Infection

I watched Infection and it’s a strange, uneasy horror film that mixes hospital drama with psychological terror. Directed by Masayuki Ochiai in 2004 during the J-horror wave, it avoids the usual ghostly women with long black hair and instead explores something more grounded: the fear of hospitals, guilt, and decay.

The setup is excellent. The empty hospital halls and flickering lights create constant dread. You can almost smell the disinfectant and decay. The first half builds tension really well, letting horror grow slowly as the staff lose control and sanity. But while the film builds tension, it never fully delivers a satisfying payoff. We get glimpses of green liquid, melting skin, and strange behavior, but not enough to really shock or scare.

The movie clearly wants to say something about guilt and Japan’s broken healthcare system. The infection feels like a symbol, a punishment for moral failure. The doctors’ guilt eats away at them just like the disease eats their flesh. The acting is strong and the visuals are another highlight with cold greens and sickly yellows making the hospital feel alive and rotten at the same time.

The ending is where things fall apart. It’s messy, unclear, and tries to twist into something deep but only leaves you confused. You’re not sure what really happened or if it was all a dream, hallucination, or guilt taking form. It’s frustrating because the film starts with such a solid foundation.

Infection isn’t bad but it’s not great either. It has mood, atmosphere, and ideas but loses focus halfway through. Still, for fans of slow burn horror and eerie hospital settings, it’s worth a watch. It’s creepy, strange, and full of that unsettling energy only Japanese horror captures, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing.