See No Evil, Hear No Evil… Where’s The Wisdom The Mouths Have To Speak Anyway?

If you’re a fan of Ju-on or any of Takashi Shimizu‘s works, The Mouths (口に関するアンケート) will certainly scare you! That’s because once the synopsis revealed there’s a suicide tree, I half expected this film to be about Aokigahara Forest rather than a random hunk of wood located in a dilapidated cemetery. When the legend of the said park overshadows any other urban legend, what’s presented feels like a partial set of short stories, each tied to why four young adults have come here to find the spirit reputed to haunt this tree!

In what begins as a simple truth or dare, it ends up being a challenge of the human spirit against nature. In this case, it’s to see if the curse attached to the said tree is true! And when none of the individuals invited it home, there’s cause for concern! Should this entity not follow its victim(s), it would never feed.

And although nobody is fully blaming Shota (Rihito Itagaki), they should! During their first investigation, Ann (Ai Yoshikawa) was the first to succumb, and while nobody can figure out what may be “possessing” her, even I felt creeped out! That’s because I know full well it’s best not to disturb the dead in a cemetery at night; whatever forces are said to protect and guard those souls don’t have to abide by mortal laws. Instead, it’s about respect.

When she disappears, I simply knew she’d be encased by that resin-like goo coating the tree. Even though she’s slowly transforming into a cicada before everyone’s eyes, nobody else puts the pieces together. Instead of a linear story, what’s presented is almost like Pulp Fiction. Here, Detective Kusakabe (Shido Nakamura) mostly watches events unfold around him, and his role doesn’t provide much to anchor the hypothesis that this story borrows from H.P. Lovecraft. He’s there to serve a purpose as the one who discovers the final farewells of these young adults.

His role is more of a passive witness, present for the aftermath rather than steering it. Anyone familiar with this director’s works will know what to expect, and he tells this story well. Although not everyone will know this film is loosely based on A Questionnaire Regarding Mouths, a novella by Sesuji, who specializes in the found footage genre, what’s presented here feels different from a standard Lovecraftian tale. It’s rare to get answers or even a sudden realization.

Nor is there a hint that this terror comes from Japan’s primordial times! The said tree is alive, and nobody knows why! Although four are said to have gone in, only three made it out alive that first night; however, for Shota’s girlfriend, Mirei (Momona Kasahara), spotting Ann’s spirit creeping about makes her a fifth, unwitting victim! So altogether, there are five, which is hardly auspicious, as per Shinto tradition. This number is important because depending on the culture, it represents completeness. In Greek tradition, it’s the axis mundi, the center where all worlds converge.

Perhaps there’s a deeper meaning that needs to be discussed when considering how they’ve died and how they’re arranged in that parting scene, which won’t be described here, as it’s a massive spoiler. Although a later moment says those bodies were never found, there’s something profound to be made when the police believe no foul play was involved.

Instead, it seems that visiting this spot is a rite of passage before graduation, according to Officer Kusakabe’s report.

That’s also the gist I got when Hotto (Shoot Mori) drags Kawase (Tomoki Nishiyama) to this cemetery too, only to run into Ann, who is now one with the tree! The Deadites from Evil Dead have a lot to fear if it’s true that she’s in charge! When the terror concerns who will live or die, that would be saying too much. As for the ultimate twist, I believe the intertitles before the credits speaks volumes to cast that spell one more time. It’s like the secret narrator is asking viewers what they think is the cause. Is the root of all evil a result of a curse, or something much worse?

This technique is a rarity I don’t think has been done before. I’d totally expect that in a choose-your-own-adventure novella or while interacting with a computer chatbot, but here? That’s a game changer! And if you love J-horror along with Blair Witch, then run, don’t fly to the next available screening of this haunting chiller!

4½ Stars out of 5

The Mouths Trailer