Noroi: The Curse
Directed by Koji Shiraishi
Where to Watch Noroi: The Curse
- Patrick WaiMay 18, 2026A 1-hour-55-minute found-footage mockumentary about a paranormal investigator chasing a demon should not feel this much like homework, yet here we are. The setup sounds promising enough, with a documentary filmmaker piecing together seemingly unrelated paranormal incidents tied to an ancient curse, but for me Noroi: The Curse was too slow, too confusing, too predictable, and nowhere near scary enough to justify all the reverent whispering around it. The acting is rough, the “cursed video” angle feels like reheated J-horror leftovers from better movies, and the found-footage gimmick was already tired years ago, let alone now. Yes, there are a few creepy ideas buried in the rubble, but the movie keeps mistaking murkiness for depth and patience-testing drag for atmosphere. By the time it finally limped to the end, I was less haunted than annoyed. For a movie obsessed with curses, its biggest curse is that it takes forever to say very little.
- punchsplosionOctober 15, 2025Doesn't quite hold up to the test of time. Very creepy scenes (about 5 total) the rest is a bit of a slog. The atmosphere and "real" nature of the found footage is almost unparalleled, and I admire for what it did for the found footage genre, but the plot is so simple and easy to predict. I would say watch it only if you are a found footage geek looking to learn the roots of the genre.
- NiztradamusAugust 13, 2025It's an alright mockumentary that shows its age. There is a strong clinical sensation to the movie. Everything you see is explained like it was a educational documentary almost. That doesn't lend itself well to a horror mockumentary. The acting and cinematography is good. When it comes to the sound design they could have bumped up the voices quite a bit though. Good thing I was watching with subtitles! If you like horror mockumentaries I can easily tell you to watch it. It holds its atmosphere pretty well and is somewhat suspensful. If you don't like horror mockumentaries, what are you even doing here?
Noroi: The Curse Trivia
Noroi: The Curse was released on August 20, 2005.
Noroi: The Curse was directed by Koji Shiraishi.
Noroi: The Curse has a runtime of 1h 55m.
Noroi: The Curse was produced by Takashige Ichise.
A prominent paranormal journalist Kobayashi goes missing shortly after completing a documentary. What begins as an investigation into strange noises soon evolves into the chilling mystery of a demonic entity named Kagutaba.
The key characters in Noroi: The Curse are Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), Self (Marika Matsumoto), Mitsuo Hori (Satoru Jitsunashi).
Noroi: The Curse is rated Not Rated.
Noroi: The Curse is a Horror, Mystery, Thriller film.
Noroi: The Curse has an audience rating of 7.4 out of 10.
Noroi: The Curse had a budget of $2M.
Noroi: The Curse has made $7,423 at the box office.