THE FOREST

US, 2016, 93 minutes, Colour.

Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yuho Yamashita, Eoin Macken.

Directed by Jason Zada.

The forest is in Japan, a forest noted for those intending to commit suicide to enter into the forest and die. This is also the subject of Gus van Sant’s Sea of Trees. In fact, this film was made entirely on location in Serbia. It has an international cast led by British Natalie Dormer, American actor Taylor Kinney, Irish actor Eoin Macken and many Japanese actors led by Yuho Yamashita as the guide.

The film takes as its theme the strong bond between identical twins, each having a sense of what is happening to the other even though distant.

Natalie Dormer place Sarah, her twin sister Jess having moved to teach in Japan but Sarah sensing there is something wrong, flying immediately to Japan, going to the forest, encountering characters who warn her, but then finding a sympathetic American journalist, played by Taylor Kinney, who offers to accompany her into the forest along with his guide, asking her for material for an article that he would write.

There are some ominous early sequences. And Sarah is absolutely determined, wilful, headstrong, certainly not wanting to take any advice. She stays the night in the forest, the journalist staying with her. Then all kinds of mysterious things happen, ghostly presences, the schoolgirl who knows the missing woman, Sarah pursuing her into the forest, falling down a deep hole and finding mysterious caves… She becomes rather paranoid, especially about the journalist and turns on him.

As with ghost stories, there are all kinds of visual spectres. And, at times, it is difficult to know what is really happening or what is happening in Sara’s head. Eventually, she discovers her sister – but the screenplay does not go according to audience expectations, and something of a grim ending.

1. The title? The Japanese forest? For suicides? Ghosts and spirits? The Japanese tradition?
2. The visuals of the forest, during the day, trees, paths? During the night? Sinister aspects, Sarah falling down the hall, the caves and the ghosts? The musical score?
3. The theme of identical twins and their bonding, sense of each other’s presence?
4. Sarah, memories of the past, the grandmother, the parents? With Jess? Growing up, their separate lives and careers? Sarah and her relationship with Rob?
5. News about Jess, in Japan, Sarah’s sense, the decision to go to Japan, the encounters, the language, trekking through the forest, finding the inn, the Japanese girl and her warnings? The bar, the encounter with Aiden, his charm? Journalist, writing about the forest? Offering to accompany Sarah, and his guide? Her agreement?
6. Setting out, the day, Sarah and her anxiety, concern for Jess, calling out? Going beyond the boundaries? The bonding with Aiden, his interviewing her, taping her? The decision to stay, the guide and his warnings, Aiden deciding to stay? The night, the darkness, the noises, Sarah and sinister presences? Her going into the forest, the schoolgirl and her warnings, transformations as a ghost? Pursuit, falling down the hall, the caves, more ghosts? Calling out, rescued by Aiden?
7. The suspicions of Aidan, the directions for travel, his explanations? The heart, the knife, trying to set the electricity going? Sarah and her reaction to him, attack, forbidding him to use her stories, deleting them from his phone?
8. The door, the basement, the attack on Aiden, stabbing him, his dying?
9. Beyond the door, the memories of her father, the struggle, her injured hand, hallucination of the lice? The encounter with Jess, Jess running away? Sarah trapped in the house? Jess escaping, freedom and rescue?
10. The Japanese guide, his concern, the search party in the night, Rob coming to join?
11. Jess saved, Sarah dead, Jess having no sense of bond with her dead sister?
12. Audiences, Japanese mythologies, credibility, audiences believing in this ghostly behaviour?