Ura Hora is quite the interesting experiment by the master of found-footage horror, Koji Shiraishi. Know for Noroi, a masterclass of pure creepy horror, Koji also has an immense repertoire of horror films that have been exclusive release in Japan. Finding a good quality version with subtitles of this movie is a challenge, but a worthy one.
Ura Hora is an interesting and fast-paced anthology of multiple horror stories that follow a very palpable and unique style, presented ala ''Late Night TV News'', it follows random TV crews encountering paranormal experiences across a variety of locations. It has a lot of diversity and simple creativity put into it, with many stories being quite charming due to their simple yet effective levels of scare.
This is where Uta Hora works best. It builds a really eerie atmosphere and its presentation feels realistic, like if you actually found a DVD with a ton of supernatural films. It works well in creating this lively world of creepy encounters, delivering some spooky tension.
On the other hand, this is a very, very low-budget film, and you can tell it rather quickly. Not only due to the poor special effects and makeup, but also the camera work, the acting, and the general style of the movie. While it works well with the idea of this being a collection of TV reels, it also feels rather weak and cheap.
Some of the stories are also quite, well, silly, I would say. The first ones are genuinely creepy, but it then devolves into more bizarre encounters that are hard to take seriously, diminishing the creepiness of it.
Still, if you are both a fan of found-footage and J-Horror, this movie is definitively worth checking out due to its historical value, fast pacing, and entertaining little stories of horror.
