History Film / DarkWater

[[quoteright:189:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_water.jpg]]

* AntiVillain: Mitsuko/Natasha may be a spiteful, malevolent ghost, but all she wants is [[spoiler:a mother]].

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Veeck is apparently engaging in a little... alone time whilst watching porn in his apartment before Dahlia interrupts him.

* AdultFear: All over the place:
** The very real possibility that your unpleasant, possibly [[DomesticAbuse abu]][[AbusiveParents sive]] ex might get sole custody of your only child.
** Your child goes missing in a strange new environment, starts acting strangely, falls ill for no reason, and shortly after seems to be targeted by someone or something that means them harm.
** For Mitsuko's father: your young child going missing, never to be seen again, is pretty much every parents' worst nightmare. [[spoiler:It later turns out she was ''far'' closer than anyone thought.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Kunio Hamada's not much interested in Ikuko, but he has no problems lying to his lawyers about Yoshimi's past or hiring a private investigator to ''spy'' on his ex-wife and daughter if it means he'll get a leg up over her in their custody hearings.

* ShoutOut: The scene where [[spoiler: water crashes out of the elevator]] is a reference to the [[spoiler: infamous bloody elevator scene]] in the film version of ''Film/TheShining''.

* WhamShot: Towards the end, [[HopeSpot when everything seems to be back to normal]], Yoshimi grabs Ikuko's school bag to prepare for the following day [[spoiler:only to find the red bag inside it.]]

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Mitsuko. [[spoiler:She was neglected by her mother, and drowns to death, her body never recovered. Her anguish keeps her from moving on, and she roams the building's halls in search of a new mother.]]

* TheFaceless: Miwtuko's face is usually partially (sometimes completely) hidden or obscured throughout the movie (it's even difficult to make out in her "missing person" poster) -- at least until [[spoiler:the climactic elevator scene]].

[[spoiler: Kamiya in the original Japanese version, to a lesser extent. He never faces any criminal charges or even accountability for his criminal negligence or failure to tend to the building's water problem.]]

[[spoiler: Also, Kunio, in the original Japanese version. He deliberately uses Ikuko to torment and mock Yoshimi, claiming that he cares about Ikuko, when really, all he wanted was to win, not ensure the well-being of their daughter. In the end, he wins full custody of their daughter as Yoshimi died.]]
[[spoiler: Arguably the teenage boys in the American remake. They harass Dahlia and make a mockery of her, yet face no accountability for it. Worst of all, the poor mother herself is the one who suffers in the end.]]

* Enfant Terrible: Mitsuko/Natasha.

* Freudian Excuse: A common theme amongst J-horror and their remakes is that parental neglect and abuse is what makes a child who was innocent and harmless in life into a malevolent spiritual force. But that is analogous to blaming a serial killer's choices to commit murder on their abusive parents, and it has been proven time and time again that parental abuse, neglect or any other failure doesn't make a killer, but rather a free will choice on behalf of the offender. Hell, Yoshimi/Dahlia had negligent and/or abusive parents, but she never deliberately hurt anyone, [[spoiler: even in death]], making Mitsuko/Natasha 100% responsible for her own behavior.

* Karma Houdini: [[spoiler: Mitsuko/Natasha. Has made numerous attempts on the life of the innocent living child Ikuko/Cecilia, who she didn't even know but harbored malevolent feelings towards just because SHE didn't have a mother that wasn't even HERS to begin with. In the end, she unfortunately succeeds in claiming the living child's mother, albeit leaving Ikuko/Cecilia alive, but motherless and in grief. She never faces ANY accountability or punishment for her callous disregard for the rights of others.]]

[[spoilers: Arguably the teenage boys in the American remake. They harass Dahlia and make a mockery of her, yet face no accountability for it. Worst of all, the poor mother herself is the one who suffers in the end.]]

* TheFaceless: Miwtuko's face is usually partially (sometimes completely) hidden or obscured throughout the movie (it's even difficult to make out in her "missing person" poster) -- at least until [[spoiler:the climactic elevator scene]].

Not to be confused with the animated TV series ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesOfDarkWater''.

** Both [[CrustyCaretaker Kamiya and Veeck]]. They're [[GrumpyOldMan grumpy]], extremely disdainful of Yoshimi and Dahlia's concerns, and aren't bothered to do their jobs properly. Also, in Veeck's case, [[spoiler:he ''knew'' about Natasha's decomposing corpse in the water tank, but decided to leave it in there because "it wasn't his job".]]
** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kyle, Kunio's remake counterpart. He's still a ''dick'', yes, but he ''truly'' believes Dahlia isn't a fit mother, and unlike Kunio, he really does care for his daughter and wants what's best for her.

* NiceGuy: Yoshimi's lawyer, Kishida. He takes Yoshimi under his wing after her [[FreakOut break down]], and tries to help her until the very end.

* HopeSpot: [[spoiler: The mystery behind the Kawai's old apartment is uncovered, and Kishida convinces Yoshimi not to move out, at least until the custody battle is over. The "hauntings" have stopped, and everything seems okay. Then Mitsuko's red bag suddenly reappears...]]

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: [[spoiler: The scene where teenage Ikuko enters the apartment and sees her mother's ghost is shot in a continuous take.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The original short story, ''Floating Water'', isn't entirely clear if there's a haunting at all, or if it's all in Yoshimi's head. [[spoiler: In the Japanese film, it's almost definitely a real haunting. The US remake, however, makes a point of being much more [[MindScrew vague]].]]

* FrightBesideThem: Yoshimi and the audience thinks she is embracing Ikuko in the elevator...[[spoiler:only to see Ikuko enter the hallway]].

* FrightBesideThem Yoshimi and the audience thinks she is embracing Ikuko in the elevator...[[spoiler:only to see Ikuko enter the hallway]].

** Yoshimi gets another one earlier on when she finally pieces together the truth: [[spoiler:the day the water tank was last cleaned was the same day Mitsuko went missing.]

The film follows Yoshimi Matsubara, who is in the midst of a messy custody battle with her estranged husband over their young daughter, Ikuko. Desperate to prove herself a fit parent, she gets a job as a proofreader for a small publishing house, and moves herself and Ikuko into an an eerie, rundown apartment complex. Shortly after moving in, she notices that there's a leaky water stain on her bedroom ceiling, and it's growing by the day. Strange things start happening to the Matsubaras, several of which involve the mysterious appearance (and subsequent re-appearances) of a child's red bag. Yoshimi gradually discovers the horrifying truth behind these events, and realizes that the force haunting the building means to harm her and her daughter.

The film follows Yoshimi Matsubara, who is in the midst of a messy custody battle with her (highly unpleasant) ex-husband, Kunio Hamada, over their young daughter, Ikuko. Desperate to prove herself to be a fit parent to Ikuko, she moves herself and Ikuko into their own place, which happens to be an apartment held in a run-down old building. The building is somewhat eerie, but it suits Yoshimi just fine, for the time being. However, shortly after moving in, she notices that the ceiling of their apartment has a sinister and inexplicable damp patch, which continues to expand day by day. In the midst of Yoshimi finding a new job and Ikuko starting a new school, many strange and frightening events occur, several of which involve the mysterious appearance (and subsequent re-appearances) of a child's red bag. Eventually, Yoshimi discovers the horrifying truth behind these events, and realises that she and her daughter are in grave danger from the supernatural force permeating the apartment block.

** In the original, Yoshimi claims that Kunio has never been interested in Ikuko, not even bothering to remember her birthday. Also, Yoshimi's own mother - as well as Mitsuko's - both completely neglected their children.

** The very real possibility that your unpleasant, possibly [[DomesticAbuse abu]][[AbusiveParents sive]] ex gets sole custody of your only child.

* AlienGeometries: A subtle example occurs during the original's DistantFinale. [[spoiler:The apartment block is now abandoned and has fallen into severe disrepair, but Ikuko's old apartment is just as clean and pristine as it was before Yoshimi's death.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: In the US version, Dahlia believes that her ex, Kyle, is harassing her. Whether he actually is, or if Dahlia is merely paranoid, is left vague.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: Arguably Yoshimi's fate. Her mannerism of death, specifically, screams this: she is alone with Mitsuko in the elevator, and when the doors open, dirty water emerges, but no one is there. Then she's forced to become a spirit bound to the apartment, bound to be the new mother of the spirit who tried to kill her daughter.]]

** In the original: [[spoiler:Yoshimi chooses to stay with Mitsuko and be a mother to her - [[HeroicSacrifice which involves her dying]] - so Ikuko can live. Years later, a now 16-year-old Ikuko returns to her old apartment and is briefly reunited with Yoshimi's ghost. Thanks to Mitsuko's intervention, it doesn't last, but Ikuko is left secure in the knowledge that her mother has been protecting her and will always love her.]]
** In the remake: [[spoiler:Similar to the original, Dahlia chooses to stay - and die - with Natasha so Ceci can live. Three weeks later, Ceci, along with her father, are preparing to move in together. Ceci silently cries over the loss of her mother, but, just before leaving the building, she is apparently visited by Dahlia's spirit, who braids her hair and tells Ceci that if she ever needs her, she'll be there. Kyle notices her braided hair and is confused.]]
* BreakTheCutie: That is, break ''all'' the cuties. Yoshimi herself comes [[BrokenBird pre-broken]], having suffered a mental breakdown several years prior to the events of the film. Her not-so-pleasant childhood doesn't help matters.

* CassandraTruth: When Yoshimi becomes convinced that she and Ikuko are being haunted, her fears are met with scepticism. Following a few logical explanations for the strange things she has experienced, she starts to hope that maybe everything is normal after all. [[FromBadToWorse It isn't]].

* CreepyChild: Mitsuko and Natasha, big time. Also, Ikuko, usually the epitome of cuteness, has a couple of moments like this, such as the scene where [[spoiler:she slowly starts to open the red bag, as if possessed, with an ''unbelievably'' creepy expression on her face.]]

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The flashbacks to Yoshimi's childhood, as well as those showing Mitsuko's final hours, are saturated with yellow.
* DistantFinale: In the Japanese version, [[spoiler:following Yoshimi's HeroicSacrifice, the film moves forward ten years to show a now 16-year-old Ikuko revisiting her old apartment, and encountering her mother's spirit.]]
* TheFaceless: Mituko's face is usually partially (sometimes completely) hidden or obscured throughout the movie (it's even difficult to make out in her "missing person" poster) - at least, until [[spoiler:the climactic elevator scene]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A subtle example. The puddle of water in the elevator seems inconspicuous at first - until Mitsuko's ghost shows up standing in the same spot during the first visit to the building, and later when Yoshimi is looking for her missing daughter. Flashbacks show that [[spoiler:Mitsuko stood in the same spot during her final hours.]]

** Early on, Yoshimi finds a hair inside her glass of water. [[spoiler:It later turns out that there's a decomposing corpse in the apartment block's water tank, and has been there for years.]]
* GainaxEnding: The remake. [[spoiler:Is the haunting real, is Dahlia just losing her mind - or both? ]]

* HopeSpot: [[spoiler: The mystery behind the Kawai's old apartment is uncovered, and Kishida manages to find some logical explanations for the strange events Yoshimi has experienced, ultimately convincing her to not move out, at least until the custody battle is over. The "hauntings" have stopped, and everything seems okay. Then Mitsuko's red bag suddenly reappears...]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Kunio is ''not'' a pleasant man. Not only is he is apparently neglectful towards Ikuko, he uses extremely dirty tactics in his and Yoshimi's custody battle - such as exaggerating everything she does and bringing up psychological problems she suffered with and got over ''years'' before she married him!
** Both [[CrustyCaretaker Kamiya and Veeck]]. They're [[GrumpyOldMan grumpy]], extremely disdainful of Yoshimi and Dahlia's concerns, and are unwilling to do their jobs properly. Also, in Veeck's case, [[spoiler:he ''knew'' about Natasha's decomposing corpse in the water tank, but decided to leave it in there because "it wasn't his job".]]
** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kyle, Kunio's Remake counterpart. He's still a ''dick'' yes, but his reasoning are more over the fact he ''truly'' believes Dahlia isn't a fit mother due to her breakdowns, and unlike Kunio, he really does care for his daughter and wants what's best for her.

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: [[spoiler:When Ikuko returns to the apartment as a teenager, the camera stays on a single shot from the moment she enters the apartment up until she sees Yoshimi's ghost.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The original short story, ''Floating Water'', isn't entirely clear if there is a haunting at all, or if it is all in Yoshimi's mind - however, the ending suggests it is the latter. [[spoiler: In the Japanese film, it's almost definitely a real haunting. The US remake, however, makes a point of being much more [[MindScrew vague]].]]

* NeverTrustATrailer: While the American remake makes a point of differentiating itself from ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Film/TheGrudge'' by downplaying the overt horror elements of the original and becoming more of a character study / dramatic psychological thriller with a focus on paranoia and atmosphere over scares, the trailers used scenes not in the movie, misplaced dialogue, and quick-cut editing to represent it as a generic teen-horror shocker.
* NiceGuy: Yoshimi's lawyer, Kishida. He instantly decides to help Yoshimi win the custody battle upon witnessing her [[FreakOut break down]], and tries to help her until the very end.

* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Yoshimi towards the end. If Ikuko is in the hallway... then ''who is in the elevator with her''? It's Black Water Mitsuko...]]
** Yoshimi gets another one earlier on when she finally pieces together the truth at the end: [[spoiler:the date the water tank was last cleaned is the exact same date as when Mitsuko was last seen alive.]]

* ShoutOut: The scene in which [[spoiler:vast amounts of water crash out of the elevator]] is a reference to the scene with [[spoiler:blood emerging from the elevator]] in the film version of ''Film/TheShining''.
* SlasherSmile: May or may not be intentional, but the smile on Ikuko's face when she first discovers the red bag is horribly unsettling. Much later, when she starts to open the bag, her smile manages to be even creepier. The way she is smiling in both of these scenes, the way the scenes are filmed and the accompanying creepy music score [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation seem to imply that she may be supernaturally compelled]] to pick up and open the bag.

* WhamShot: Towards the end, [[HopeSpot when everything seems to be back to normal]], Yoshimi gets Ikuko's school bag to prepare for the following day... [[spoiler:only to find the red bag inside it.]]
** Yoshimi, desperately trying to escape in the elevator with a half-drowned Ikuko, can only watch in terror as the apartment door slowly creaks open... [[spoiler:and out steps... Ikuko?]] [[OhCrap This is immediately followed by Yoshimi slowly and fearfully turning around]] and witnessing [[spoiler:the rotted visage of Mitsuko lunging straight at her.]]
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Mitsuko. [[spoiler:She was neglected by her mother, and meets a tragic end by drowning. She then has her spirit bound to the apartment block, with her sole goal to find a new mother figure.]]