The Girl with the Sixth Sense (2002) by Hashiguchi Takaaki

Director: Hashiguchi Takaaki
Year: 2002
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Abunômaru taiken: Dai-roku no seika, Abnormal Experience: The Sixth Sense, Sixth Sense Hooker
Genre: Exploitation; Erotic Horror

Plot:
Attempting to follow through her line of work, a high-end hooker finds that her ability to see ghosts is starting to manifest more frequently to the detriment of her job and sets out to help a ghost that reaches out for her help in order to put him at peace and stop the visions.

Review:
Considering Takaaki's reputation, this one offers a fine mixture of different influences. As an erotic retelling of The Sixth Sense, this one comes remarkably close to being a full-on remake. The ability to see ghosts is weaved throughout the storyline quite nicely, making for a scattered series of scenes that make her uneasy with this ability. The quick flashes and unexpected appearances make for some nice jump-scares and the stress this puts on her is quite evident. Since she is the only one around with this ability, her genuine concern for her ability gives this a different taste as these scenes are somewhat frightening. The ghosts are deformed and bloodied, with creepy grins and plenty of traditional long-hair ghost cliches to add to their menace. Given that they tend to appear at the most unexpected times with devilish grins to accompany their appearance, it creates an admittedly creepy feel for a supposedly erotic entry.

However, where the film falls is with the surprisingly unsteamy sex scenes. Shot in a flat style, these are completely unsexy and come off with a disinterested air. Nearly all the scenes here are depicted in straightforward, matter-of-fact shots that really lose the scene's focus. They are genuinely unerotic or arousing, despite all the naked flesh on display, and while it's commendable that so much of the screen time revolves around performers who are comfortable being naked that's not nearly enough. One set-up that features her in bed with another prostitute before turning into a threesome is somewhat charged due to the lesbianism yet that doesn't last very long. All told, the nudity here isn't enough to make this one feel all that erotic which takes all the air out of the frequent couplings.

Overview: **.5/5

Despite its few minor flaws, this is a decidedly decent watch that serves its purpose very well. Being an erotica-themed remake of a big foreign property is enough to be worthwhile, and despite its limitations, it does have enough going for it to be of interest to pinku fans especially.

This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.