Funny how my expectations can really screw things up for me. I remember seeing the first half an hour or so of Uzumaki years ago and thinking “Hey, this movie was pretty good”. And, just a few weeks ago, I came across a cheap copy at a used bookstore and figured it was well worth the cost.

So I sat down with my girlfriend – who’d never seen it before – and we watched it. Unfortunately, the film as a whole turned out to be pretty sub-par. Although it starts out creepy, it quickly turns into something more ridiculous and over-the-top when compared to other, more serious Japanese horror films. The effects are pretty cheesy, and the acting is incredibly wooden, with many characters sounding like they’re voice-acting for an anime or something. All of this kind of drags Uzumaki into a gritty B-movie area.

Still, the film does have its moments. Some things are creepy as heck, and the whole notion of the spiral is intriguing in its own way. Uzumaki’s a unique and worthwhile film for its genre, but it fails to achieve its full potential. Overall it’s worth a watch, but don’t expect edge-of-your-seat scares or mind-blowing effects.

It totally FREAKED me out! & I am not easily FREAKED!