There appears to be some messages lost in translation when you look at how other cultures handle horror. Look to the early 2000s phase of J-Horror. The Ring hit American theaters on October 18th, 2002. The film spun off its own sequel. However, it brought forth so much more than a mere sequel. The film opened up Pandora’s box for other Japanese horror adaptations. A mere two years later we received Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, facing off against the spirits of The Grudge. The Grudge was based on the late 90s series, Ju-On, and was specifically a remake of 2002’s Ju-On: The Grudge, it also received sequels in 2006 and 2009 and then a sidequel in 2020. But oddly enough the “sidequel” seemed more like a soft reboot or spiritual sequel depending on how you looked at it; read our review of the film here: 2020’s The Grudge. It was arguably one of the worst films offered to us last year.
By the time of the arrival of the second American Grudge movie, the American J-Horror remake craze had largely died out. That didn’t stop one last attempt with The Eye, a film most notable because it starred Jessica Alba. The film was a modest hit but largely felt like white noise in an almost dead fad. While their source material was far from perfect, with the exception of Ringu, these films were based in their culture’s own approach to ghost stories and tall tales. Most Americans don’t truly understand what made these films so incredibly effective in their native lands. We bastardized what made these movies great. The 2004 remake of The Grudge holds a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, with its sequel holding a terrifying 12%, while their Japanese counterparts hold a 63% and 56% respectively.
The aforementioned The Eye could only watch greatness pass by, as it holds a 22% against its source material, which boasts 64%. The film which started the fad, The Ring, holds an impressive 71% against its 97% for its Japanese counterpart. The Ring 2 might be the only anomaly as the American version’s rating is significantly higher than its Japanese counterpart. Much like Bong Joon-Ho said, we limit ourselves by our fear of subtitles. One could also argue it gives birth to differences in culture. I know that I have built up so much of this review thus far talking about Japanese movies, but I’m merely using it as an example of how we interpret different cultures' takes on genres. Also, this is a long winded disclaimer that if you aren’t mildly aware of how Latin American countries handle death and spirits, this movie probably won’t be for you.
Morgue is a Paraguayan film supposedly based on real events that tells the story of a security guard who is involved in a hit and run accident. Following the events, he is subsequently haunted by undead spirits as he aims to find out who is truly terrorizing him. The way in which the story unfolds feels like the film was born of a different time period. Writer, producer, and director Hugo Cardozo manages to utilize some fairly nostalgic camera angles. Remember when the fish eye lens was popular? Cardozo resurrects the old trick for cinematic gambles that pay off in the end. One scene in particular sees our security guard hero, Diego, played by Pablo Martinez, under an examination table. The sheer terror his face illustrates along with the fish eye tricks makes the shot immensely effective.
Even from a storytelling point of view, the film feels out of time. Morgue operates like something out of the late 90s and early 2000s. It feels at home right next to Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. Though not found footage, Morgue has the same feeling as those films in its delivery. A slow burn for the majority of its run time, Morgue is not without a bland nature. There are moments littered throughout the film where nothing happens to move the story at all. It’s incredibly frustrating when it comes to keeping the attention of the viewer. Much like its inspiration in Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity, the sweetness of the film lies within its final moments. You have to wait until the last few moments. I promise that the end is worth every minute of its boredom.
The audience spends the entire time with Martinez. There are a few other characters of note, including Diego’s girlfriend, someone who tries to break into the place where Diego is working, and the man training Diego. Outside of those three characters, Diego spends the majority of his screen time alone. Martinez rises to the occasion. You really feel every emotion he endures. He is able to accomplish that merely by using facial expressions. Martinez carries the feeling extraordinarily well. The cinematography helps carry his performance to new heights as well. Cardozo does a terrific job at making the atmosphere of Morgue leave an impression.
Overall, Morgue is an effective horror film that makes you hold your breath until the bitter end. The singular performance from Pablo Martinez makes the film notable. Martinez navigates through the spirit world brilliantly, holding the audience in their seats. They won’t be for the entire film, as it does have its dead spots, which is ironic given the film’s subject matter. Even death can be felt throughout its duration. The ending does give the film a much needed boost and make the film more effective in the long run. Despite its beginning, Morgue finishes strong and gives viewers an intimate look into another culture’s vision of the afterlife.
RORSCHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: This is such a hard film to do a mental health moment for. Not because there isn’t anything here within this film but rather that the film’s ending would be spoiled. The film spends the majority of its time in a morgue, where our protagonist is being haunted by ghosts. From someone who has gone through depression and battles anxiety on a near daily basis, so much of Diego’s journey felt like I cracked my brain open and watched my thoughts do a stage play. Healing is a process. Understanding that we are not the worst thing that we’ve done or the anxieties of day to day life is so necessary. We don’t have to be imprisoned or haunted by them. We have medicine, therapy, counseling, and more resources to help us cope. The first part is to admit that we need help. That’s my encouragement to you today: take that first step towards help to find freedom from depression and anxiety.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Morgue is property of Well Go USA Entertainment. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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