History Film / DarkWater

* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Yoshimi towards the end. If Ikuko is in the hallway... then ''who is in the elevator with her''?]]

* 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. [[ItGotWorse Then everything goes to hell]].

''Dark Water'' (aka ''Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara'', translating to "From Under the Murky Water") is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, best known for being the director of ''[[TheRing Ring]]'' and ''Ring 2''. The film is based on ''Floating Water'', [[AdaptationExpansion a short story]] by Koji Suzuki (who also wrote the ''Ring'' series of novels), from his horror anthology also titled ''Dark Water''. There is also a manga adaptation that holds little similarity to the film, although the apartment building is similar.

* 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 ''TheShining''.

* BittersweetEnding: And ''how''!

''Dark Water'' (aka ''Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara'', translating to "From Under the Murky Water") is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, best known for being the director of ''[[TheRing Ring]]'' and ''Ring 2''. The film is based on ''Floating Water'', a short story by Koji Suzuki (who also wrote the ''Ring'' series of novels), from his horror anthology also titled ''Dark Water''. There is also a manga adaptation that holds little similarity to the film, although the apartment building is similar.

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The big scare involving [[spoiler:the water tank]].

* ChekhovsGun: The water tank.

* ProductPlacement: HelloKitty in the remake.

The film follows Yoshimi Matsubara, who is in the midst of a messy custody battle with her (highly unpleasant) ex-husband 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 her ex-husband 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.
** In the remake, Dahlia makes similar claims about her ex, but whether the claims are true or not is never expanded upon. Both of Dahlia's parents were abusive - her father physically, her mother emotionally - and both of Natasha's parents abandoned her.

* GrumpyOldMan: Saito has shades of this. His remake counterpart, Veeck, is even grumpier and even more of a jerk.

* {{Jerkass}}: Yoshimi's ex-husband is ''not'' a pleasant man. Not only is he is apparently neglectful towards Ikuko, and 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!
** Dahlia's ex-husband fits into this trope somewhat, but not quite to the same extent, and becomes far more reasonable towards the end.
** Both [[CrustyCaretaker Saito and Veeck]].

* MindScrew: The American remake [[spoiler:is [[EpilepticTrees incredibly vague]] on whether it was all in Dahlia's mind, or a true haunting. [[GainaxEnding Or both]]]].

* SmugSmiler: Yoshimi's ex-husband.

** The [[CrustyCaretaker caretakers]] in both versions.

* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: Yoshimi chooses to stay - and die - with Mitsuko, in order to protect Ikuko. Dahlia does the same to protect Ceci, although whether there actually is a haunting or not is left open to interpretation.]]

''Dark Water'' (aka ''Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara'', translating to "From Under the Murky Water") is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, best known for being the director of ''[[TheRing Ring]]'' and ''Ring 2''. The film is based on ''Floating Water'', a short story by Koji Suzuki (who also wrote the ''Ring'' series of novels), from his horror anthology also titled ''Dark Water''. There is also a manga adaptation that holds little similarity to the film, although the apartment building is identical.

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

* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Mitsuko wants Yoshimi to be her mother... but she does ''not'' want to share her. Her solution? Repeatedly try to kill Ikuko.]]

* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: Yoshimi chooses to stay - and die - with Mitsuko, in order to protect Ikuko.]]
* InfantImmortality: Averted in the case of Mitsuko. [[spoiler:Played straight with Ikuko.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: Yoshimi's ex-husband is ''not'' a pleasant man. Not only is he is apparently neglectful towards Ikuko, and 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! Dahlia's ex-husband fits into this trope, too, but not quite to the same extent.

* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R427IZi-ieY The Japanese version of the American remake has a different theme song]].
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: Arguably Yoshimi's fate. She sacrifices herself to save Ikuko's life, but, as a consequence, has her spirit bound to her apartment, forced to be a mother to the same spirit who repeatedly tried to kill her daughter. However, it is implied that she has been watching over Ikuko as she grows up.]]

* ArtifactOfDoom: The red bag. Well, more like "Artifact of Dread", but, still.

* CreepyChild: Mitsuko, 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]]. ''Brrrr''.

* HazardousWater - Well, yes.

* {{Jerkass}}: Yoshimi's ex-husband is ''not'' a pleasant man. Not only is he is apparently neglectful towards Ikuko, and 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!
* JumpScare: A few, but [[spoiler:the water tank scene]] is a particularly notable example. [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil Shame the trailer spoils it]].

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent

* AbusiveParents: Yoshimi claims that her ex-husband 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.

* 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.

* {{Jerkass}}: Yoshimi's ex-husband is ''not'' a pleasant man.
* JumpScare: [[spoiler:The famous water tank scene.]]

''Dark Water'' (aka ''Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara'', translating to "From Under the Murky Water") is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, best known for being the director of ''[[TheRing Ring]]'' and ''Ring 2''. The film is based on ''Floating Water'', a short story by Koji Suzuki (who also wrote the ''Ring'' series of novels), from a horror anthology of his, also titled ''Dark Water''. There is also a manga adaptation that holds little similarity to the film, although the apartment building is identical.

The film follows Yoshimi Matsubara, who is in the midst of a messy custody battle with her (highly unpleasant) ex-husband 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 huge danger from the supernatural force permeating the apartment block.

* AbusiveParents: Yoshimi claims that her ex-husband 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.

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

* BreakTheCutie: That is, break ''all'' the cuties. Yoshimi herself comes pre-broken, having suffered a mental breakdown several years prior to the events of the film.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Yoshimi]].

* 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 [[spoiler: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 [[spoiler:open]] the bag.

* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: [[spoiler:The remake. Possibly.]]

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

* BreakTheCutie: That is, break ''all'' the cuties.
* CreepyChild: [[spoiler:Mitsuko]]. 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]]. ''Brrrr''.

* {{Jerkass}}: Yoshimi's ex-husband.

* InfantImmortality: Averted in the case of Mitsuko.

* MamaBear: Yoshimi.

* AdaptationDisplacement

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: Several, usually during the touching "mother-daughter" scenes.

* 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]]. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel SHUDDER]].

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: The film contains many such moments, but the biggest would have to be the climactic scene in which [[spoiler:Yoshimi, clutching a half-drowned Ikuko to her body, desperately tries to escape in the elevator, which, despite all her efforts, absolutely does not work, and shedloads of water begins to fill the elevator. Suddenly, the door to their apartment sloooowwwly begins to creak open. Yoshimi, still desperately trying to get the elevator to work and half-paralysed with terror, can only watch as the door eventually opens and out emerges the figure of... Ikuko? But wait, if that's Ikuko, then who is in the elevator with - AAAAAARRRGGGHHHOHGODDDDD.]] This moment is almost instantly followed by a huge, ''huge'' TearJerker.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:The film's climax.]] Sob.

* TheWoobie: Yoshimi.

The film was remade in the United States in 2005, under the same title.

*AdaptationDecay[=/=]AdaptationDistillation: From the short story to the film; opinions on the supernaturally-inclined Japanese film and the psychological thriller of the US version are [[YourMileageMayVary sharply divided]].