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"Am I pretty?"

Released in 2007, Carved is one of many Asian horror films featuring a vengeful spirit. Based on an urban legend of a woman who cuts her victims' mouths after asking them if they think her horrific Glasgow Grin is pretty, the movie takes it, twists it, and turns it into an entertaining story.

It was followed by an unrelated sequel, Carved 2: The Scissors Massacre, released in 2008.


This film contains the examples of:

  • Abandoned Playground: Happens after the Slit Mouthed Woman is spotted the first time.
  • Abusive Parents: One of the major plot points of the film. Mika's mother abused her to the point of leaving bruises and Noboro's origin story involves his mom beating him and his siblings, killing the two siblings while in the throws of madness.

  • Badass Longcoat: Our main antagonist wears one along with a white surgeon mask.
  • Body Surf: The Kuchesake-onna possesses women to carry out her attacks. However, killing her doesn't affect her much, only causing her spirit to search out another host. It's implied the only way to kill her for good is for her son to behead her. It doesn't work.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The sketchbook that Hideo had at the beginning proves helpful in finding the Kuchisake-onna's hideout.
  • Demonic Possession: The Kuchesake-onna can possess women to gain a physical form.
  • Downer Ending: The Kuchesake-onna was "defeated" but Noboro dies and Kyoko is possessed in the end of the film.
  • Glasgow Grin: The slit-mouthed woman, whose mouth splits all the way through her cheeks.
  • Heroic BSoD: Kyoko has three or more during the film's course. First when Mika was kidnapped before her eyes, again when the Kuchisake-onna revealed that she ended up letting a mother die and seeing the mother's now-orphaned kids.
  • Immortality: The Kuchisake-onna seems to have Type IX or XI Immortality. Justifiable as she's a spirit.
  • Off with Her Head!: Taeko asks Noboro to decapitate her because she knows she can't control herself and will kill him if she goes insane again. He fails, giving her her slit face and the stabbing her in the torso to kill her. He believes finishing her off this way is the only way to finish her off, but it fails.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: The Kuchesake-onna is sealed inside of a closet until being unleashed at the beginning of the movie. That was where Noboro hid her corpse after killing her in self defense.
  • Verbed Title: Carved.
  • Would Hurt a Child: The Kuchisake-onna kills one kid and carved a Glasgow on a girl. Even then, we're treated to the sight of two skeletons of Noboro's siblings.

Alternative Title(s): Carved The Slit Mouthed Woman, A Slit Mouthed Woman

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