American filmmakers seem to have a huge problem with making horror films set in Japan, despite the attraction of the country and the wealth of folklore and atmosphere it brings with it. First we had the disappointment of THE FOREST with Natalie Dormer, and now this film. It sees a trio of young people heading off to Japan to research temples as part of a thesis, filming segments for their video blog along the way. The first half of the story is all set up and has a handful of eerie moments which work rather well. The performances are routine but there's an air of mystery surrounding the characters which makes you interested in them. Sadly, the second half falls apart in an aimless array of CGI ghost scares and too-dark photography, as the friends end up stranded in the wood with sinister forces at work. You've seen it all before from this point on and it becomes a huge disappointment.
Review of Temple
