10 '90s Slasher Horror Movies You May Not Have Seen

Kiyoshi Kurosawa may not be well-known in the Western world, but he's hugely responsible for popularising Japanese horror. Due to his work, he's often compared to Tobe Hooper, and has proudly earned the moniker "The David Cronenberg of Japan".

Although Kurosawa is renowned for horrors like Cure and Pulse, he deserves more recognition for his first slasher, The Guard from Underground (AKA The Security Guard from Hell).

The story revolves around a security guard called Akiko who suspects her co-worker, a former sumo wrestler called Fujimaru, is a killer.

Rather than focusing on gore and outright scares, every scene in The Guard from Underground is etched in a brutally tense atmosphere. Although the killer's identity is established quickly, his face is constantly in shadow, making him come across as a force of nature rather than a human being. Since many scenes have Akiko running from the hulking brute in a dark and unfamiliar environment, The Guard from Underground often comes across as a creature feature rather than a slasher.

Because the film emphasises Akiko's personal issues and frustrations with her job, she's very relatable, keeping viewers more invested in the story when she's in danger.