20 Awesome J-Horror Movies Every Horror Fan Should See

6. Pulse

Pulse (Kairo)
Toho

Plot: Ghosts start to invade the world of the living through the internet, with devastating results.

Most horror films aim to terrify you, but Pulse, another technology-themed J-Horror that's directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (who also directed the aforementioned Cure) does something a bit different. It depresses the living daylights out of you.

Sure, there are some nightmarish, beautifully-crafted shocks in there too but the main reason that Pulse is so disturbing and so effective is its bleak, borderline-harrowing nihilism; frankly, it's so depressing it gives 2007's The Mist a run for its money as the most depressing horror film of all time. It's not the easiest watch as a result, but it's still one of the best horror films of the 2000s.

Dread-filled, haunting, superbly-written and generally horrifying, this is easily one of the most audacious and dark horror films of the modern era and another absolute triumph for Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It's also a film not enough people have seen, so this should be at the top of your watch-list.

It was remade in America... and obviously, it sucked.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.