I decided to watch this film to celebrate Sion Sono’s birthday, and I really should do that more often. Exte was without a doubt the most disturbing movie I saw in 2019. Having only experienced one other work by Sono, I knew he excelled at gore, but I wasn't prepared for his take on ghosts and supernatural beings. I certainly won’t be getting hair extensions ever again. It’s important to remember that this film was made in 2007; therefore, the special effects aren’t going to be cutting-edge or top-tier. To best appreciate it, view it as you would have watched a movie in theaters back then. The plot is quite unusual—I've never encountered a horror film where hair extensions are the central malevolent force. This unique concept immediately captivated me and explains why this has become an influential horror title. The film begins with a very serious and dark tone, initially promising much. However, that intensity does lessen somewhat as things progress, giving way to a more lighthearted feel. While I don't fault the filmmakers for this—maintaining complete seriousness in a movie about murderous hair extensions would be difficult—it did lose some of its impact. Once the frightening events begin, we are presented with unsettling scenes of body horror that made me feel queasy and deeply uncomfortable. I found myself rubbing my eyes, biting my lips, and trying to avoid pausing the film altogether. Sono has created a truly remarkable piece of art that is intensely disturbing and makes you squirm in your seat. Although the story doesn't always make complete sense; there are two separate plot threads—the investigation into the murdered woman and a secondary storyline focusing on Yuko—and I don’t think the investigation received as much attention once it shifted to Yuko. Both plots eventually converge, but I felt that this could have been handled more effectively. Everything concludes satisfactorily, but I wished Sono had pushed it just a bit further. (And that song is going to be stuck in my head all day.) The ending is rather ambiguous and leans toward horror-comedy rather than straight horror, but that’s typical of Sion Sono, which is definitely a positive aspect. Despite this, I genuinely enjoyed the film. It's spooky, unsettling, and has given me pause about ever getting hair extensions. Sono’s ability to create atmosphere is something I truly value. Japanese horror from the 2000s is known for its moments of unease, and Exte fits that mold perfectly. Truly unnerving, extremely disturbing, and breath-stopping, this film deserves recognition among the iconic Japanese ghost horrors of the 2000s to 2010 period. The entire cast was excellent—I can’t imagine how difficult some of those scenes must have been to record—and they all contributed significantly to the film's overall quality. Again, I will never get hair extensions, and now I think I even have a slight fear of hair in general. Some of these scenes were just too creepy. My only question is: doesn’t Yuko legally need to adopt Mami—rather than simply move her into her home?

Source on TMDB