Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, February 26th at 7:45pm for Kairo (Pulse) at the Brattle Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion
Often referred to as one of the scariest films ever made, PULSE (KAIRO) tells the story of a group of young friends rocked by the sudden suicide of one of their own, and his subsequent, ghostly reappearance in grainy computer and video images. Is he trying to contact them from beyond the grave or is there something more sinister afoot? The mysterious floppy disk they find in the dead man’s apartment may provide a clue, but instead launches a program that seems to present odd, ethereal transmissions of people engaged in solitary activities in their apartments. But there is something not quite right in the appearance and behavior of these lonely souls. Soon, there are more strange deaths and disappearances within the group, terrifying rooms sealed in red tape, and the appearance of more ghosts as the city of Tokyo – and the world – is slowly drained of life.
The prolific writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is one of the most remarkable talents working in cinema today. While his efforts tend to be in the realm of genre stories (mostly horror), his films portray a lyricism and grace that rise far above other horror directors. With PULSE (KAIRO), eschewing gore and easy shocks for a harrowing tone unique to his cinema, Kurosawa has made a dense and complex film whose metaphysical and psychological resonance will last long after the chills have subsided.