What is it about Japans Aokigahara Forest that both tempts filmmakers and yet stubbornly resists becoming a good movie?
Jason ZadasThe Forestis the second film in as many years about the woods at the base of Mt.
Fuji, where dozens of people go to commit suicide each year.
Credit: James Dittiger
Perhaps the biggest problem withThe Forestis that its ultimately not very scary.
Moments that are clearly meant to induce horror come few and far between.
Mostly Dormer just walks around trees a lot.
This is doubly disappointing because the setting gives the filmmakers all of Japanese horror mythology to work with.
It fails to fully become any of them, and ends up missing the forest for the trees.C+
