Forget 'Ringu' & 'The Grudge', This 90%-Rated J-Horror Is a True Psychedelic Masterpiece

Since its release in 1977, this movie remains one of the strangest works in the genre's history. Nobuhiko Obayashi's House is a psychedelic horror gem, surreal comedy, pop art thrill ride, and full-length children's nightmare all in one.

It has become a cult classic among fans of the genre, yet it's rarely mentioned alongside classic Japanese horror movies like Ring or The Grudge.

What Is 'House' About?

A high school girl nicknamed Gorgeous finds out that her widowed father is planning to remarry. Unwilling to spend the summer with her future stepmother, she and six friends head to her aunt's country house.

The friends are given names that describe their qualities: Prof is smart, Fantasy is imaginative, Melody is a singer, Mac is a food lover, and Kung Fu is a martial arts master.

When they arrive at the house, the girls are greeted by an ominous woman in a wheelchair and a white cat. After one night, they discover that the building has a life of its own and treats guests as food.

'House' Is a Psychedelic Attraction Without Any Rules

House is a movie that defies genre conventions. Obayashi, who had previously made experimental films and commercials, was commissioned by Toho Studios to create a project similar to Jaws.

He fulfilled the request to the letter, but instead of a shark, he transformed an entire house into a monster. Each scene attempts to surprise the viewer with a new visual trick: hand-drawn clouds alternate with green screen, animation, freeze frame, and hand-painted elements.

It's as if Obayashi forbade himself from repeating himself, even within a single scene – the blood in House resembles gouache, and the editing cuts up the space as if a child had assembled the film with scissors and glue.

Everything in the analog special effects specialist's arsenal was employed: trick photography, matte masks, and multiple exposures. The director deliberately abandoned the illusion of realism, demonstratively exposing the cinematic mechanism.

'House' Is More Than Just a J-Horror – It's Almost a Drama With an Anti-War Subtext

Amidst the endless visual somersaults, it's easy to forget that House isn't actually a ghost film – the real source of the curse is war. Gorgeous' aunt waited decades for her fiancé, who died during World War II. For her, time stood still the moment he failed to return home.

However, the girls belong to a different Japan, one of pop music, advertising, and economic prosperity – they visit the old house like tourists, unaware that they have entered someone else's memory.

Nobuhiko Obayashi, who grew up near Hiroshima, returned throughout his life to topics of memory and the senselessness of war – the past never disappears, it waits patiently for someone to sit at the piano again.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'House'?

• House has 90% from critics and 78% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.2/10.

• On Letterboxd, House scored 4.0/5.0.

Where to Watch 'House'?

House is available to stream on HBO Max.