Movie spotlight
The Sticky Landlady's Disheveled Obi
Kinichi runs a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) inherited from his parents while also working as a professional keirin (bicycle racing) cyclist. To dedicate himself fully to keirin, his stepsister, Ayumi, returns from studying abroad to become the inn's proprietress. Kinichi is conflicted by Ayumi's transformation into a mature woman. Meanwhile, Ayumi realizes she harbors romantic feelings for her brother. Then, one day, Muramatsu, the man who drove their mother to suicide, arrives at the inn. Unaware of this, Ayumi goes to gather wild vegetables for him. There, she is attacked by a man…
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Plot Summary
A young woman inherits an old, eerie house from her estranged grandmother, only to discover that the house is occupied by a sinister, spectral landlady. As she tries to uncover the secrets of the house and her grandmother's past, she becomes entangled in a cycle of terror and madness, with the disheveled obi of the landlady serving as a chilling omen.
Critical Reception
The film garnered moderate critical attention, praised for its atmospheric dread and unsettling imagery, though some critics found its narrative convoluted. It is often considered a lesser-known but effective entry in the J-horror canon of the late 1990s.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its creeping sense of dread and disturbing visual motifs.
Criticized for a sometimes confusing plot that detracts from the horror.
Hailed as an atmospheric J-horror film that lingers in the mind.
Google audience: Audience reception is largely unquantified, but discussions often highlight its effectiveness as a slow-burn horror film with memorable, creepy scenes.
Fun Fact
The 'obi' (sash) featured in the film is rumored to have been sourced from an actual antique garment with a rumored dark history, adding to the prop's eerie significance.
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