Pray

The seemingly endless supply of Japanese ghost flicks continues unabated in this short but dilatory addition to the stream of psychological thrillers that have followed in the wake of Ringu and Ju-On. The premise here is reasonably clever: the laconic leader of a gang of young toughs and his girlfriend snatch a schoolgirl, intending to ransom her for drug money, but when they reach their hideout—a creepy deserted school—and phone her parents, they're informed that the girl died a year ago. Despite the complications, which include treachery within the kidnappers' ranks and a tragic secret from the gang leader's past, most of the action in Yuichi Sato's Pray consists of characters stumbling around the school's darkened hallways trying to determine the source of all the spooky goings-on, only to fall afoul of one of the angry spirits inhabiting the place. The film earns points for not repeating the simple revenge formula of most Japanese ghost stories, but its murky plotting may leave viewers puzzled, while the overly lackadaisical pacing is likely to make them impatient (even though the film's running time is really closer to 75 minutes, rather than the 92 minutes listed on the DVD box). Optional. [Note: DVD extras include a “making of” featurette and a (remarkably uninformative) Q&A with the director and one of the actors at the premiere. Bottom line: an unremarkable extras package for a so-so chiller.] (F. Swietek)