Death Forest (2014 Japanese Horror Film)

Death Forest, known in Japanese as Death Forest 恐怖の森 (Death Forest Kyofu no Mori), is a 2014 Japanese horror film directed by Masataka Hitomi. Released on December 20, 2014, with a runtime of 65 minutes, the film was distributed by NSW.

Death Forest promotional key visual showing a dark wooded environment — Death Forest promotional key visual

Background and Production

The film is based on the popular horror game DeathForest~Mori kara no Dashutsu created by Kazz, which was first released in July 2014. The screenplay was written by Kazz and Masataka Hitomi, with cinematography handled by Masato Sato.

The plot follows a character named Saki and her friends who enjoy camping in a forest. While returning home, they take a dark, narrow road believing it to be a shortcut. Their car breaks down, leaving them stranded before a fleeing man suddenly appears before them.

Still image from Death Forest featuring characters in a forested setting — A scene from Death Forest

Cast

The cast includes Momoko Midorikawa, Ayuka Ohno, Yoshinori Tanaka as Masaya, Shogo Tajima, Daijiro Kawaoka as Kazuki Uchida, and Kumiko Shimohigashi as a mysterious old woman.

Sequels and Franchise

The film initiated a multi-part franchise consisting of several sequels released between 2015 and 2016, including Death Forest 2 (2015), Death Forest 3 (2015), Death Forest 4 (2016), and Death Forest 5 (2016).