the Kuchisake-onna with his friends is grabbed by the creature, which vanishes with him.
The boy's disappearance prompts the school where Noboru works to send the students home in groups, escorted by members of the staff. Mika Sasaki is reluctant to go home, admitting to a teacher, Kyôko Yamashita (Eriko Sato), that her mother hits her. Kyôko (she has a troubled relationship with her own daughter, who lives with her ex-husband) becomes agitated when Mika says she hates her mother, causing Mika to run away, right into the arms of the Kuchisake-onna, whose appearance was again foreshadowed by Noboru hearing a voice ask "Am I pretty?" As the Kuchisake-onna leaves with Mika, Mika knocks her mask off, revealing the woman's disfigured face.
At school, Noboru shows Kyôko a photograph of a woman who looks like the Kuchisake-onna. Noboru hears the voice again; as he heads toward it with Kyôko, he tells her that the picture is thirty years old. Noboru traces the voice to a house, and he and Kyôko save the boy inside from the Kuchisake-onna, who Kyôko kills with a knife. The Kuchisake-onna's body turns into that of a neighboring housewife, revealing the Kuchisake-onna acts by possessing other women, whose infection is signified by them developing a cough.
Noboru tells Kyôko that the woman in the photo is Taeko Matsuzaki (Miki Mizuno), his dead mother, a sickly and unhinged woman who would physically abuse him and his siblings. One day, Taeko "disappeared" after killing Noboru's siblings, and after that, rumors and sightings of the Kuchisake-onna began. Noboru again hears the voice of the Kuchisake-onna, who has possessed the mother of Mika's friend, Natsuki Tamura. Natsuki is taken to the Kuchisake-onna's lair, where the Kuchisake-onna cuts her mouth, and murders the boy she had abducted from the playground. Mika cuts the ropes binding Natsuki, who escapes, but is too traumatized and injured to help with the search for Mika.
Kyôko looks through information on the Kuchisake-onna that the boy she saved had given her, and finds a note stating that the Kuchisake-onna's hideout is a deserted house with a red roof, a description which matches Noboru's childhood home. As he searches the house with Kyôko, Noboru remembers that his mother tried to have him mercy kill her, telling him that unless he decapitated her, she would come back and haunt others. Instead, Noboru slit his mother's mouth and stabbed her, then dressed her body up in coat and mask, and hid it in the closet.
Kyôko and Noboru find Mika in the basement, and are attacked by the Kuchisake-onna. The Kuchisake-onna wounds Kyôko, then captures Noboru and Mika, takes them down to the basement, and brutalizes them. Finding a knife, Kyôko stabs the Kuchisake-onna in the neck with it, killing and leaving behind the body of Natsuki's mother. Mika's mother, who had gone off to look for her daughter on her own, arrives at the house, and becomes the new host of the Kuchisake-onna. To give Kyôko and Mika the chance to escape, Noboru fends off the Kuchisake-onna but is fatally wounded. Before dying, he beheads her, convinced that doing so will finally vanquish her. The decapitation fails to stop the Kuchisake-onna, and some time later, the spirit takes over Kyôko while she is visiting her daughter.

Tags: violence, murder, flashback

Review:
She wears a mask over her mouth and shows up to people asking "Am I pretty?" Their answer almost always leads to their death.I loved this movie.
(She didn't have the hair over her face, nor did her hair seem to be alive.) The woman with the sliced mouth was a very cool visual.This has been one of my favorite Japanese horror films yet.
Another big difference from most Asian films I've seen is that IT ACTUALLY MADE SENSE.
I thought it was a great little ghost flick with a good story and some awesome eye-candy..
Soon rumours are spread about a possessed woman with a long trench coat that wears a mask to cover its mutilated face that kidnaps the children to cut their mouths up to the ears as that evil woman has lived the same torture in the past.
The two young teachers incarnated by Eriko Sato and Haruhiko Kato play quite convincing roles and both characters have to face their own inner demons before they confront that evil woman.
I guess that this ending wants to make sure that you won't forget this movie all too soon.All in all, this is a very atmospheric and well played dark slasher movie that also focuses on some dramatic scenes and a very well done character development.
Fans of Asian horror cinema should surely grab this solid movie and will have quite some fun..
A Typical Asian Horror Film, Slightly Better Than Average.
Children tell the story of the slit-mouthed woman, a killer with a deformed face, surgical mask and very long scissors ready to slice up the kids while asking "Am I pretty?".
This film is no exception: while not relying on the same techniques as "Pulse" or "The Grudge" or even "The Ring", there's a sense that we haven't left those worlds too far behind.Like many Asian horror films, there is a sense of the supernatural here.
American horror often tries to explain its stories in a reasonable way (even when the villains are of an other-worldly nature).
As the film progresses, we learn more about the slit-mouthed woman, but we never really understand how or why she does what she does.I enjoyed the rumors element.
At one point, a child is asked where the slit-mouthed woman lives and she responds in a house with a red roof on the hill.
Having recently seen "Pan's Labyrinth" I saw how cool it was to have a person with a mouth slit open to their ear (and, by the way, if you haven't seen this film you really must).
This film makes it the selling point of the movie, not just a brief scene -- the way the woman is shown with the mouth and dead eyes is pretty cool.
A key aspect of the film is that the kids think the woman says "Am I pretty?" and later we are told she says "Aim my neck." I am under the impression that whatever the original wording was, these two phrases are even more similar to create a parallel.
This movie mixes elements from the Western tradition of Slasher movies along with a peculiar kind of creepiness so typical to Asian horror.
The positive parts include the child abuse angle that pervades and drives the plot, the fact that the villain does not only lurk in dark shadowy places but actually acts in broad daylight and a possession story that is original.With so much going on for it, it is a true shame that the movie manages to fall into tired recipes that do away with so much potential.
After all, in a story in which the villain targets children is open to horror as perceived from their point of view.
And the movie itself seems to be aware of this on occasion.With some psychological bits and a decent slasher angle this is a movie that fans of the genre will probably find worth watching but it does have a limited appeal without being part of the elite in the competitive world of J-horror..
"The Slithmouthed Woman" was a nice new approach to Asian horror.
It stands out from the endless sea of Asian horror movies that have ghost women in white dresses with black hair covering their eyes, and 90% of the movie shot in near complete darkness.
"The Slithmouthed Woman" was quite the opposite, and that was a nice change of pace.The story in "The Slithmouthed Woman" is about a woman with a mangled face (her mouth is slashed open) going around abducting and killing people.
Just before she appears and drags you off, people will hear her saying "Am I pretty?" Now, being shot almost in nothing but daylight, "The Slithmouthed Woman" was really a nice change, because you got to see everything that was going on, and not kept in the dark by the lack of lighting.
Sure, the make-up and effects on the woman was really great, I just personally would have liked to see more of that mangled face.
But still, done with moderation, it worked out well enough.The acting in the movie was alright as well, I don't recall having seen the people here in other movies before, and still the people put on great enough performances.However, "The Slithmouthed Woman" is a very predictable movie and you know how it will end early on in the movie.
Had they opted to go with a more adrenaline-filled approach and more action, the movie had worked out all the better.The idea and concept behind the story was really unique and well thought through, it just could have used another set of eyes on it to offer a different approach to the direction in which the movie went.
Pretty average Asian Horror film that still seems to linger in the "long hair creepy woman" category but, the storyline is promising and the creep factor is there, (in small doses,thanks to makeup) but if you are not a fan of plot holes or unexplained elements, (which sometimes work in horror, IMO) then you will not enjoy this film.
I'm really used to seeing perfectly executed scenes with extremely complex story lines so it was nice to watch a horror where I was able to just sit back, relax, and kind of 'laugh' at the holes in plot and the really cheesy physical violence scenes.The plot is all over the place at the beginning but by the end, somehow they manage to successfully make sense of the main plot and subplots that took place throughout the movie."Kuchisake-onna" is different from most cheesy horror films I've seen because it actually evoked emotion.
About 45 minutes or so in I was already rooting for the two lead characters, and there were also several moments throughout the film I actually found heartwarming.This film deserves at least a 6.5 in my opinion, don't expect it to be the best movie you've ever seen and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did..
There were no scenes that made me jump out of my chair like "Paranormal Activity" or Blair Witch did.What really upset me was the fact, the male school teacher helped in the hunt, but he was a girly man and the sliced mouth woman moved slow as molasses yet he got his butt whipped.
A story that is slightly original and a factor of fear and hopelessness that could have made this a watchable, maybe even good horror movie, with low production values, probably because of budget limitations.However, the film being released in 2007, I can only say that the bad acting and the low production values made this film below average.
The few good things in the movie I can now assume that were cloned off of successful Japanese horror films and dismiss them altogether.Bottom line: ridiculous as this sounds, this story would (in my mind) have created a great movie.
Well I will mention Miki Mizuno who plays the slit-mouthed woman.
This movie was based on a myth, which always gives a horror film an extra creepy film.
After penning Noroi: The Curse, one of the scariest J-horror movies of the last decade, Kôji Shiraishi decided, two years later, to focus on the Japanese urban myth of the slit mouth lady, which has been known in Japan for several generations.
The legend has survived and has spread as any other urban myth, with the story of a woman asking the ones who cross her path if she is pretty and consequently showing them the hideous scar on her face and thus either killing them or disfiguring their face in a similar way.
Among other terrifying (and sometimes hilarious) details, the slit-mouthed woman is supposed to carry with her a pair of scissors as her weapon, being able to run up to 100 km/h and having a bizarre interest in special Japanese candies.
Interestingly enough, the director has however decided to distance from the urban myth, although one character refers the fact that the rumors of the slit mouth lady have been heard for decades.
The appearance of the evil entity is, as always, explained on the basis of a cruel vengeful spirit that comes back for revenge, as it became a cliché in the J-horror panorama for the last few years.
The plot lacks consistency, and even though the history of the slit-mouthed woman is well explained and detailed during the movie, bottom line, her initial appearance appears to be left to interpretation although a few possibilities may come to mind – the result of an earthquake and the opening of her own tomb, the result of a critical mass of believers sharing the rumors of the story of an evil entity, or simply the fact that her appearance may seem to symbolize an explanation for adult's cruelty towards children.Unfortunately during the movie, events simply seem to carelessly pile up, with a few scenes being particularly dumb to say the least.
The majority of the scenes lacked credibility, the abductions were always particularly random, and no patterns were observed with the slit-mouthed woman usually coming out of nowhere.
Which is usually used to explore supernatural powers, was in this case a sequence of characters staring at the ghost, gasping, screaming and crawling, as the slit-mouthed woman, wearing heels, would continually kick each one of them.The making-of suggested Kôji Shiraishi didn't put a particular effort or thought into the plot, with the movie being shot in a considerably short period of time.
Carved is different from most Asian horror flicks in the regard that the story doesn't become overly convoluted and confusing, yet at the same time, it does little to add complexity to the explanation or back story of the Slit-Mouthed Woman.
If you can go into this movie accepting this fact, and not with the mentality of expecting something smart or challenging from the story, then you should easily enjoy this.With that said, this is indeed another norm of the Asian horror genre, "vengeful ghost girl." However the concept of the ghost, and the urban legend revolving around it (which is based on a real legend), does feel fresh and unique.
The main selling point of the Slit-Mouthed Woman's motif is that she specifically targets children with overly sized scissors.
So if you're sensitive to the idea of child abuse (which this film's story is primarily based on) or seeing a corpse of a kid, then avoid watching this.
Unlike American slasher films, where horny teenagers make stupid decisions quickly and you ultimately we care less about what happens to them in the end (not to say that there isn't some merit in that).The main characters are as interesting just as well, as Matsuzaki was once a victim of child abuse, and Yamashita was regretfully an abusive mother herself.
So there is motivation for their characters to stop the Slit-Mouthed Woman from kidnapping and harming another little tot, while over coming their own, personal conflicts.
With a visually grotesque and interesting antagonist (regardless of having a nonsensical weakness and catch phrase, that is more related to the actual legend then the movie's character), I can't help but to recommend this for those who feel tired with most Asian horror flicks and are looking for something different..
the curse of the Kuchisake Onna (a.k.a. The Slit Mouthed Woman).
After an opening which features the legend of the Slit-Mouthed woman being told through several sets of characters.
Slit-Mouthed Woman is not necessarily a "bad" film.
However, the delivery is stilted, and the film has two major faults (as listed below).Kuchisake Onna is plagued with (in my opinion) the worst horror cliché in the book.
Anytime the Slit-Mouthed Woman appears, the films protagonists stand around, frozen like rabbits in car headlights, seemingly incapable of running, or defending themselves.
Especially considering that the Kuchisake Onna can't be killed, it would have been much more fun to watch the film's characters give the demon some serious beat-downs...
Because the film's female characters-including the ghost-all have one thing in common...
The film's misogynistic tomes seem to come out of nowhere and the female characters (while not beating their children) stand idly by while the Kuchisake Onna steals children from under their noses.
but not in this film.To be sure, the film has some redeeming qualities (I did enjoy how the film played the plot straight out, instead of throwing in the gratuitous plot-twist) but when coupled with the faults mentioned above, Kuchisake Onna stands out as an average J-Horror entry at best.
It would have made the film a lot more interesting.Bottom Line- Average J-Horror entry with some major faults..
Cause it left the slit-mouthed woman still out there.
Also,did anyone else notice the little boy at about a third of the way through the movie looks just like Dustin from Zoe 101 only Asian?
Heard about this through YouTube saying it was some Urban Legend which from what I've heard it is, to a point.The film starts with a school in a small town gossiping about a facially disfigured woman known as, The Slit-Mouthed Woman!
Then an earthquake trembles & somehow 'summons' the Slit-Mouthed Woman's body out from the dead & she goes on a rampage killing people as a malicious spirit!
Kid's start to go missing & a teacher & a young man go in search for the missing children & try to stop the Slit- Mouthed Woman.The film was alright, & had a very unnerving & creepy atmosphere to it!
The blood effects were OK, but there could've so pretty good kills & more graphic violence at work here for a film of it's concept.
It seemed like the film was abit too dreary & didn't have any actual life in it, but it was a decent film all the same!I also liked the way the demon was creepy & scary along with the appearance of the Slit-Mouthed Woman face when it opened which was disgusting but horrify too!
The way she was able to jump from person to person & still continue killing was also a good concept.But the biggest plot hole I'd say was the Earthquake being the cause for The Slit-Mouthed Woman being awakened again.
I mean if she was dead as a doormat for 30 years like the guy said in the film then how come in between that time didn't an earthquake waken her up before?
I mean there were stories being mentioned but it just seemed abit coincidental to me!I overall thought this was a creepy dark horror film!
What was once thought of as a mere urban legend (a tall, surgical-masked woman who spirits off with young children during the twilight hours) turns out to be something much more than a scary tale.
This is the premise behind Shiraishi Koji's latest horror/thriller "Kuchisake Onna" (Slit Mouth Woman)."Kuchisake Onna" begins with the abductions of several children in the Kanegawa prefecture of Japan.
Neighborhood gossip attributes the kidnappings to a wives' tale of a horrifically scarred ghost called "Kuchisake Onna" (Slit-Mouth Woman) who wears a surgical-mask to hide her deformity.The local elementary school, where many of the abducted were students, steps up efforts to protect their students by having teachers escort the students to and from school.
The "Kuchisake Onna" character definitely has a freakishly interesting look, which bears a resemblance to Christopher Nolan's new Joker design for the upcoming "Dark Knight" movie as well as Asano Tadanobu's Kakihara character in "Koroshi No Ichi".Shiraishi Koji (who also wrote the screenplay) is no stranger to the genre having directed other cheap horror projects like "Noroi" and "Ju-Rei" but is unable to elicit the genuine shocks and thrills like his contemporaries Nakata Hideo (Ring) or Shimizu Takashi (Ju-on: The Grudge) did in their movies and what we get is just a tame ghost story with no bite.The central focus on "tween" characters seems to suggest that this film may have been aimed towards children and hence the relative low volume of bloodshed (although as mentioned above there are one or two scenes that are somewhat frightening).The overall themes of child abuse are used merely as a provocative and exploitive vehicle.
Why would you go yelling blindly into an unknown house knowing that the slit-mouthed woman can hear you as well as the girl you're looking for?
Why, in the midst of the search, suddenly stop to tell your history of the slit-mouthed woman?
This was a fun, late-night movie, but very little substance compared to other notable J-Horror films.
Based on an urban legend, the film centers around the spirit of a disfigured woman who kidnaps children.
I feel like the film was supposed to work as an allegory of child abuse, and indeed could have if the script had been a little better.
However, the Slit-Mouthed Woman's back story contains some plot holes and the end of the film is rather predictable.
This isn't necessarily a bad movie, especially if J-Horror is your genre.