Japanese horror is stepping into the digital age with CURSED MEME, a chilling new thriller set to haunt Philippine theaters starting November 25, 2026. Brought to local audiences by Mockingbird Pictures, the film previously made waves during its July world premiere in the Bucheon Choice World section at South Korea’s 2026 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN). Helmed by acclaimed director Kan Yamamoto, the movie transforms the everyday smartphone from a tool of convenience into an inescapable conduit of terror.

The story follows Yura Sakaki (Ikoi Hayase), an isolated high schooler grieving the accidental loss of her best friend who suddenly begins perceiving strange phenomena. During a routine cleanup of an old school building, Yura and her peers stumble upon a damaged phone that spontaneously plays an unsettling clip. That single viewing links the group to a supernatural force, triggering a wave of eerie, AI-generated videos that accurately predict each student’s demise.

As the grim predictions begin claiming her classmates one by one, Yura races to trace the deadly chain back to its source. Her investigation uncovers the dark presence of Kinosita-san, the mysterious entity orchestrating the fatal broadcasts. However, peeling back the layers of this digital haunting only exposes Yura to deeper, more unforgiving dangers as she fights to survive her own predicted fate.

Behind the camera, filmmaker Kan Yamamoto pivots away from the heartfelt online connections he explored in his celebrated feature The Star I Watch This Summer—which earned him top honors at both the TAMA Film Awards and the Takasaki Film Festival—to examine the darker side of modern technology. To bring this nightmare to life, he recruits a dynamic ensemble of emerging Japanese talent, anchored by Ikoi Hayase in her very first solo starring feature. She is joined onscreen by Airu Kubozuka, Baku Idegami, Alisa Sakamaki, Mamoru Hagiwara, Masahiro Sunada, and Sono Hiramatsu.

By merging the slow-burning dread of traditional J-horror with contemporary anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence and constant connectivity, CURSED MEME offers a uniquely modern scare. Audiences are left to confront the unsettling idea that the devices we keep closest might harbor something sinister. Catch CURSED MEME exclusively in Philippine cinemas beginning November 25, 2026.