History Film / NoroiTheCurse

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: Kagutaba. It's never sufficiently explained what the Kagutaba actually is or where it came from, its mere presence (which is felt everywhere) drives people to do bizarre things and it has a habit of mind-controlling people to commit suicide. Kagutaba spends the film controlling people to summon itself into our world, but if there is any purpose behind its actions beyond that, it's utterly incomprehensible - it never seems to be an actively malicious character but more a generally harmful force that cares little to not at all about the people it destroys, and doesn't seem to pursue anything more. The first thing established about Kagutaba is that no one in the modern world knows what it is, and that those who knew about it in older times summoned it to kill people - though it's completely ambiguous as to whether or not they ''forced'' it to do so, or if it would have done these things anyway. While the villagers of Shimokage called it a demon, the professor Kobayashi visits speculates that it was simply convenient for them to call it that because they had no idea what it was. There is a subtle implication it's not so much a demon as it is a '''malevolent deity'''.]]

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: Kagutaba. It's never sufficiently explained what the Kagutaba actually is or where it came from, its mere presence (which is felt everywhere) drives people to do bizarre things and it has a habit of mind-controlling people to commit suicide. Kagutaba spends the film controlling people to summon itself into our world, but if there is any purpose behind its actions beyond that, it's utterly incomprehensible - it never seems to be an actively malicious character but more a generally harmful force that cares little to not at all about the people it destroys, and doesn't seem to pursue anything more. The first thing established about Kagutaba is that no one in the modern world knows what it is, and that those who knew about it in older times summoned it to kill people - though it's completely ambiguous as to whether or not they ''forced'' it to do so, or if it would have done these things anyway. While the villagers of Shimokage called it a demon, the professor Kobayashi visits speculates that it was simply convenient for them to call it that because they had no idea what it was.]]

* ForcedToWatch: At the end of the film, Kobayashi displays uncommon kindness by taking a mentally disturbed person into his home - heartwarming, yeah? [[spoiler: It ends with this person having a (justified) episode that they're also sheltering the demon that the film centers around (and he's correct), attempting to beat the child hosting it to death with a stone, braining Kobayashi with it to keep him from interfering, and eventually Kobayashi is '''forced to watch his wife burn to death while utterly helpless''']].

* FourIsDeath: During the ritual to pacify the demon, four claps are required between bows, and the ritual in this exact village is the only time and place where this bow is performed.

** As well as [[spoiler: Junko Ishii's "son" - he IS Kagutaba, and it's not clear if he was a normal boy whom Junko kidnapped to give Kagutaba a physical body, or the demon itself]].

* TinfoilHat: Hori wears a hat and a coat of tinfoil, as well as covering his house in tinfoil - to protect him from ectoplasmic worms.

* AdultFear: Never mind your child getting kidnapped. [[spoiler: Your child getting kidnapped and force fed aborted fetuses to appease the whim of some deranged lady for her religion...that takes the cake.]]
** At the end of the film, Kobayashi displays uncommon kindness by taking a mentally disturbed person into his home - heartwarming, yeah? [[spoiler: It ends with this person having a (justified) episode that they're also sheltering the demon that the film centers around (and he's correct), attempting to beat the child hosting it to death with a stone, braining Kobayashi with it to keep him from interfering, and eventually Kobayashi is '''forced to watch his wife burn to death while utterly helpless''']].

!! This show provides examples of:

* InfantImmortality: Averted for [[spoiler: Kana.]]

** As well as [[spoiler: Junko Ishii's "son" - he IS Kagutaba, and it's not clear if he was a normal boy who is possessed by Kagutaba, or just the demon itself]].

** At the end of the film, Kobayashi displays uncommon kindness by taking a mentally disturbed person into his home - heartwarming, yeah? [[spoiler: It ends with this person having a (justified) episode that they're also sheltering the demon that the film centers around(and he's correct), attempting to beat the child hosting it to death with a stone, braining Kobayashi with it to keep him from interfering, and eventually Kobayashi is '''forced to watch his wife burn to death while utterly helpless''']].

* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: In the finale, [[spoiler: Hori rants that Kagutaba had survived, and its within the boy.]] [[spoiler: He's absolutely right.]]

* {{GASP}}!: Marika and Kobayashi's wife reacting to finding the bodies of two dead pigeons that [[spoiler: seem to have thrown themselves suicidally against the Kobayashis' house]].

* MadOracle: Hori, the "Super Psychic"

* PresentAbsence: [[spoiler: Kana]]

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: Kagutaba. It's never sufficiently explained what the Kagutaba actually is or where it came from, its mere presence (which is felt everywhere) drives people to do bizarre things and it has a habit of mind-controlling people to commit suicide. Kagutaba spends the film controlling people to summon itself into our world, but if there is any purpose behind its actions beyond that, it's utterly incomprehensible - it never seems to be an actively malicious character but more a generally harmful force that cares little to not at all about the people it destroys, and doesn't seem to pursue anything more. The first thing established about Kagutaba is that no one in the modern world knows what it is, and that those who knew about it in older times summoned it to kill people - though it's completely ambiguous as to whether or not they ''forced'' it to do so, or if it would have done these things anyway.]]

* YouAreTooLate: [[spoiler: Hori senses Kana in the mountains, and he and Kobayashi go there...turns out its just her spirit that's dwelling there, being devoured by ectoplasmic worms.]]

* TheBadGuyWins - [[spoiler: Kagutaba is one of the few characters to survive the film. Though 'winning' is an odd word, as we're not entirely sure what he was hoping to accomplish aside from ensuring he had a physical body.]]

* HistoryRepeat: Mariko's FreakOut in the graveyard is remarkably similar to [[spoiler: Junko's FreakOut in the tape showing how she became possessed.]] The implication is of course that [[spoiler: Kagutaba was trying to turn Mariko into another Junko]].

-> ''"I want the truth. No matter how terrifying, I want the truth."''

** [[spoiler: Also, what happens to Junko Ishii's "son" at the end. And you thought the face in {{InlandEmpire}} was fucking scary.]]

* ReligiousHorror:

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/noroi_curse_2005.jpg]]
--> ''"I want the truth. No matter how terrifying, I want the truth."''
--> -- '''Masafumi Kobayashi'''

* NeverFoundTheBody: Kobayashi's fate is stated outright by the movie's premise. [[FridgeHorror Now, think about the implications after watching the movie]], and seeing [[DemonicPossession what happens to those whom [[spoiler: Kagutaba]] gets close to]].

** KObayashi's wife Keiko as she [[spoiler: burns to death]].

For a more complete review, click [[http://www.mandiapple.com/snowblood/noroi.htm here]].

** As well as [[spoiler: Junko Ishii's "son" after getting beaten with a rock by Hori. [[DemonicPossession It's simply not natural for someone to be that calm with their head caved in]]]].

* {{Miko}}: [[spoiler: Junko Ishii]]
* NeverFoundTheBody: Kobayashi's fate is stated outright by the movie's premise. [[FridgeHorror Now, think about the implications after watching the movie.]]

** [[spoiler: Junko's]] house too (loops and dead pigeons aplenty).

* SuicidePact: Again, [[spoiler: Midori and six other people hang themselves from a park swingset.]]

* HarmfulToMinors: Oh boy. [[spoiler: Kana was force-fed aborted fetuses off-camera while a little boy was there, seeing everything happen.]]

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: Kagutaba. It's never sufficiently explained what the Kagutaba actually is or where it came from, its mere presence (which is felt everywhere) drives people insane and/or to suicide, and if there is any purpose behind Kagutaba's actions, it's utterly incomprehensible - it never seems to be an actively malicious character but more a generally harmful force that cares little to not at all about the people it destroys. The first thing established about Kagutaba is that no one actually knows what it is, and that those who knew ABOUT it described it as a devil doing evil deeds simply to have at least SOME way to comprehend what they were dealing with.]]

* TheBadGuyWins