From the director of Ringu comes another urban haunting. Dark Water opens with Yoshimi (Hitomi Kuroki) and her six-year-old daughter Ikuko (Rio Kanno) moving into a rundown apartment in the wake of a messy divorce. Amid a seemingly endless downpour, a mysterious leaky ceiling and increasingly strange encounters thwart their attempts to settle into their new neighbourhood. When Yoshimi learns of a recent tragedy that befell the flat above her, she makes a terrifying discovery.

“This story is even more frightening and oppressive than Ring... he's (Hideo Nakata) the only one who could make this film”, so praised Koji Suzuki, author of the short story this film was based upon. Drenched in dread and soaked in sorrow, Dark Water is truly one of the most affecting works to emerge from the J-Horror wave of the late ‘90s – early ‘00s. Amid hallmarks themes of urban alienation and the horrors of renting (you’ll never look at that damp patch on your ceiling the same way), at its core this is a tragic story about disintegration of a family and the impermanence of both parenthood and childhood. As much as Nakata sends chills up your spine, Hitomi Kuroki and Rio Kanno will break your heart.