Shutter (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Good
X OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / April 22, 2008

Most of “Shutter” is forgettable and unremarkable, but it has two chilling images at the end that resonate in the mind. They are the kind of scenes that make the spine tingle and the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. Since it’s spooky and pertains to photography, “Shutter” is a decent title.

A newlywed couple from New York moves to Japan. Ben (Joshua Jackson), a genius photographer, got a prestigious job in Tokyo doing photo-shoots for corporate types. His wife, Jane (Rachael Taylor), tags along supportively. But when Jane thinks she hits a mysterious woman in the road while driving late at night, the couple is thereafter haunted by her apparition. And the ghost most often shows up as an unwanted subject in Ben’s photographs.

As the trailer suggests, “Shutter” wishes its premise were “spirit photography,” which is a phenomenon where ghostly images are captured in everyday photographs. We wish that, too. But unfortunately, the movie has little exploration of said phenomenon; instead, “Shutter” resorts to the tired old story of an inexplicably upset ghost who haunts young lovers. Ho hum.

Directed by Masayuki Ochiai
Joshua Jackson / Rachael Taylor / Megumi Okina
Thriller 85 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for terror, disturbing images, sexual content and language)

U.S. Release Date: March 21, 2008
Copyright 2008: 266