Retribution(2007)
2007 · Kiyoshi Kurosawa · 104 min
A detective investigates a series of murders. A possible serial killer might be on a rampage, since the crimes are in the same vicinity, by the same method. However, as evidence points towards the detective, a ghost in red follows him, and he begins questioning his identity. His realization of what seems to be reality results in something far larger and more sinister.
Thriller · Horror · Mystery
6.5112 votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
4/5
Stays with you
How Retribution scares
It starts like a quiet police procedural, following a detective through grim crime scenes, but slowly drifts into something far stranger and more unmoored from reality. The pace is deliberate and heavy, with long stretches of unease rather than shocks, building a sense that the world itself is coming apart rather than that danger is chasing you. A pale figure in red drifts through the frames, less a monster than a symbol of guilt and dread that never fully resolves. This is for people who like their horror slow, moody, and a little confusing, more haunting than thrilling.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Retribution rates psychological 5/5, visceral 2/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 4/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 5 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 4 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 12 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 40 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 65 of 100 — leans Disturbing
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, uneasy slide into dread that keeps tightening its grip until an unsettling final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3.
How scary is Retribution?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Retribution rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. The fear is mostly in your head — it unsettles far more than it assaults. Expect it to be restrained with gore and genuinely disturbing. Expect it to stay with you for days.
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