"As a large typhoon nears Kuruzu-cho a bizarre series of incidents has taken place. First, giant snails have appeared... reportedly as large as a human being." Stone-faced reporter Maruyama Chie in "Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki" (spiral or vortex in Japanese) is the title of this startlingly original, bizarrely imaginative film based on a series of popular manga comic books. Directed with surprising confidence by relative newcomer Higuchinskly, this daring, goofy and ultimately satisfying exercise in the absurd will no doubt divide American audiences. Those expecting another Japanese "puzzle box" ghost story, along the same lines as "Ju-On" or "Ringu" will be very disappointed. Refreshingly, there is no creepy child apparition with a complex past crying out for revenge. There's also very little back-story explored in this tale of a slow madness overcoming the inhabitants of a small town. Not since Brian DePalma's "Carrie" has a film been so playful yet assured within the canvas of a pop/horror entertainment.

"Uzumaki" concerns fragile schoolgirl Kirie (an understated Eriko Hatsune) whose life quickly spirals into the absurd as the people around her begin to obsess on the hypnotic shape of the uzumaki. It begins simply enough as Kirie, on her way home from school, notices a friend's father videotaping an innocuous snail. Completely transfixed, he does not seem to be aware of Kirie or anything around him. Her friend Shuichi (Fhi Fan) later tells her that his father's obsession is far more serious than simply videotaping snails, he has also started to amass a huge collection all things spiral - and developed some rather peculiar eating habits. This obsession slowly spreads through the town like a disease. At school, a teenager falls to his death from the top of a long, spiral stairway; a smile on his face as blood and brain matter ooze from his head. A needy girl begins to grow curly locks that eventually take on a life of their own. Worst of all, one unfortunate student acquires some gastropod-like tendencies such as venturing outside only in the rain and - secreting a slimy substance from his skin.

Things get even stranger, yes, stranger, when Shuichi's father commits suicide by coiling himself inside a washing machine and, evidently, washing himself to death. During his memorial, the smoke from his cremated body spirals up into the sky then moves menacingly toward his mourning family. The smoke manifests an image of the dead man's face, effectively driving his long-suffering wife into a psychiatric clinic. Once at the hospital the poor woman can't break free from the evil of the uzumaki... Her very fingerprints mocking her with their spiral shape, forcing her to snip them off with a pair of scissors. She's also haunted by her husband, who visits her in the form of a centipede-like bug that attempts to enter her ear and coil up inside. "Uzumaki" is filled with these wonderfully memorable set pieces, expertly shot by cinematographer Gen Kobayashi. The lush cinematography is complemented by several subtle computer effects, often peppering the canvas with mysterious swirling spirals.

While "Uzumaki" successfully builds a wonderful tension during the first hour, it doesn't quite sustain the momentum for the entire length. This is mainly due to its unconventional structure - one that plays cleverly against expectation. Instead of falling into the deadly third act trap of giving ham fisted meaning to the supernatural occurrences, it allows the ambiguity to grow, much like the "disease" itself. When a reporter (played by Masami Horiuchi) enters the picture and begins to do the expected "research" into the activities (cue library montage), disappointment sets in. There's a creepy local pond (more like a lake) with a bad history consisting of serpent worshippers (and nonsense with mirrors) that presumably holds the key to the mystery. But before the twisted tale can spiral into tedium director Higuchinsky (and screenwriters Kengo Kaji, Takao Nitta and Chika Yasuo) boldly venture further into the absurd. Which means, in American terms, the plot ends on a rather anticlimactic note - but it's nonetheless satisfying.

In fact one of the strongest aspects of "Uzumaki" is that it wears its cultural differences on its slimy sleeve. It never attempts to homogenize the plot or force it into a more "western" style of storytelling. For instance our heroine Kirie, though complex, is a passive waif, always deferring to the males in her life. She is also that rare protagonist who reacts (as opposed to taking action) to the bizarre occurrences around her. Much credit should be given to actress Hatsune and the novice director for making her situation no less compelling. If viewed in the context of a psychedelic nightmare (not much of a stretch), her passiveness is not only understandable - but extremely unnerving. One can only imagine the "Hollywood" meetings for the inevitable American re-make. 'We've got to make our heroine stronger! She must be more proactive and integral to the explosive climax! And, oh yeah, there must also be an explosive climax!' "Spiral" is also a film that gets better after it's been digested a while - and one of the few horror films (Japanese or otherwise) that might warrant repeated viewings. It's the kind of film "Evil Dead 2" desperately wanted to be: a darkly funny, true horror film, but one that smartly plays its comedic aspects as absurd drama. (All apologies to Raimi and his legion of "ED2" fan boys.) A difficult aesthetic also successfully employed by David Lynch in "Mulholland Drive" and Ken Russell in "Lair of the White Worm."

"Uzumaki" is presented in a gorgeous widescreen transfer from Elite. The beautiful compositions from Kobayashi's camera are vividly displayed; his rich, muted color palette almost as hypnotic as the spirals themselves. The newly-re-mixed Dolby Digital 5.1 sound was equally impressive with no distortion from the original Japanese soundtrack (sometimes a problem with international titles). The special features were minimal: a 10-minute behind-the-scenes short was interesting, but not very revealing. There's a bizarre interview with actress Hatsune that seems to have been created more for short, cutesy sound bites. (At one point she's asked to name various food items that resemble uzumaki!) She does mention a few interesting facts about her participation in the production, but it's all rather slight. Also included are two well made "Uzumaki" trailers and a short, ultimately pointless, video segment used in the film. The copy on the DVD refers to even more special features, but unless it contains a hidden "Easter egg," there is no other supplemental material.

"Uzumaki" is an alluring fever dream - and one of the most audaciously original horror films to come out in some time. It's also one of the most assured and enjoyable pop experiences since Brian DePalma's (pig's) blood drenched prom opus.