Chime | Serpent's Path

Chime masterfully deploys escalating dread and reaffirms Kurosawa as one of modern horror’s most innovative and surprising visionaries. A culinary instructor witnesses the suicide of a young student who was driven mad by a chiming sound that he claimed was controlling his mind. Soon, the instructor starts hearing it too, leading to a chilling depiction of madness as well as unpredictable filmmaking. Chime will only be available in theaters so don’t miss this rare opportunity! In Japanese with English subtitles. (45 mins., DCP)

Made the year after Kurosawa’s international breakthrough film Cure (1997), Serpent’s Path is a dark gangland thriller with existential overtones. A yakuza underling recruits his math teacher friend to avenge his daughter’s murder. The two follow a plan to ascend the yakuza ranks to find the person responsible. The resulting film is a chilling portrait of revenge and endless cycles of violence. Now that Kurosawa’s films are finally getting recognition in the US, Serpent’s Path is getting its first release in the country. In Japanese with English subtitles. (85 mins., DCP)

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Left to right: Chime, Serpent's Path, courtesy of Janus Films.