Kwaidan (1965)

"Kwaidan" weaves together four haunting tales, each one a spectral exploration of ancient Japanese lore. In "Black Hair," a samurai, ensnared by the lure of wealth, forsakes his cherished wife to wed into affluence. The marriage, however, turns out to be a catastrophe. When he returns to his former love, he finds her transformed eerily, a chilling surprise awaiting him. Next, in "The Woman in the Snow," a woodcutter, lost in a blizzard, encounters an ethereal snow spirit. The spectral woman spares his life, extracting a promise of silence about their encounter. But as the years wear on, his oath wanes, and he reveals his secret, leading to unforeseen consequences. In the third tale, "Hoichi the Earless," we meet Hoichi, a blind bard residing in a monastery, whose melodious renditions of an epic sea battle bewitch a ghostly imperial court. Enthralled by his music, the spirits drain his vitality. To safeguard him, the monks inscribe holy mantras over his body, rendering him invisible to the spectral beings. But in their earnestness, they overlook a crucial detail. The final story, "In a Cup of Tea," a writer narrates a tale of a samurai who keeps seeing an enigmatic face reflected in his tea. He becomes haunted by the soul of a former samurai, a spectral presence that persists in his every sip. "Kwaidan" is a mesmerizing anthology of ghost stories, a poetic blend of beauty, horror, and the supernatural that lingers in the twilight realm of the human psyche. Each tale is a haunting exploration of promises broken, loves lost, and eerie encounters that straddle the line between our world and the spirit realm.

Kwaidan is a drama movie featuring Michiyo Aratama and directed by Masaki Kobayashi.

Kwaidan is currently streaming on Criterion Channel and Max Amazon Channel.

It is also possible to buy Kwaidan on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.