Fatal Frame is a much larger franchise in Japan than here. There are eight games, two books, a manga, and a stage play.   The movie Fatal Frame Zero is based on a spin-off novel. While the structure is different from the games, it has many of the same elements and deserves to be appreciated as its own unique thing. 

• Directed by: Mari Asato
• Written by: Eiji Ohtsuka. Mari Asato
• Starring:Aoi Morikawa. Ayami Nakajô. Kôdai Asaka

My History with Fatal Frame

This was admittedly hard for me to do at first. I have very fond memories of playing the first Fatal Frame. At the time, I was living in Georgia in a huge old house that had been split up into apartments.  Due to the age of the building and the way it was divided, the apartments were mostly long, dark hallways with rooms off to the side. There was poor lighting and creaky, old wood floors. In short, it was the perfect place to sit down and play horror games late into the night. 

I still remember the first time I encountered a ghost in Fatal Frame. Although the graphics were not stellar for even 2002 standards, in my mind it’s as real as if I was there. The ghost woman slid out of the walls, moaning “my eyes”, and I leapt out of my skin. Since you are only armed with a camera, there is a feeling of totally helplessness that comes with these encounters that no “special film” manages to shake.   Crimson Butterfly, the next game in the series, has a much more developed story, better graphics, and equal scares. I’ll never forget that first experience though. 

The Plot

So, the movie had a lot to live up to. While it’s not the same, it has a lot of the same elements, even though they are arranged slightly differently. The main difference is this isn’t a haunted house movie.  Fatal Frame Zero takes place in a Catholic girls boarding school in Japan (which is a little creepy in its own right). A popular student locks herself up in her room, and rumors spread of a curse one girl can put on another.  

The main gameplay element is the Camera Obscura, a camera used to take pictures of ghosts. It shows up here as well but only as part of the backstory. It’s actually the root of the girls’ problems. 

Theme

What it does have are deep themes and character. It’s a movie about forbidden relationships and the consequences of secrets. It’s beautifully done and leans heavily on mood and atmosphere. 

Unfortunately, it gets bogged down by too many twists in the last act. I don’t hate the story they are telling, I just think it could have been a little cleaner. The part I do like is that none of this is actually the girls’ fault, not in the past or now. It’s a tragedy born out of the expectations that society has placed on girls.

Thematically, Fatal Frame Zero ends in a bit of a complicated place. This is a very yuri-heavy movie. Most of it is centered around forbidden relationships between girls, especially considering the setting. However, at the very end it pulls back from this concept just a bit. It hints that these relationships, no matter how serious they seemed to be to the girls, were just a part of their youth. 

The End

This does a bit of a disservice to some of the overall themes, although it does highlight the fragile nature of early relationships. They aren’t any less real because they are short-lived, and they don’t cause any less pain.  At the very end of this, we do get to see the real impact of these relationships, preserved and honored for what they meant. It’s a nice moment amongst so much tragedy. It also helps to smooth the uneven narrative a bit. 

As far as the feel of the movie, Fatal Frame Zero is close to feeling like a video game without actually being one. The twists and turns and third-act reveals are straight out of game narrative, as are the gothic settings. The creepy school hallways and sprawling forests look like environments that you could be chased through.  

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Fatal Frame Zero. I’m glad to jump back into that world in any format, even if it’s just for the giddy thrill of seeing the Camera Obscura for a moment. While I’d like a straight adaptation, the deep characters and themes of Zero are both beautiful and moving for me. If you’re looking for something more horrifying, this might be a little dull. It prioritizes emotion over frights. 

Fatal Frame Zero is a bit hard to watch right now. But worth the effort.