Kenichi Ugana, Yusuke Suzuki, and Yukino Kaizu discuss their new horror film, The Curse, which played at Fantastic Fest 2025.
Kenichi Ugana’s latest horror film, The Curse, is a chilling and timely masterpiece. It takes the familiar tropes of classic Asian horror films like The Ring and The Grudge and masterfully updates them for the age of social media, algorithms, and online validation. The result is a truly unsettling experience that taps into our collective fear of what lurks behind the screen. As the film’s protagonist Riko, played by the brilliant Yukino Kaizu, dives into the terrifying mystery of a social media curse, audiences are taken on a relentless journey that is as thought-provoking as it is genuinely scary.
To discuss the film’s powerful themes and its unique blend of traditional and contemporary horror, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with the creators themselves: director Kenichi Ugana, producer Yusuke Suzuki, and the film’s star, Yukino Kaizu. It was a chance to go behind the camera and explore how they brought this chilling vision to life, and to learn about the process of creating a horror film that is so deeply rooted in the very real terrors of our digital existence.
The Curse Interview: Kenichi Ugana, Yusuke Suzuki, & Yukino Kaizu
Mama’s Geeky: What do you think it is about Fantastic Fest that makes it the perfect festival to feature The Curse?
Kenichi Ugana: Because I feel it has the best audience and the best programmers, and every day feels like a party. I actually think this film is, in a way, a kind of party movie so.
Mama’s Geeky: Kenichi, can you talk about the inspiration behind The Curse?
Kenichi Ugana: I think this is happening all over the world, but in recent years, I’ve really felt that in Japan, there’s been an increase in posts on social media that harshly criticize others using stronger language than ever before. That’s why I wanted to explore this theme. Around that time, someone I knew told me that their deceased friend’s account was still posting, almost as if they were alive. Those two things became the inspiration for turning this into a film.
Mama’s Geeky: Yukino & Yusuke, What was it about The Curse that drew you to the project?
Yukino Kaizu: I had seen several films by producer Suzuki and director Ugana before, and I truly admired them as a fan. So when this opportunity came up, my immediate reaction was, ‘I definitely want to be part of this.
Mama’s Geeky: What I love so much about this movie is that you get an unsettling feeling from the very start. Kenichi, can you talk about what you did while filming to make sure the audience feels this way? Yukino, can you discuss what you put into your performance to help deliver that through the screen?
Kenichi Ugana: For this film, I deliberately made sure that most of the characters were hard to empathize with. I think one of the unsettling aspects of the movie is that you can never quite tell what the characters are truly thinking.
Yukino Kaizu: I didn’t want to express the anxiety or tension in an overt way — instead, I focused on letting it quietly linger beneath the surface. I drew from my own real feelings of unease, layering them into the performance, aiming to keep a subtle, constant stir in the depths of the character’s heart
Mama’s Geeky: The Curse touches on the unexpected effects that our social media posts can have on others. Can you all discuss why you think this is an important message to convey to viewers?
Kenichi Ugana: The horror of anyone being able to see what you say, the horror of not being able to feel the emotions of those who see it, and the horror of anyone being able to make statements while hiding their identity will likely lead to all sorts of incidents in the future. I think we will be asked to keep this in mind as we act.
Yusuke Suzuki: While technological advances have certainly made our lives more convenient, they’ve also made it easier for negative aspects to emerge. I think it’s something we need to reflect on once again.
Yukino Kaizu: Social media is like a magical space where we can connect with people all over the world — and that’s exactly why its influence is so unpredictable. Because the line between joy and fear is so thin, I felt that we need to be much more cautious in how we engage with it.
Mama’s Geeky: The demon entity is absolutely terrifying in this! Something about her tongue really stood out to me and I don’t think I will ever forget that. Yusuke and Kenichi, can you talk about coming up with her design?
Kenichi Ugana: Actually, this was inspired by a common type of ghost in Taiwan. Taiwanese ghosts are said to wear red clothing and have long tongues.
Yusuke Suzuki: I wanted to incorporate elements of traditional Taiwanese horror into this Japan -Taiwan co-production.
Mama’s Geeky: Yukino, you are incredible in The Curse. I really felt like I was going on this terrifying journey with you. Is there one scene that was the most fun to film?
Yukino Kaizu: It was during the exorcism scene. The flying ritual objects and the candles going out all at once weren’t done with CGI — it was all on set, handled by the art department. Watching it all come together on set was really fun.
Mama’s Geeky: Yukino, I love your chemistry with Yu. Even though your characters have had their issues in the past, they are forced to work together to try to solve this mystery of the curse. What was it like working together?
Yukino Kaizu: Yu is an actor who speaks both Japanese and Taiwanese. Thanks to him bridging the communication on set, I was able to connect more deeply with the Taiwanese cast and crew. He was truly a reassuring presence.
Mama’s Geeky: What would you say was the most challenging about making The Curse?
Yusuke Suzuki: It was challenging to bridge the cultural differences between Japan and Taiwan.
Mama’s Geeky: Is there one moment on set that really stood out for you, and that you will remember always?
Yukino Kaizu: The opening scene with the dog left a strong impression on me. The next day, everyone on the crew was saying in unison that ‘a miracle happened,’ and the whole set was filled with a joyful atmosphere. I still vividly remember that feeling of unity, and it remains an unforgettable memory for me.
Mama’s Geeky: Without spoilers, there are a lot of creepy and intense situations in this film. I particularly love the practical effects and bloody moments. What was it like filming those moments? I imagine you only have so many takes to get it right because the clean up and reset would take a while.
Yukino Kaizu: When the director told me, ‘We’ll keep rolling the camera until the fake blood on your face runs out,’ the tension really built up. The force of the blood splattering was much stronger than I expected, and I almost felt like I was drowning.
Mama’s Geeky: Kenichi, without spoilers, it certainly feels like there could be more to this world. Would you consider a sequel to The Curse? Because I would love to see it!
Kenichi Ugana: It seems that offers like that are coming from other countries as well. We’re not sure how things will turn out yet, but I hope it all goes well.
Mama’s Geeky: Is there a particular horror movie that has stuck with you over the years?
Kenichi Ugana: The Evil Dead has always been an important film that’s been there at key turning points in my life.
Yusuke Suzuki: The Hunger by Ridley Scott
Yukino Kaizu: Adam’s Family
About The Curse
After seeing her friend’s disturbing social media posts, Riko tries to intervene to help her but fails to prevent her from dying a mysterious, violent death. Convinced there is more to the story than a suicide, Riko dives into a world of memes, influencers, and posting for attention. As the pile of bodies grows, and Riko faces her own possible curse, she and her friends travel to Taiwan to find the source of this demonic social media killer.
Kenichi Ugana is a prolific Japanese genre director who first attended Fantastic Fest in 2023 with VISITORS. In the intervening time, he’s made four feature films, and his latest, THE CURSE, is about life in the internet age and the terrors hiding in addictive algorithms. With the structure of a typical curse movie like THE RING or THE GRUDGE, Ugana updates the formula for the age of Instagram and Twitter.
The Curse played at Fantastic Fest 2025.
