90
The New York Times by Anita Gates
The most horrifying thing in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's fiercely original, thrillingly creepy Pulse (released as "Kairo," or "Circuit," in Japan) is the way the ghosts move.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
70
Result is always watchable, occasionally creepy and teasingly pitched halfway between a genre riff and a genuine scarefest.
50
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Pulse works as a hypnotic meditation on contemporary alienation. Traditional horror fans, however, will search in vain for signs of life.
60
With very few strong characters and a great many middle shots, Pulse sometimes plods--it's the price of Kurosawa's restraint and his indifference to structure.
100
If one masterpiece were to emerge from the recent glut of generally good quality Japanese horror movie, this chilling apocalyptic ghost story from Kyroshi Kurosawa is it.
58
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
Nothing in the two snail-paced hours of Pulse makes close to a shred of sense?
75
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
Just know that Pulse possesses the dark art to make your pulse pound and your hair stand on end -- with no cheating.
80
Storytelling clarity has never been a Kurosawa strong suit, yet Pulse baffles even under those standards, so it's best to just get on his abstract wavelength and ride the thing out.
60
A horror film that scares you to insomnia is good in the sense that it succeeds in what it sets out to do.
75
Pleasantly free of blood and guts, with Kurosawa using instead the mighty power of suggestion to give Pulse an invigorating aura of menace.
Pulse is one of the few films I'd say is better watched on a laptop or phone than the big screen. In Pulse, sound plays a critical role in portraying the ubiquitous nature of digital technology in a sinister light, especially the sounds of the technology itself. For example, a majority of the indoor scenes of the film are overlaid with a constant “buzz” that seemingly emanates from the many computers and other devices characters interact with. This maddening sound highlights the film's exploration of technological anxiety in a particularly effective way. The screen is a black mirror indeed.