Dark Water  (2002)

Theatrical Release Information:
Dark Water

Following up on his horror smash hits Ringu and Ringu 2, Hideo Nakata directs this supernatural psychological drama about a middle aged woman struggling to cling to her sanity. Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki) is the midst of a nasty divorce with her thuggish, abusive husband over the custody of their five year old daughter Ikuko (Rio Kanno). In Japan's family court system, which is heavily weighted towards the mother, Yoshimi case would normally be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Yoshimi has a history of mental imbalance as a result of her miserable, emotionally starved childhood. The transition from housewife to independent working woman has been stressful. She has moved into a fleabag of an apartment -- completely with a constantly leaking roof -- and has had little luck finding employment. Worse, Ikuko and then Yoshimi start seeing a creepy little girl dressed in yellow suddenly appearing in apartment. With a growing sense of dread, Yoshimi starts having outbursts not only in family court, but also at her daughter's kindergarten. When she slumps into a coma after the end of one such fit, she realizes what the girl in yellow is trying to communicate. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide