I also like it better than most Miike movies. A successful contemporary horror film, to my mind, is one that succeeds in mining new strains of horror from avenues of life that provoke anxiety. This one mines such strains from the anxiety of meeting new people and forming new romantic relationships. The second half would not have had its impact without the slow build-up of the first half; also, if you ask me, the film's most jolting moment is the scene with the large canvas bag.