OVERALL: This movie isn't BAD but it's definitely not as great as it could have been. But what's new with live action adaptations? STORY: This story has a lot of awesome potentials and the buildup through the background is great. There's a nice blend of urban legends, death, ghosts, the reality of trust between friends and safety in school. As someone who has read the book and watched the anime, I was able to fly by the movie and not question too much. That being said it can definitely be confusing for some. There are not enough clear explanations, nor is there a lot as far as investigation or stress and pressure from solving the mystery within a certain time frame. It is kind of presented in a blase tone of "oh another student died, maybe we should try to figure it out I guess". The anime was longer and capable of adding more detail and buildup in the story, something a 90 minute or so movie just isn't capable of. There was also quite a bit of filler that didn't need to be there. It's not a bad story though, it was just done in a lackluster way. **the graphics are not the best, the filming techniques and cinematography are a little more than okay but not great.**** CHARACTERS: These characters could have definitely benefited from some more depth and better acting. Some of the younger actors seemed uncomfortable at first, and I do not think they were given enough time to develop their characters on screen (I blame scripting and movie length). There was a lot of vagueness overall. The older actors were very good but obviously, they are not on screen much because they are not main characters, and that cannot make up for the poor acting in other parts. MUSIC: The music and sound effects were pretty on point for this movie. Nothing was distracting but amplified the scenes and created buildup. Like many of the Japanese horror movies I have seen, the end theme was a strange pop song with somewhat morbid/dark lyrics. I never understand why people use those rather than just more instrumental but that's just me. REWATCH: If you're a fan of the novel, manga, or anime you would probably watch this (some fans may end up frustrated). If you feel the need for a horror marathon it's not bad. But honestly, I wouldn't really watch it again. I would rather watch the bloodier and more understandable anime. Some people might like it enough to rewatch though, to each their own.