Barnes & Noble

A terrifying novel by Koji Suzuki, previously adapted to film in Japan, becomes a profoundly unsettling supernatural thriller thanks to the inspired direction of Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles. Newly divorced mom Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly), having won custody of her daughter, Ceci, in a bitter court battle, takes up residence in a depressingly dreary, run-down apartment -- the only affordable one in proximity to a good school. But shabby maintenance isn't the main problem. Long ago, Dahlia learns, something horrible happened in the empty apartment above hers...something that continues to haunt everyone in the building. Salles appropriates the visual style often used by Japanese filmmakers in the production of contemporary urban-based horror films; harsh fluorescent lighting drains the color out of already drab settings and gives the characters a pale, unhealthy appearance. The sun rarely shines, and the cloudy, rain-swollen skies cast a grey pall over the city. Tracking shots are employed sparingly, and when the camera moves it doesn't glide confidently but slithers stealthily down hallways or around corners. Horror is conveyed not by cheap "boo!" tactics but instead by the steady accumulation of disturbing events and blood-chilling revelations. Connelly is superb as the young mother, already emotionally fragile but determined to fight the unseen forces that threaten her young daughter -- who, by the way, is played by young Ariel Gade with the poise and assurance normally associated with much older and more sophisticated performers. Similarly effective in minor but carefully written roles are Tim Roth, John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite, and Camryn Manheim. Dark Water isn't the type of horror movie that makes good "popcorn" fare: It doesn't rely on hoary, stereotypical devices and doesn't have the one-murder-per-reel pace many fans crave. Instead, it moves slowly, almost funereally, toward a sense-shattering conclusion that will leave most viewers limp with exhaustion once the movie has ended. And that's more than you can generally say of today's fright films. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Directed by Walter Salles Jr., this remake of Hideo Nakata's supernatural psychological drama Honogurai Mizuno Soko Kara revolves around the plight of a single mother (Jennifer Connelly) whose messy divorce and subsequent battle for the custody of her five-year-old daughter is taking a heavy toll on her emotional well-being. Ultimately, the mother and daughter are able to relocate to an apartment, which, despite its excessively dilapidated interior, seems to be an adequate location for beginning a new life. Before long, however, what appears to be the spirit of a young girl begins to haunt them. No stranger to mental illness, the wary young woman brushes the visions aside as part of the inherent stress of making the transition from housewife to working, single mom. As time goes by and the apparent haunting does not subside, the apartment's new residents are forced to examine the history of its former tenants. Dark Water also features performances from John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, and Dougray Scott. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 786936242898
• Source: TOUCHSTONE / DISNEY
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Language: English
• Editions: Edited
• Time: 1:45:00
• Sales Rank: 51,627

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Cursed (2005) / Dark Water (2005)

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