Mother?
Maiko.
Mother?
Maiko.
Maiko!
Okasan.
No!
Oh, my God.
Heh, you scared the hell out of me.
Me? Yeah.
Anyway, happy Halloween to you.
Yeah, you too.
You having any second thoughts about today?
No. Why?
You know, you can tell me if you are.
I don't.
Okay. Ah, well, I'll meet you downstairs in 20?
Okay, because we are burning daylight,
as they say in the biz.
Heh, of course.
Okay.
This is why it's not fair for a professor to assign teams.
I can't believe they would just not show--
Well, well, Mr. Punctuality.
I know, I know. I'm sorry.
Where the hell have you been? Hey, Maiko.
Terry.
Okay, don't freak out.
Why would I freak out?
Sean's not coming.
- What? - It's okay, I fixed it.
Where is he?
Something about a party in the city?
He took the camera.
Are you kidding me?
I got a ringer, from the Film Department.
Terry, we've been planning this for weeks.
Look, he's got his own camera.
I've seen his reel, he's got freakish talent.
It's fine with me either way, but I gotta head out.
I brought him up to speed on everything. Go with the flow.
The flow.
What flow? Terry, this is my term project.
You must be Maiko.
Kidding.
That's Maiko. I'm Kyle.
So I hear we're making a doc.
And we're rolling.
Already?
Yeah, you know, start of the journey and all that.
Okay, um...
What do you want me to say?
Well, just
tell us who you are and what we're doing.
Try to relax.
Well, my name is Maiko
and today we're going to look for my birth mother.
Her body actually.
She committed suicide two months ago.
I guess I've been looking my whole life
but, um, I...
Cut.
Really, Craig?
Oh, I'm sorry, are you guys shooting?
No, just talking to myself.
What's up, guys?
Ooh, nice camera. Trick or treat?
I'm good, thanks.
We can just finish this in the car.
Are you sure? Yes, Craig, we're sure.
Where's your third stooge?
Brody's off on a mission.
Official business. Mm-hm. Yeah.
So you guys still going to go chill some corpses?
Because today's a really good day for it.
Whatever.
- That was out of line. - Relax.
I'm just saying this place could be full of some creepy stuff.
Yeah, or maybe they're full of real people with problems,
who thought they had no other choice.
You guys coming?
Maybe.
Nice, Skylar.
Real nice.
What did I say? You said nothing.
Just cool, man.
See you.
So where are we now?
We're, uh, ahem, heading up the Fuji panorama line.
It's the road that takes us to Mount Fuji.
But, uh, before you get there,
it passes a forest called Aokigahara.
Some people call it Sea of Trees.
But it has another name, doesn't it?
Yeah.
The Suicide Forest.
More people take their lives in this forest
than anywhere else in the world.
And you have a personal tie to this place, don't you?
Your mother?
Maiko, it's okay.
This is important stuff.
I know, it's... It's not that, I just...
We can hold off for a bit.
There'll be better scenery when we get there, anyways.
Yeah.
Should we cut?
Ahem, excuse me, Colin? It's Kyle.
Right. I appreciate you filling in, I really do
but let's leave the directorial decisions to me, okay?
¶ Twinkle, twinkle, Little star ¶
Maiko?
Maiko? The turn is right there.
- What? - Turn.
- What the hell? - I know. I'm sorry.
Sorry.
We're here.
What is it?
Uh, nothing.
Uh, what are you doing?
Are you kidding me? That car's golden.
Well, at least he's eager.
Wow.
What does that say?
It's a suicide manual.
Looks like they could use a car repair manual.
No, don't.
You're not supposed to disturb anything from the dead.
It's just a car.
Yeah, but it belonged to someone who probably died here.
You're the boss.
We can still use it as our backdrop.
Ready, Maiko?
This is the only clue I have as to where she took her life.
This one photograph.
It's really important that we try and find this place.
This one tree.
Let's grab our packs, I'll show you the way in.
This way.
"Your life is a precious gift from your parents.
Please think about your parents, siblings and children.
Don't keep it to yourself.
Talk about your troubles."
There's a number for a suicide hotline.
Last year, it was close to 100 people
who took their lives in this forest.
Tortured souls in life, made worse in death
without having a proper burial.
Today, I'm gonna try and fix that
for one person at least.
My mother.
That was great.
What kind of wildlife you think they got here?
Wildlife?
This place looked a lot smaller on the map.
Are we gonna talk about that?
Who's gonna stop us?
Hide the camera. Just hide. What?
Whoa.
Okay, I think we're good.
What were they doing?
Clean out the forest of the dead bodies.
They also try to return personal items to family members.
It's how I got this.
No, no!
It's not wise to come in here with cameras.
Yeah, we saw the signs. Oh, you shouldn't be here.
You getting this guy? He's priceless.
Must be careful.
Very easy to get lost.
Relax, big guy. No one's getting lost.
We're covered.
Got a compass. That won't help you.
Not here.
I'm sorry, who are you?
Ugh, Jin.
Okay. And you're just taking a stroll, Jin?
Yeah. I walk the forest.
Many people come here to die but some change their minds.
Why have you come?
To honor my mother.
Oh, she seeks a proper burial.
Go ahead.
Segaki ceremony.
That's why we're here.
Good.
Many who come here have no chance at eternal peace.
So how well do you know the forest?
Um, I know it well.
I believe this is where she took her life. In this spot.
Do you think you know where it is?
Yes, it's possible.
Not many trees here like this.
There's one down by the creek, mm-hm.
Do you think you could show us?
Yes, I can show you.
But you must watch your step always.
This is sacred ground.
Many have died here.
Touch nothing, take nothing. Stay close.
And keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times.
I thought it was funny, heh.
Thank you.
Oh, my God, Terry.
What?
I thought...
Never mind. I thought I saw...
Never mind. Okay.
What's all this stuff?
People mark their way in case they get lost
so they can find their way out.
Does it help?
Sometimes, yes. Many times, no.
So why this forest?
Some people believe
it was because of a popular novel a few years back.
Glorified this forest's mystical beauty.
No. People came here to die long before that.
So I'll ask again. Why this forest?
No one can say for sure why they come, but they do.
And the more they come, the more the Yurei are in the trees
the ground and in the air.
The Yurei have a strong draw to troubled people
who are looking for a way out of this world and into the next.
The Yurei?
The restless souls of the suicide victims.
They're like, uh, angry ghosts.
That's what the Segaki ceremony is about.
It's a ritual performed on October 31st
which, ironically, is Halloween.
So, what's this Segaki thing?
It helps the tortured soul move on to the afterworld
rather than fall onto the world of the Yurei.
Why don't you show him what's in the box?
Okay.
These, um...
These personal items.
This letter must have meant a great deal to her.
They're important for the Segaki ceremony.
Of course.
Why don't you read him the letter?
Um...
Well, it, uh...
She says, uh,
she can't stand living anymore
and that she came here to die
but she was afraid of not having a proper burial.
She says, um,
she's sorry she never knew me.
That I had to grow up without her
and that she'll always love me.
You may not have known your mother in life
but with a proper burial, you will set her free in death.
You will give her peace and you too, hmm.
Be nice if they slowed down so I could get a shot.
You guys, just keep walking. This should be great B roll.
Be careful.
It's okay, it's okay.
Watch your step. Always watch your step.
Okay, um...
So, what are you feeling right now?
Um, I feel like, uh...
Heh, honestly? Like I have a camera in my face.
Amber!
Oh, my God. What the hell?
Run! Go, go, go!
He's coming!
Ow, Maiko. It's me.
Guys. Guys, it's me.
Craig?
Hey, guys.
Right? See that?
You should've seen your faces. Oh, that was...
Happy Halloween. Heh.
You mock the spirits of the forest.
Relax, man, it was a joke.
Joke will be on you.
Okay.
Who's this guy?
You could've chosen a smaller branch.
You think this is funny? Ugh.
Easy, it was a joke. Brody!
I don't even know what to say, to any of you. Jin, wait.
How long have you been planning this?
Since we found out you were coming.
Really? Happy Halloween.
Grow up.
Maiko.
Just go, okay, guys?
Downer.
Heh, jeez, what? Where is your sense of humor?
Out looking for your sense of decency.
What? Ugh...
That hurt.
Whatever. That was funny.
That was awesome! Funny.
I told you! I told you! Whoa!
What's next? What's next?
Jin.
Can you believe those idiots?
Yeah, ridiculous.
- Do you see him? - No.
Would you want to hang around after what those morons did?
Hey,
are you gonna be able to continue?
Yeah.
What the...?
Come on.
What do you want me to do?
We got a problem.
What's going on?
Camera's on the fritz right now.
What do you mean?
Uh, I don't know, it's just acting weird.
It's just not working right now.
- I don't know. Hold on. - Must be the battery.
I mean, what else could it be?
Check it down here. Yeah...
There, got it.
All right, let's do that again.
How's that? Do what again?
Oh, God.
Did you see that? What?
What? See what?
That woman, she was hanging right there.
I...
Okay, okay, play it back.
Mik, I don't think anyone saw anything.
I don't... Just do it.
Kyle, just play it back.
All right, give me a second.
Shouldn't we be at the car by now?
I don't know. You wanna lead?
No, I just... None of this looks familiar.
What do you think? We should've brought a map.
No way we're lost, huh?
Okay, the freeway should be that way.
We came from that way, right? Guys?
Check it out.
Hello?
What the hell is that, man?
Hey, Skye, know what those notes say?
I don't know.
Three months as an exchange student,
you'd think I would. Hello?
Hey, let's just go, man.
Anybody in there?
Hey. That's not a good idea, man.
Can we get the hell out of here now, please?
Yeah!
Is that a Rolex? Yeah. Heh, heh.
You're gonna wear a dead man's watch?
No.
We'll sell it and split it.
Yeah, yeah. We should get lost out here more often.
Hey! Wait up!
Okay. Here we go.
All right, let's do that again.
Do what again?
Oh, my God! Did you see that? What? What? What? See what?
That woman, she was hanging right there.
Mik, I don't think anyone saw anything.
Oh, my God! Did you see that? What? What? What? See what?
That woman she was...
I saw her. I swear I did.
You saw a person. We're not the only ones here.
No. No, this was different.
Maiko? Hey!
Guys, come on.
Hey!
Maiko...
Hey!
Maiko?
Are you okay?
- What was it? - What did you see?
I don't know.
- Are you okay? - I think I just...
I got the wind knocked out of me.
Guys.
I think I'm gonna be sick.
Admit it, we're lost. Wow.
We're not lost.
Yeah, we are.
I hope your little prank was worth it, Skye.
Skylar?
What did you say, Brody?
Brody?
Craig?
Hey, guys.
Hello?
Craig?
Brody?
No! No!
It's a woman.
Who's in the picture?
What are you doing?
Hey!
I thought you said we weren't supposed to disturb the dead.
Is it her?
Uh, guys? I hear something.
What are they saying? They want us out.
They want the camera. The footage.
Please!
Let me explain, I'm just trying to find my mother.
We're sorry, it's...
Hey! You want the footage? Here.
Kyle, no!
Go. Now!
Leave the forest.
All right.
That was my project, Kyle. What were you thinking?
Not cool, man. You could have held out.
Really? I've been shooting gold.
You think I'm gonna give that up?
Yo, Skylar!
Skylar!
Yeah, yeah. Happy Halloween, man.
You made your point.
Hello?
What the hell?
Wait a minute. There!
Skylar's phone.
What is that?
Man.
Dude.
Hey.
Cute trick back there.
Well, what can I say? I'm a tricky one.
Can I ask you a question?
Why are you doing this doc?
Why am I exploiting my mother's death
so Amber and Terry get a good grade?
Not my words, but, yeah.
This is the only thing I have from my childhood.
This is my only picture of her.
I want people to know that she was real.
She existed.
And she's missed.
Yeah.
How old were you when you were adopted?
Young. I was only 4.
Forgive me for asking, but do you even remember your mother?
Not really.
Well, I remember this one day.
I'm in a garden.
Backyard of our house, I think.
I'm on a swing and I feel free.
In my head, I'm going so high.
She's there, just watching.
And then she smiles at me.
Then what happens?
I, uh...
I'm not sure.
That's all I can remember.
She wasn't well, from what I know.
Spent most of her life in institutions.
Now, after all these years, she reached out to me.
Well, I'm honored to be a part of it.
This is why I want to help.
Where did you go?
Your friends taunted the dead.
Not wise.
I warned you.
No, they are not our friends.
Help! Help! Anyone! Do you hear that?
Help! Please! Hey! Terry! There.
Amber! Guys!
Maiko! You have to help us!
What are you doing? Why are you here?
Skylar's missing. Yeah, right.
I'm serious.
He's a big boy,
he's been missing for, what, 20 minutes?
We found this and his pack.
Nothing else.
Is that real blood?
It's just another prank. You don't know when to quit, do you?
It's not. On my life, man.
Call his phone. Yeah, we tried that.
It's in his pack.
When did you last see him?
We were headed towards the car.
One second he was there and then he wasn't.
This whole place is a maze.
Sometimes you get lost in the forest.
Sometimes the forest loses you.
Huh? Who is this guy?
- If this is another prank, guys-- - It's not.
He could be out there lying unconscious, or worse. Please.
Skylar!
You sure you came from here?
I don't know. Everything looks the same.
Skylar!
Would you wait up?
Skylar! This is a search. Slow down.
Screaming like this will alarm the police.
Yeah, but maybe at this point that's a good thing.
They can help us.
How could he just vanish like that?
- We'll find him, trust me. - Skylar!
- You found us. - Skylar!
We'll find him. Yeah, I don't know.
Look, something's not right here.
Skylar! Skylar!
Yo, Skye!
Weren't they just...?
Guys!
Hello?
Hey!
This is ridiculous.
You did this to yourselves, now you're screwing up our day.
What you want me to say?
Whether filming or searching,
we gonna be losing light soon.
Craig?
Craig!
What does it say?
"Death comes to all."
That's super comforting.
Come on, guys. We can't be too far.
Hey!
Uh, it doesn't make any sense.
Which way is the sun moving?
Craig?
Jeez, man.
Relax.
Which way is the sun moving?
I don't know, I can't tell.
What do you think?
That way?
I don't know. You're the one with the compass.
Which is useless.
What are you doing?
What was that?
What is that, man? I heard something.
Hey, dude, will you shut up for a second?
Who's that? You see that?
Whoa, what is that? What is that, a kid?
It's...
It's, uh, someone.
Over here! What are you doing?
Maybe she saw Skylar.
Go, go, go!
Terry?
Skylar!
Craig!
Hello?
Come on, guys!
Creepy guy seems about as lost as us.
You do know this place, right? And we're gonna find everyone?
No.
They are now lost.
What?
Excuse me?
I tell you to respect the dead, and you don't listen.
You don't listen!
You and your camera.
Is it worth it?
And you!
What are you talking about?
What did you take?
Um, I didn't take anything.
What did you take?
We were on the path and checking things out.
You're lying. Hey! I didn't take anything!
This.
Where did you get this?
I don't know what you're talking about,
that's Skylar's watch.
You stole it.
I warned you.
I warned all of you.
Jin, what are you talking about?
Relax, you've got this all wrong.
You are cursed.
All of you.
No, Jin! Wait!
Damn it, Brody.
- Jin! - Maiko!
- Stay with her. - Wait, guys!
What's with the watch?
I don't know, heh. I don't even know that guy.
Did you really take something from a dead person?
It wasn't me. What is wrong with you?
God, Brody, just screw off. It wasn't me, Amber.
It never is, is it?
Oh, fine. This is bull. I-- You want me to leave?
You were never supposed to be here in the first place.
I don't need this crap, all right?
I'll just go look for him myself.
Maiko?
Kyle?
Maiko?
- Go, go, go! Let's run! Get help. - We gotta get out of here.
- Is she behind us? - I don't think so.
- What was that? - What's wrong with her?
- I don't know. - We gotta get out of here.
Skylar!
He's not here. He's probably dead!
That's not possible!
We're going in circles.
It's not possible, Terry.
Jin!
He's gone.
What? Why would he run off like that?
I should never have agreed to do this.
It should have been between me and my mother.
Come on. You couldn't have known this was gonna happen.
Hello?
Run, run, run!
Go, go!
Run!
Whoa, whoa. Hey! Hey!
You were warned. We're sorry. We're sorry.
Okay? Just calm down.
Mother?
Maiko.
Mother!
Please, let me go!
- Please, let me go! No! - No.
Stop!
No! Okay, dude!
Please!
Maiko!
- Maiko. - Don't touch her! No!
Maiko. Maiko!
Maiko.
Maiko, wake up.
Come on!
Maiko! Maiko!
You all right?
Oh, thank God.
Where are we? I don't know.
What's happening?
Hey! Hey!
We're gonna get out of here, all right?
We're gonna be okay.
I saw my mother in the forest, Kyle.
What?
I saw her, or her spirit or something. I saw something.
Are you sure? Yes.
All right.
Maiko?
Brody?
Hello?
Hey! Hey, wait!
Oh, God.
Somebody help me!
Hey!
Please, let us out!
They don't care about us, Maiko.
Kyle, she was calling to me.
Reaching out to me.
I have to help her.
Hey!
Quiet!
Please, you have to help us. Our friends are lost.
What? You are thieves.
You will pay.
No, we didn't steal anything. That was someone else.
This is yours?
Yes. It was my mother's.
This is your mother?
What?
No.
How about this one?
Is this your mother?
No.
Hey, what are you doing, man?
You steal the dead's belongings.
What? No, we didn't steal that. We didn't steal anything.
Those were mailed to me. They were my mother's.
We came here to do Segaki.
Segaki?
You want a Segaki?
Do Segaki here?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Come on, you can't just leave us here in the dark.
Very quiet.
What did he say?
What was that, yakuhori? What does that mean?
Casting out spirits.
It's like an exorcism.
Oh, great. Great.
No.
No!
Oh, my God.
No!
Oh, my God!
Okay.
Okay. Come on.
Come on.
Maiko?
Hello?
No!
Hello?
Anybody!
Hello?
Help! Somebody!
Kyle. Kyle, we have to get out of here.
What were those pictures?
They weren't your mother. No.
I don't understand. I don't either.
But we have to get out of here, now.
Hey!
They're not gonna help us, Maiko.
God knows where Terry and Amber are,
let alone Skylar and those idiots.
I have to do the ceremony tonight,
or her soul will be trapped forever.
Do you hear yourself right now?
It's a myth, Maiko.
We gotta get out of this forest.
I see a way out of here.
Kyle, that's Jin!
- Kyle! - Somebody help us, please!
- Hey! - Help!
You gotta help us, please! Please!
Come on, let us out!
Please, you gotta get us out of here!
What?
You can't leave us in here, please!
You stay. No.
Here!
Grab his hand! I'm trying!
Come on! Stop!
No!
Oh, my God.
You see anything?
- Yeah, trees. - Lots of frigging trees.
I'm serious.
Well, don't you think I'd tell you if I did?
You know, it's not possible to just lose everyone like this.
What did he say?
Sometimes the forest loses you? Maybe this is what he meant.
Yeah, what who meant?
Me.
Hey, Terry. I found your guy.
You know what's going on here, don't you?
Terry!
Craig?
What did you say, man?
Huh?
I said, you know what's going on here, don't you?
This forest, man.
It's messing with us, right?
Craig!
I told you to respect the dead.
But you didn't listen.
I said the Yurei have a strong draw
to people looking for a way out of this world.
They are in the trees
the ground
the air.
You stole my watch.
Now I steal your soul.
Come, join me.
Join me, soul.
Craig!
Somebody help me!
Why is this happening to me?
God.
Please, no.
Just leave me alone.
Oh, my God.
Amber! Terry!
Can you give that to me? Yeah, I think so.
Got it?
Come on.
Ugh, let's go.
What happened to him? I don't know.
That was Jin. How could that have happened?
After what happened, all I care about is getting us out.
Did Jin just die?
That corpse has been dead for weeks,
maybe longer. Can we go?
We were just with him. We don't have time for this.
Grab my stuff, I'm not leaving without it.
Okay.
I got them, come on. Oh, my God.
They track the dead. What?
They track each body before clearing.
They know where they died.
Maiko, come on.
For the ceremony, I can find her.
Hurry up then, come on, come on.
That's her, that's my mother.
Okay. Okay, okay, let's go. Come on.
Let's go.
One, two, three.
Got you.
Oh, God.
Where are the others?
I don't know. I just lost Craig.
I mean, one minute, he's right there. And I mean right there
and the next, I can't find him.
I can't hear him. Like Brody. Like everyone else.
Oh, God.
I don't even know how I found you.
We're never gonna make it out of here.
Don't say that.
We have to find everyone else.
People don't just disappear into thin air.
We need to stay positive. Okay.
We're gonna find everyone, and we're gonna get out of here.
Okay? Okay, okay.
Okay. All right, let's go.
Okay.
Maiko, give me the map, okay?
No!
We gotta get out of here, right now.
Kyle, this isn't make-believe, or some sort of folklore.
These Yurei are real.
The spirits are real,
and my mother wanted no part of that.
That's why she sent me this. She knew.
She knew what?
You heard the officer. Saw pictures.
Those are not your mother's.
Then why did she send them to me?
I don't know. You tell me.
There.
That's where she was. If we get there,
I can do what I came here to do.
This map is gonna get us out of here.
Listen! No, you listen to me, Maiko!
I don't know you well, but I do know this:
You have a mother and father in San Francisco
now that are safe and sound. They want to see you again.
Your birth mother is dead. I'm sorry.
The items in this box are not your mother's,
they're stolen.
Just like that watch that Skylar took.
Now, our friends are missing.
There are things going on that I can't explain,
so we're gonna find them
and we'll get out of here before anyone else gets hurt,
or worse happens.
Okay?
Okay.
Come on. Let's go.
- Okay, here we go. - Okay, okay.
This isn't the way.
Well, what the hell do you suggest?
Terry, Terry, I need a break. Hey. Come on, you can do this.
Terry, please, I need a break. I need a break.
I got you.
Oh, God.
We're lost. This is ridiculous.
We're just going further in.
I say we build a fire.
It's only gonna get colder,
and the smoke and light might help.
It might help guide the others. I'm not gonna stay.
What do you wanna do?
Build a fire and roast marshmallows?
Do you hear that?
Do you?
Oh, God, why won't it stop?
What do you want from us?
What do you want?
Hey, Terry, Terry, come on, let's go.
What is that?
It's coming from over there.
Hurry!
Okay. Okay. Move! Move!
I got you.
Oh, wait.
I got you, I got you, keep going.
That's them.
Come on, come on. Keep it up, come on.
This way, come on.
It's okay.
Amber! Terry!
You got it.
You got it, you got it.
Amber! Maiko!
Hey, guys, we're over here!
- Terry! - Maiko!
- We're coming! - Amber!
Maiko!
Hey.
Amber! Amber!
Hey. Hey, you all right?
Amber, you all right?
Your leg. It's not good.
Did you find any of the guys? No.
This forest is playing tricks on us.
I saw this little girl. I mean, she was calling for her okaasan.
What little girl? I don't know. She wasn't real.
You said she was calling for her okaasan?
Yeah.
But okaasan means mother.
That's-- That's from my dreams.
What are you talking about? What does that mean?
In my dreams, there's this little girl...
We gotta get out of here. Can you walk?
I don't know, I'm--
Oh, my God!
Come on! Come on, come on!
I told you
you should not be here.
Go, go, go!
We're running in circles here.
Come on.
This is it.
What?
From the picture. This--
This is where my mother took her life.
She wanted me here. She...
Okaasan.
What?
No.
I had a sister.
Maiko, I'm gonna get you!
I want to stay with them!
I won't leave them!
I want to stay!
Let me go!
I want to stay with them... forever!
Maiko!
Stay here, Maiko.
Run, Maiko! Run!
No, Mother! No!
No.
You killed her.
Maiko! Maiko!
Maiko.
Amber! Amber! Amber!
Amber! Amber!
Amber!
Let's go! She's the way out!
She knows the way out!
Hurry!
Where did she go?
Wait, this is different!
That's it.
Kyle!
No! No!
Help! Kyle!
Maiko!
No!
Kyle!
Please, leave him alone!
No!
Leave him alone!
No! No!
Oh, my God!
No!
Kyle!
No! No!
Please!
Leave him alone!
Kyle! No!
No! Oh, my God! Kyle!
Oh, my God!
No!
Oh, my God.
No!
We're going the wrong way.
We're going the wrong way! We're going the wrong way!
Sometimes you get lost in the forest.
Sometimes the forest loses you.
No!
Please, no!
No!
Please! No!
No!
¶ Twinkle, twinkle, Little star ¶