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Review

The Booth is a low-budget horror film with few scares, but a great deal of charm. The title refers to the DJ’s throne in Studio 6 where a seemingly rational radio talk show host hangs himself during a broadcast. The prospects of a “ghost D.J.” are indeed exciting, but the film decides to take an entirely different route. Shogo is the arrogant yet personable host of a Love Lines styled chat show. The film takes place during a single night when Shogo is forced to broadcast from the haunted studio. Mysterious voices pop up on the air waves leading to a series of flashbacks from Shogo’s troubled past. Things get creepier as the disk jockey’s past transgressions call for retribution in the present. The film is shot skillfully enough to maintain a degree of tension within the isolated set, which avoids visual monotony. Ryuta Sato does a fine job balancing his likable on-air personality with that of his pompous reality. Even though it clocks in at a mere 74 minutes, the film feels much longer than it should. Its heavy reliance on flashbacks that seem to take forever to lead to its so-so climax definitely don’t strengthen the themes that are fitting for a piece half this length. But the snappy dialogue, creative coincidences, and humorously inappropriate ska/punk theme song easily make The Booth an enjoyable diversion.