When the daughter of an elite family falls in love with a poor samurai named Iemon (Tomisaburo Wakayama), he gets rid of his wife Oiwa by dumping her into a swamp. She comes back on the night of his marriage as a monstrous ghost. Yes, it’s the Ghost Story of Yotsuya remade.

Directed and written by Tai Katô, this adaptation of the kabuki play Tokkaido Yotsuya kaidan isn’t as elegant as others. That’s not a slight by any means; it’s just brutal in how the characters must pay for the horrible things they have done to Oiwa. Those who have done her wrong get the majority of the story, but her deadly intentions weigh heavily on every frame. It’s made with craft and explores every way that film can change the way that we see an expected and known story.

The Radiance Films release of this film has an interview with Mari Asato, a visual essay on tormented female ghosts by Lindsay Nelson, a trailer, a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow and a limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Tom Mes and an archival review of the film. You can order this from MVD.