Hausu (1977) – Review

A haunted house is one of the more popular settings of the horror genre but with Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Hausu we get something altogether unique, and by that I mean this film is like no other horror movie you’ve ever seen. This Japanese cult classic combines surrealism, horror and comedy in a bizarre mind-bending experience that is as entertaining as it is confusing. What’s not to love about that?

Imagine if you will, a haunted house movie that takes you through a psychedelic, surrealist art exhibit and you’ll start to get a sense of what Hausu (House) is like. And how does this wonderfully wild tale begin? We are introduced to high school girl named Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) who is looking forward to spending her summer vacation with her widowed father (Saho Sasazawa), however, her plans take a sudden unfortunate turn when her father returns from Italy with a new fiancée, Ryoko Ema (Haruko Wanibuchi). Upset and unwilling to accept her new stepmother – as stepmothers don’t have a great track record in movie you can’t really blame –  Gorgeous decides to visit her aunt’s secluded country house, inviting six of her friends along for the adventure. The friends are more caricatures than characters with each embodying a single trait. It is these exaggerated personalities that add to the film’s playful and surreal nature.

• Fantasy (Kumiko Ôba), who is dreamy and imaginative
• Prof (Ai Matsubara), the intelligent and logical one
• Melody (Eriko Tanaka), the musically talented girl
• Kung Fu (Miki Jinbo), who is athletic and skilled in martial arts
• Mac (Mieko Satô), who is constantly hungry
• Sweet (Masayo Miyako), who is gentle and caring

The Magnificent Seven.

Upon their arrival at the aunt’s mansion, they are warmly welcomed by the seemingly kind Auntie (Yoko Minamida) but it soon becomes apparent to the girls that this house harbours dark and malevolent secrets and that the house itself may very well be alive. This is why you should do research before going on any vacation. As the night goes on the house begins to target the girls one by one, using their unique traits against them in bizarre and supernatural ways. The girls attempt to understand and escape the house but are met with increasingly strange and terrifying obstacles at every turn, and by terrifying I mean bloody bizarre. These horror elements are intertwined with whimsical and surreal sequences; one moment you’re laughing at the girls’ antics and the next you’re watching a severed head bite someone in the ass. It’s this unpredictability and willingness to embrace the outlandish that makes Hausu such a unique viewing experience.

This is not the way to get ahead.

As things spiral into madness, Gorgeous undergoes a drastic transformation, becoming possessed by the vengeful spirit of her aunt, who has been waiting for her niece to come so she can reclaim her youth and beauty. Once again, a little research ahead of time could have saved everyone a lot of trouble. The film’s climax is a blend of haunting imagery and psychedelic visuals, showcasing Nobuhiko Obayashi’s experimental filmmaking style and is what makes this film so memorable. Hausu is a kaleidoscope of chaos and Obayashi uses a mix of unconventional special effects, vibrant colours, and frenetic editing to create a dreamlike (or rather, nightmare-like) atmosphere. It’s like watching a live-action cartoon where the rules of reality do not apply. One moment a girl is playing a piano, and the next, she’s being devoured by said piano in a flurry of psychedelic imagery.

This is why I always avoided piano lessons.

Stray Observations:

• This horror movie includes a stepmother but rather than being the standard “evil stepmother” she’s actually quite nice and it is the heroine fleeing the situation that lands her and her friends on the doorstep of true evil.
• The Japanese rock band Godiego have a brief cameo in the film as the men who flirt with the girls at Tokyo Station.
• Gorgeous has the amazing ability to fill us in on her family’s history via black-and-white film footage, that her friends are somehow able to view. I guess witchcraft does run in that family.
• If your host says “You sure look tasty, being round and all” and then follows that up with “The bright sunlight frightens me” you should immediately pack your things and flee.
• I would love to read Gorgeous’s school essay “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” or what would be more aptly titled, “How I Got All My Friends Killed.”

The Japanese Missing Persons Bureau must be very overworked.

This Japanese cult classic is an eccentric and wildly imaginative horror-comedy that defies conventional storytelling and embraces the bizarre. This is something you either get or you don’t as the tone of Hausu is a genre-defying blend of horror, absurdity and dark humour. It swings from laugh-out-loud moments to genuinely creepy scenes with reckless abandon. The dialogue and character interactions often feel exaggerated, almost like a parody of the horror genre, and while this over-the-top approach might throw some viewers off this is precisely what gives Hausu its unique charm. Beneath its wacky surface, this film also touches on themes of adolescence, fear of the unknown and the transition from innocence to experience. Or am I reading too much into things? Nevertheless, the film’s primary goal is to entertain and bewilder, and I must say in that area it succeeds immensely.

This is what a horror movie looks like on acid.

In conclusion, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Hausu is a cinematic rollercoaster that invites viewers to suspend disbelief and embrace the madness.  Simply put, it is a film that must be experienced rather than merely watched. Its originality and creativity are off the charts and the blend of horror and humour makes it a perfect pick for those who enjoy unconventional films. Hausu offers a glimpse into the experimental side of Japanese cinema in the 1970s, which was a time of bold artistic expression. Enter if you date.