is a 2003
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
directed by
Osamu Fukutani
Osamu Fukutani (福谷 修 ''Fukutani Osamu'', born August 2, 1967, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the scr ...
.
Plot
The movie follows Yū (played by Kenji Mizuhashi), a
cameraman
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task.
...
who works for a small
TV station. He and his assistant Rie (Chisato Morishita) are sent by their superior, Keita (
Hideo Sakaki), to investigate a case of group
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
in which four people
poisoned themselves with
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
.
When they enter the
apartment
An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...
they accidentally run into a
teenage
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with ...
girl, Nanami Kumatani (played by Ayaka Maede) who was in the
pact
Pact, The Pact or PACT may refer to:
Entertainment
* The Pact (novel), ''The Pact'' (novel), by Jodi Picoult, 1998
* The Pact (2002 film), ''The Pact'' (2002 film), adaptation of Picoult's ''The Pact (novel)#Film adaptation, The Pact''
* The Pac ...
but backed out at the last minute out of
fear
Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...
. The girl tells them about 'Ricki' (played by Yûko Nakamura) and agrees to show them her suicide manual in exchange for letting her look on the roof of their office. Yū and Rie agree and they take her there. They become possessed by
evil spirits and die by suicide as a result of this encounter.
Sequel
In the
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
''The Suicide Manual: Intermediate Level'' (2003) the 'Suicide Manual'
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
produced by Yu and Rie about the case causes more people to die by suicide. A
forensic
Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...
investigation is held after a forensics
lab tech fails to stop his girlfriend killing herself. The end of the film reveals the 'evil spirit' causing these events to have been the producer of the 'Suicide Manual' DVD.
See also
*
The Complete Manual of Suicide by Wataru Tsurumi
External links
*
at JMDb (in Japanese)
2003 films
Japanese horror films
Films about suicide
2000s Japanese films
{{2000s-Japan-film-stub