Gehenna: Where Death Lives

The tedious, derivative supernatural thriller "Gehenna: Where Death Lives" gets off to such a strong start that it takes a while to grasp just how dire the movie actually is.

It's not a total wash, but the eventually dreary mix of vague religious morality and rather ponderous horror suggests Katagiri should pay more attention to script development next time out.

Katagiri's special effects work remains on point, and he's cooked up the bare bones of fun little horror flick, but unfortunately Gehenna can't quite bring it to life.

The audience will, whether looking for something deeper or not, most likely be satisfied in some capacity with what they get.

There are excellent ideas, effects, performances, and scares, but also an accumulation of clichés and unnecessary details that prevent it from being a great film. With that said, it is worth watching.

Clearly, director-cowriter Katagiri's primary goal is to offer up a series of icky freak-out moments loosely strung together by the whiff of a plot.

A good location alone ... does not a good horror movie make.

This is one of those 'what the F is going on?' movies that make little sense as it plays out, yet is too much fun not to see through to the end.

Katagiri has some inspired ideas for his big break, and select scenes manage to achieve their intended genre pop. It's the rest of the movie that could use a little bolt tightening and fresh air.