Shutter
MPAA Rating:
 for terror, disturbing images, sexual content and languageReviewed by: Steve Warburton Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
½Primary Audience:
Adults, Teens
Genre:
Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Remake
Length:
1 hr. 25 min.
Year of Release:
2008
USA Release:
March 21, 2008 (wide - 2,700 theaters)
“The most terrifying images are the ones that are real.” Some time ago, I read a review from Christian discernment expert, Berit Kjos, on the movie, “Casper” (also known as Casper the Friendly Ghost). Despite its general audience rating, Ms. Kjos said it was a dangerous movie, because it would invite children to take the spirit world lightly. If you're a Christian, you've got to agree with her. The Bible says that the living do not communicate with the dead. Case closed, right? So here we have SHUTTER, yet another Japan inspired horror movie where the dead communicate with the living. As in “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” the ghost is of a woman with long black hair. At first, the ghost just shows up in photographs, but then it starts showing up in real life. What does it do? Well, it stares at people. It throws people at windows. It gets hit by a car. The only thing it doesn't do is talk. Why won't it talk? Because the movie is all about figuring out what the ghost wants. If the screenplay allowed the ghost to talk, it wouldn't be much of a movie. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The plot: Jane and Ben are recent newlyweds. Soon after the wedding, they are whisked away to Japan, where Ben is doing a photo shoot. Soon, this spirit girl starts harassing them. Why? Well, I better not tell you. That would ruin the surprise. Truth be told, there's a pretty cool twist ending that took me by surprise. What's objectionable? I believe Christ's name is taken in vain twice. There's a brief prelude-to-sex scene between this married couple, but not nudity is involved. The violence is moderate. Probably what will offend Christians the most is the Occultic theme, i.e., the dead communicating with the living. I doubt that the filmmakers were trying to preach this as a message. No, they were probably just trying to make yet another freaky thriller. Still, if the Occult has any allure for you, this is a film to avoid. Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Minor See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Movie Critics
“…Very strong occult, spiritualist worldview… with strong feminist elements and anti-American content where the three American men in the story turn out to be really bad and deceitful people, plus some pagan superstition about spirits…” “…it's not as interesting as you might imagine. After you see the first snapshot with its wisp of whitish smoke that could be a face, the intrigue fades quickly.…” “…‘Shutter’ another boring ‘J-horror’ film… ‘Shutter’ is seriously short on shudders.” “…Despite just enough promise to make it passable, actual frights are slight, the plot is random and ‘Shutter’ would best remain closed.” Comments from non-viewers
Negative - I have the original Thai version on DVD. I have followed the original Thai (NOT JAPANESE) version from the beginning 4 years ago and was delighted to get a copy on DVD from BESTBUY. Majority of the photos used in that film were authentic pictures of ghostly phenomenon used to enhance the plot of the story. The real photos added that dimension of eeriness and fright while we enjoy an original story of sin, guilt, and revenge. The U.S. version started off with the newly wed and off they go to Japan because the husband is on a photo assignment there. Before long, on a drive somewhere in the middle of nowhere at night, they ran over something or someone but the body was gone from the scene when the paramedics arrived. The dialogues were horrendous and the acting were subpar, I couldn't take it anymore. I wish they would have released the original Thai in theater instead.
From a Christian perspective, the film deals with a vengeful ghost. This ghost truly have an unfinished business and it wants it finished, and it will finish it. As being an Asian from shaman and Buddhism past, the original Thai deals with that culture of beliefs and it served its purpose. It is a self contained story where the protagonist is not necessary the hero, he is the cause of the vengeful ghost's wrath. The story is about the ghost, not the living.
Skip the Hollywood remake, and enjoy some subtitles, it's actually better than you may think. You may start looking for anomaly in your photos. Just a word of caution: be prepared to be scared by real ghost photos, ghost chase, and ghostly gore. |
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