{"site":"Yomimono","license":"CC BY 4.0 (citation required)","generated_at":"2026-05-29T14:53:07.017Z","story":{"id":"r_9928434e96f848a5ac2bf22f","slug":"kento-kaku-produced-horror-film-never-after-dark-draws-preview-praise","url":"https://yomimono.id/kento-kaku-produced-horror-film-never-after-dark-draws-preview-praise","headline":"Kento Kaku-Produced Horror Film Never After Dark Draws Preview Praise","summary":"The horror film \"Never After Dark,\" produced by and starring Kento Kaku, will open in Japanese theaters on June 5. Directed by Dave Boyle, who previously worked with Kaku on the 2024 Netflix series \"House of Ninjas,\" the film held its Japan premiere screening on April 28 at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku in Tokyo. The story follows Airi, a medium from a family of psychics, and her sister Miku, who became a spirit after an incident. Together they investigate paranormal cases, including a request to exorcise a ghost haunting a mansion. Moka Hoshi plays Airi, Kureha Inagaki plays Miku, and Tae Kimura plays Teiko, with Kaku appearing as her skeptical son Gunji. Preview attendees described the film as a \"revolution in Japanese horror cinema,\" praising its shift in fear type between the first and second halves. Comments highlighted the pacing, the single-setting mansion location, and the blend of suspense and mystery. The production is the first theatrical feature from SIGNAL181, the film production company founded by Kaku and Boyle. Kaku also promoted the film by posting a phone number on social media that, when called, plays a recorded message in his voice as a promotional gimmick.","why_it_matters":"The preview reactions position Never After Dark as a deliberate fusion of Japanese horror atmosphere and Western genre mechanics, a formula its Japanese-American creative team is betting on as globally viable.","published_at":"2026-05-29T11:45:57.000Z","source_count":2,"sources":["Eiga Natalie","Magmix"],"citations":[{"source":"Eiga Natalie","title":"Kento Kaku-produced \"Never After Dark\" is a revolution in Japanese horror cinema: preview screening impressions roundup","url":"https://natalie.mu/eiga/film_preview/670900"},{"source":"Magmix","title":"Kento Kaku (36) Posts 'Phone Number' on Social Media, Promotion for Project 'Never After Dark' Sparks Buzz","url":"https://magmix.jp/post/356858"}],"license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Never After Dark"],"studios":[],"people":["賀来賢人","デイヴ・ボイル"],"type":"news","domain":"other","is_roundup":false}}}