Sometimes, the shortest horror tales deliver the greatest shocks, and this is certainly the intent of filmmaker Ken Ochiai with his film “Kageboshi”. The short, the title of which translates literally as ‘silhouette', showcases the director's ability to craft an atmospheric horror project by effectively utilizing limited lighting, a brisk narrative, and impressive special effects.
“Kageboshi” is screening at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
Having moved from Japan with her father (Go Jibiki), a young girl (Anju Chiku) engages in a deadly game of tag with a shadow spirit that is haunting her family. Convinced that she could beat the spirit if given a chance, she soon learns the severity of her situation and the fatal cost of arrogance.
While the concept of the tag-playing shadow is obviously far-fetched, it's executed in an exciting and engaging way. The creaky old house in which “Kageboshi” is set makes for an appropriately eery horror setting and is one that's wonderfully lit by the director of photography, Takuro Ishizaka. The use of candles and the manipulation of shadows are of particular importance to plot developments, and both are handled very well.
It doesn't hurt that Go Jibiki's performance as the justifiably concerned father is believable throughout, helping to sell the idea that the mysterious spiritual stalker is, indeed, a deadly threat. The pace at which the narrative flows is breakneck, as Ochiai hardly allows us a moment to catch our breath. The rapid camera movements give an added sense of urgency to proceedings, as we're left eager to learn why this admittedly creepy childlike visitor is so dangerous.
Already a proven director, Ochiai also co-wrote the screenplay for “Kageboshi” with Adam Valeiras, which proves to be just as efficient as the rest of the short film. With a few swift lines of dialogue, we're given sufficient background information on the characters and their situation, allowing us to get straight into the action without the need to stew things over. The concept of the short film is interesting in itself, playing with spirits in an interesting way to quickly present an unsavory situation.
One of the most surprising elements of “Kageboshi” is the quality of the special effects. For a short film that would presumably have a considerably small budget, the gruesome effects aren't jarring in the slightest. However, Ochiai must be given credit for the sparse inclusion of CGI, as most of the effects are present during instances of low-lighting, making their flaws far less noticeable. Integrating special effects into horror while retaining a threatening atmosphere is something that many directors struggle to do effectively, yet Ochiai succeeds here.
If drawn out a little longer, you feel that Ochiai's short would be a welcome chapter in a horror anthology of similarly ghostly tales. However, as a stand-alone project, the brisk short is a quick and enjoyable watch that showcases Ochiai's versatility and creativity as a director. To make such an atmospheric and engaging short film given the runtime and resources available is impressive. Hopefully, we get to see future horror projects from the relatively young but already experienced director.
