• Release year: 2026
• Director: Jirô Nagae.
• Screenplay by: Chilla’s Art.

Shotgun Commentary: the general concept is not too original, but the execution of this particular vision is fantastic.

Review

The Convenience Store follows classic tropes of Asian horror and adds to them a unique touch, making them feel fresh and as terrifying as they did the first time. After all, if something’s not broken, why fix it?

The story follows a convenience store clerk, Tazuru Yukino (Kotona Minami). She’s a college girl who works the night shift at the store. She also happens to be the one who finds her manager’s corpse. As a result, she’s brought into the police station for questioning. There, she shows four SD cards to the detective in charge of the investigation, and she tells him about the strange events that have transpired during the four weeks before the incident. The more she speaks, the more ludicrous her narration sounds, but the detective will slowly realise that she is far from crazy.

Back to the roots

As mentioned earlier, the film clings to classic horror tropes. The soundtrack is key to the ambience, and even though the film would probably be terrifying without it as well, it certainly works in favour of the numerous jumpscares that you will be attacked with. But the classics don’t end there.

The vengeful ghosts that haunt everyone in the story are the exact same flavour of creepy as the girl from Ringu (1998) and the child from Ju-on: The Grudge (2002). Only this time you have both at the same time, and their intentions are a lot less clear, which only adds to the tension of the atmosphere. Not to mention the whole eye-gouging situation that goes on throughout the story, a recurring trope in Japanese cinema since the 60s.

A winning combo

Still, all of these familiar elements are presented in a fascinating manner. TVs are involved, but not in the same way as in Ringu, and there is certainly an audiovisual curse in the mix, but the way it is told is incredibly thrilling. The main attraction is the combination of first and third POVs.

You will experience the story through Yukino’s eyes during multiple moments of her narration, which makes sense considering the film is a remake of its homonymous 2020 video game. But you will also get to see all the spicy details with the third-person POV, so you do not miss a moment of the experience that will scar her forever.

Clean and tidy

Along with the POV, the editing of the film is key to the experience. Often in horror films, what you show and when is the key for success. In this case, the pace is absolutely perfect. You will often hear things before actually seeing them, and the moments of anticipation are timed flawlessly, as is the pace of the ever-unravelling mystery of the manager’s death.

The police investigation has a clear structure. The deadly events take place in a specific order, one that you will recognise easily. A series of eerie appearances and specific objects signify the difference between life and death, and one must make all the right decisions to stay alive. In that sense, the feature resembles plenty of horror video games like Emily Wants to Play (2016).

All in all, The Convenience Store takes all the right horror influences and combines them into a fantastic product. It is scary, it is thrilling, and it is positively fascinating. A total must-watch for any and all horror mystery fans.

The Convenience Store received its UK premiere at FrightFest Glasgow on the 7th of March as part of the Glasgow Film Festival programme.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Avoid night shifts when possible.
• Never underestimate the power of a classic.
• Never underestimate the importance of good karma.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Convenience Store? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀