College girls Kanon and Rena have ventured into the forest in search of “Magai-Gami”, folkloric creatures known as ‘counterfeit gods’. Armed with the cameras on their smartphones, they know only one alleged rule: if your gazes meet it is critical that you do not turn away first.

Magai-Gami is a brief work, even by the standards of short films. Running a little shy of nine minutes, it throws the viewer into a wonderfully creepy horror narrative and runs through its key story beats at a breakneck pace. All of the most important elements of a horror film are included, but condensed, shaved to the bone, and delivered with remarkable efficiency.

It is the work of Japanese filmmaker Niwatsukino Norihiro, director of 2016 feature Suffering of Ninko. As a self-contained work it is a wonderfully satisfying treat: well-shot, admirably designed, and featuring two excellent performances by Obata Ion and Toriumi Nagisa. As a calling card for a prospective extended feature version, it is extremely promising.

Japanese cinema has a rich history of representing ‘yokai’ – supernatural beings from local folklore – on screen, and Niwatsukino’s short showcases two such creatures. They are wonderfully realised, and enormously creepy. One of them in particular has a jittery stop-motion aesthetic that makes it particularly unsettling to watch.

The short format struggles to gain much traction outside of film festivals, and that is a real shame. Magai-Gami is an excellent example of how effectively short films can deliver a satisfying experience in a particularly limited amount of time. If it crosses your path it is worth checking out. If you have a particular love for Japanese monster movies, it is absolutely worth actively tracking down.

Magai-Gami premiered at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. Click here for more information.