Program Note
Housewife Yasuko is fed up with the persistent persuasion of door-to-door salespeople. When she forcefully pushes away the hand of one delivering advertising brochures, the salesperson becomes a vengeful stalker, subjecting her to relentless torment. This horror thriller, directed by Takahashi Banmei, a veteran of Japan’s B-movie industry and known for nurturing talents like Suo Masayuki, captures the atmosphere of the apartment complex through mobile camera movements. The film portrays the process of tranquil everyday life slowly transforming into a suffocating sense of terror. A masterpiece of Japanese horror thriller capturing the underlying anxiety in the midst of an economic bubble on the verge of collapse. In February 2023, under the supervision of cinematographer Sasakibara Yasushi, the original negative 16mm film underwent digital remastering and restoration. (CHO Jaewhee)