Noroi: The Curse

The story is set in contemporary Japan, reflecting a modern media-driven context. It ties the present to a historical backdrop—the 1978 demolition of Shimokage for a dam—providing a frame for the unfolding curse. The narrative spans roughly a year and a half around the initial investigations, culminating in a present-day documentary record.

The film unfolds across rural Shimokage and surrounding sites in Japan. Key locations include a shrine, a nursing school, and an apartment block tied to a dam project that demolished the village in 1978. The park where several locals die by hanging links the community to an ancient ritual, while a film crew moves between these sites to document the escalating supernatural events.

🔮 Curse

Kagutaba, an ancient demon, drives the central conflict as villagers’ rituals and forbidden acts unleash possession and catastrophe. The investigation tracks how belief, ritual, and fear manifest in individuals and communities. The film uses spectral imagery and occult lore to explore the consequences of summoning and restraining a malevolent force.

🎥 Media

The narrative unfolds through Kobayashi’s documentary framework, with footage recorded by a cameraman that blurs lines between research and sensationalism. The recordings reconstruct a chain of linked tragedies, showing how media artifacts shape memory and interpretation of the paranormal. The film comments on the reliability of documentary evidence in the face of supernatural phenomena.

🧭 Trauma & Secrets

The plot exposes dark private histories—illegal abortions and the manipulation of others—revealed through the victims’ families and the community. Trauma cycles through the characters as possession and suicide reverberate across generations. Secrets, once hidden, pull the protagonists toward dangerous revelations and ritual consequences.