'J-horror' master Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s 'The Path of the Serpent' gets a nationwide first theatrical release in Korea after 28 years—arrives in 4K on the 22nd

The hidden origin of a 'J-horror' legend comes back to the screen, breaking 28 years of silence

The masterpiece 'The Path of the Serpent' (1998), directed by Japanese thriller icon 'Kurosawa Kiyoshi', lands in Korean theaters for the first time in 28 years.

Distributor 'DioCinema' said the film 'The Path of the Serpent' will be officially released as a 4K remastered version on the 22nd. This will be the first time for Korean audiences to meet the film officially since its original Japanese release in 1998. The restored screen, bringing the film back in crisp resolution after shedding old image quality, is expected to maximize the distinctive, chilly visual aesthetics of 'Kurosawa Kiyoshi'.

The film portrays a blood-soaked revenge tale involving 'Miyashita' (Kagawa Teruyuki), a father who lost his young daughter, and the mysterious aide 'Nijima' (Aikawa Sho) who helps him. The two men kidnap a suspected killer and interrogate him brutally, but the suspect denies the crimes and points to another person.

The truth, its blade of revenge turning toward the wrong target and slowly peeling away, plunges viewers into deep confusion. Behind the thrill of the mystery genre that tracks down the real culprit, a suffocating 'psychological game' waged by the characters drives the film’s tension to explosive levels.

Their obsessive fixation on revenge, their violence, and their survival instincts expose the darkest depths inside human beings. In particular, the 'ominous mise-en-scène' that loops around a closed warehouse brilliantly crafts an ominous and strange atmosphere, elevating the thriller’s stature.

In addition, the screenplay creators of the 'Ring' (1998) and 'Ju-on' (2002), also known as the myths of J-horror, 'Takahashi Hiroshi', took up the pen to raise the completeness of the narrative. It remains to be seen what kind of ripple effects this chilly revenge drama—born from the synergy of two masters—will create in Korea’s theater scene.