Portland Horror Review: HANA - Nightmarish Conjurings

I’ve been a bonafide horror junkie throughout my entire life, and some of my favourite human interactions have been with folks that do not understand my kind. I remember one particular instance when I was 18 years old – I had been watching Ringu, and it truthfully stressed me out so badly I had to take a break from it. I had a horror-avoidant friend ask me why I put myself through it, and I didn’t really have an answer. I suppose in my own defence horror is typically an enjoyable thing for me – I seldom get scared. Japanese horror though? Entirely different story.

That is what drew me to HANA. As aforementioned, my exploration of j-horror has been very limited because it freaks me right out. Put a creepy kid in the mix? No. Thank. You. But you know how the saying goes, ‘do one thing a day that scares you’ – And HANA definitely did.

What I dug about HANA initially was how atmospheric the whole thing was. I knew something was off, but couldn’t quite put my finger on the pulse of it. Throw in a shocking twist, and I’m fighting the urge to slam my computer screen shut. This was all very satisfying, after all the purpose of horror is to scare us – But what was even more impressive was the dramatic undertones of unintentional maternal neglect, a harrowing and often overlooked subject in society.

You see, this is what I love about the horror genre. Onlookers and naysayers try to tear it down, claiming it is mindless drivel appealing only to the depraved – But those of us attuned and admiring of this misunderstood genre know better. It can be entirely abstract, art of the highest form awaiting insightful interpretation. This is why I believe multilayered horror to be an absolute gift, and HANA proves that it is just as effective in small packages.

Author
Recent Posts

Follow Me

Breanna Whipple

Breanna is a freelance writer with an undying love for horror and heavy metal. Growing up in an isolated city in Northern Alberta, Canada, much of her childhood was spent planted before a tv screen consuming the works of John Carpenter and Wes Craven. Fascinated by things that frightened her since viewing The Exorcist at the ripe age of five years old, she became hell-bent on viewing as many movies possible — A habit that would follow her through maturation.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Breanna Whipple (see all)