Synopsis: Compulsion…Obsession…Murder.

An athlete runs herself to death. A man throws himself out of a window while his wife ignores him, focusing only on the repeated ringing of a small bell. As a plague of mysterious suicides erupts across Japan, a determined police detective begins to unravel the clues that lead to a popular entertainer. Is the Hypnotist responsible for planting subliminal messages in the minds of the victims… messages that ultimately lead to murder? Even more frightening, has the detective unknowingly already become a victim? A deadly and shocking game of cat and mouse ensues in one of the most horrifying thrillers ever filmed, The Hypnotist.
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Saimin 6.5

Starts off kitschy, but fun. Then it peters out a bit towards the end. Too bad, ’cause the fun factor was essential to a film with subpar editing and storytelling (let’s just say that it was a little unclear at times 😉

Still, the film had its own unique style, clearly rooted in ’90s cinema. And it tried very hard with little to work with. Plus there were plenty of excellent scenes that one couldn’t help but be a smidge creeped out by.

It’s convoluted, and not particularly realistic, but it does the job as a late-night chiller-thriller. Not bad, for what it is 🙂