What Is Tormented About?
The premise of Tormented in 303 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a quiet Japanese suburb, a young boy and his quiet, mute sister share a cramped home with their father, a dedicated book illustrator whose imagination is as vivid as the pages he draws. Their everyday life is colored by the soft hum of creativity and the subtle strains of an unsettled family history, hinting at shadows that linger just beyond the ordinary. The house itself becomes a liminal space where the line between childhood wonder and something more unsettling begins to blur.
Kiriko watches Daigo grow increasingly withdrawn after a troubling incident involving a rabbit, a creature that seems to embody both innocence and an uncanny weight. Her sisterly concern deepens as she struggles to understand the boy’s sudden silence and the eerie stillness that settles over their home. Meanwhile, their father, absorbed in a new pop‑up book project, remains oblivious to the growing tension, his focus on art creating a quiet gulf between parental responsibility and the children’s escalating unease.
As the siblings grapple with the unsettling presence of the rabbit, they find themselves drawn into a nightmarish realm that feels both familiar and profoundly foreign. The world they slip into mirrors the muted tones of their everyday lives, yet it is laced with unsettling visuals and a lingering dread that turns ordinary surroundings into disorienting corridors of fear. Shadows shift, ordinary objects take on a menacing agency, and the fragile boundary between reality and nightmare begins to dissolve.
The film’s tone is a whispered blend of psychological horror and surreal childhood dread, sustaining an atmosphere that feels both intimate and uncomfortably expansive. It invites viewers to linger on the delicate dynamics of sibling love, suppressed trauma, and the unsettling power of imagination, leaving a lingering sense that the most terrifying monsters may be those that emerge from within familiar walls.
What Happens in Tormented?
The complete story of Tormented, from the first scene to the last, in 507 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In Japan, Kiriko Hikari Mitsushima Imazato and her younger half-brother Daigo Takeru Shibuya Imazato live with their father Kohei Teruyuki Kagawa Imazato, a book illustrator whose latest project consumes his attention. Daigo’s behavior takes a troubling turn when he inexplicably beats a rabbit to death outside his school, and soon after he stops attending classes. Kiriko watches the change with growing concern, while Kohei remains absorbed in his work and the demands of his craft.
Kiriko’s worry deepens as Daigo’s conduct becomes more unpredictable, and she senses something is seriously off. Their father’s distraction with his pop-up book about The Little Mermaid only widens the distance between them, leaving Kiriko to shoulder the burden of understanding what’s happening to her brother. The family’s quiet equilibrium starts to fracture, and a sense of unease settles over their home.
To seek an escape or perhaps a clue, Kiriko and Daigo are drawn to a 3-D horror experience: The Shock Labyrinth, a film where a rabbit doll appears to float from the screen and into Daigo’s hands. The sight unsettles the siblings, and when Daigo takes the doll home, a surreal and menacing chain of events begins to unfold. That night, a large version of the doll pulls him through a cupboard into a fairground, a moment that blurs the line between cinema’s illusion and a waking nightmare.
The following night, the rabbit’s influence intensifies as Daigo is pulled through the mattress of his own bed. Kiriko, driven by fear and a sense of responsibility, follows him to uncover what is really happening. The two find themselves venturing to an abandoned hospital, a place that seems to hold the answers their family cannot provide. The tension between what is real and what haunts them grows more tangled as their investigation deepens.
Back home, Kiriko confronts her father with a chilling revelation: “Kyoko is coming. I saw her.” The memory of Kyoko—the woman Kohei brought home years earlier as his pregnant second wife—surfaces with startling clarity. Kiriko recalls a young version of herself attacking Kyoko, a moment that has lingered in their family history. Now the siblings come to believe that Kyoko has returned in a rabbit costume, and they become certain that the eerie doll must be stopped. The fear becomes a shared purpose as they resolve to destroy the doll and the threat it represents, wrestling with memory, guilt, and the possibility of a revenant haunting their lives.
Kyoko is coming. I saw her.
As the story unfolds, the atmosphere stays taut and ominous, weaving together the trauma of a fractured family, the lure of a cursed object, and the eerie possibility that the past can return in the most unsettling forms. Kiriko and Daigo’s bond is put to the test as they navigate a web of superstition, guilt, and fear, all while a mysterious doll and a haunting rabbit image loom over every choice they make. The film maintains a restrained, disturbing tone that invites viewers to question what they are witnessing and who—or what—is truly in control.
Tormented Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Daigo beats a rabbit outside his school” to “The doll and Kyoko become linked in their minds”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Daigo beats a rabbit outside his school
Daigo inexplicably attacks and kills a rabbit in front of his school, shocking those who witness it. The incident marks the start of his troubling change in behavior as he withdraws from his peers. Kiriko grows increasingly worried, while their father Kohei remains absorbed in his work.
When:Morning Where:Outside Daigo's school
- 2
Kiriko worries as Daigo withdraws
Kiriko becomes increasingly worried about Daigo's violent mood and his withdrawal from school. Kohei, however, is absorbed in his work and dismisses the problem, keeping the family at a distance. The gap between the siblings and their father widens as tensions rise.
When:Afternoon Where:Family home
- 3
Kohei works on a pop-up book about The Little Mermaid
Kohei pours himself into a new project, a pop-up book about The Little Mermaid, showcasing his dedication to work. His preoccupation hints at a growing distance from the family’s troubles. The distraction leaves Kiriko to manage Daigo’s escalating behavior on her own.
When:Daytime Where:Kohei's studio
- 4
Kiriko takes Daigo to see The Shock Labyrinth
To try to help Daigo cope, Kiriko takes him to the cinema to see The Shock Labyrinth, a 3-D horror film. The movie’s eerie imagery and rabbit motif seem to grip Daigo, foreshadowing danger beyond the screen. They leave the theater with a lingering sense of unease.
When:Evening Where:Cinema
- 5
The rabbit doll appears from the screen
During the film, a large rabbit doll seems to defy reality by emerging from the screen and landing in Daigo's hands. This uncanny moment bridges the movie’s horror into their real world. Kiriko senses that something supernatural has followed them home.
When:During screening Where:Cinema screen
- 6
Daigo brings the doll home
Daigo takes the rabbit doll home, and its unsettling presence begins to invade the family’s space. The doll’s influence unsettles both Kiriko and Kohei as strange occurrences start to accumulate. Fear and curiosity mix as they try to understand what they brought back.
When:Night Where:Daigo's home
- 7
The doll pulls Daigo through a cupboard into a fairground
That night, a larger version of the rabbit doll pulls Daigo through the cupboard into a surreal fairground, blurring the lines between dream and reality. The journey signals a dangerous blending of the family’s world with the doll’s otherworldly influence. Kiriko and Daigo realize the threat is far from ordinary.
When:Night Where:Daigo's home (cupboard) to fairground
- 8
Daigo is pulled through the mattress of his bed
The following night, Daigo is dragged by the rabbit through the mattress of his bed, intensifying the sense that a malevolent force has taken root in their home. The intrusion into a private space heightens the family’s fear. Kiriko begins to fear for Daigo’s safety as the events escalate.
When:Night Where:Daigo's bedroom
- 9
Kiriko follows Daigo to the abandoned hospital
Kiriko decides to follow Daigo and the rabbit, and they venture to an abandoned hospital to confront the haunting. The eerie location becomes a focal point for uncovering the doll’s origin and Kyoko’s possible return. The pursuit tightens the grip of fear on the siblings.
When:Night Where:Abandoned hospital
- 10
Kyoko's coming is revealed to the father
Back at home, Kiriko tells Kohei that Kyoko is coming and that Daigo has seen her as well. They fear that Kyoko’s ghost might be returning, possibly embodied in the rabbit costume. The revelation deepens the family’s sense of an unresolved past haunting them.
When:Evening Where:Family home
- 11
Memory of Kyoko’s arrival and Kiriko’s attack
Kiriko recalls a childhood memory of Kohei bringing home his pregnant second wife, Kyoko. In a flare of anger, Kiriko attacked Kyoko, creating a lasting trauma within the family. The memory foreshadows why Kyoko’s figure could be connected to the present haunting.
When:Past Where:Family home (flashback)
- 12
The doll and Kyoko become linked in their minds
Driven by fear, Kiriko and Daigo become convinced that Kyoko has returned in a rabbit costume, and they commit to destroying the doll. Their actions frame the doll as a vessel for Kyoko’s lingering presence. The siblings vow to end the threat once and for all.
When:Present Where:Home and surroundings
Who Are the Main Characters in Tormented?
4 characters, among them Kohei Imazato, Kiriko Imazato and Daigo Imazato: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Kohei Imazato
Played by Teruyuki Kagawa
A book illustrator absorbed in his latest project—a pop-up book about The Little Mermaid. He largely ignores Daigo's troubling behavior, prioritizing work and artistic production over family concerns.
- 🎨 Artist
- 👨👦 Father
-
Kiriko Imazato
Played by Hikari Mitsushima
Daigo's sister, protective of her younger brother. She grows increasingly anxious about Daigo's behavior and senses Kyoko's return, prompting her to confront the supernatural threat.
- 👩 Sister
- 🛡️ Protector
- DI
Daigo Imazato
Played by Takeru Shibuya
Kiriko's younger brother, whose troubling acts and subsequent experiences with the haunted rabbit doll drive the family’s unraveling.
- 👦 Brother
- 🌀 Troubled
- D
Doctor
Played by Nao Ômori
A medical professional who appears in the story, offering a clinical perspective on Daigo's troubling presentation amid the escalating crisis.
- 🧪 Doctor
Where and When Is Tormented Set?
Tormented is set in Japan. Here is why the place matters to the story.
When
The narrative unfolds in modern times, with references to current media such as a pop-up book and a 3-D horror film. Contemporary life and technology form the backdrop for the escalating supernatural occurrences. The tense domestic environment drives the story toward its nightmare.
Where
Japan
Set in contemporary Japan, the story centers on a family in a quiet home and unfolds across eerie public locations. Key settings include a domestic living space, an abandoned hospital, and a derelict fairground where supernatural events intrude. The contrast between everyday interiors and ominous exterior locales heightens the sense of menace.
- 🏙️ Urban setting
- 👻 Haunting atmosphere
What Are the Themes of Tormented?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Haunting, Secrets and Media & Reality.
-
01
Haunting
A spectral presence, embodied by Kyoko and the rabbit imagery, haunts Kiriko and Daigo. The haunting blurs memory and nightmare, pushing the siblings to confront buried fears. The doll and rabbit motifs function as conduits for fear that invades home and psyche.
-
02
Secrets
Family secrets from the past resurface, shaping present danger as Kyoko's history and Daigo's behavior come into focus. The past betrayals fuel the present crisis, driving drastic actions. Guilt and resentment manifest as external, supernatural threats.
-
03
Media & Reality
The Shock Labyrinth project and the pop-up book illuminate the line between fiction and reality. Screen imagery and real-world fear intertwine as the rabbit doll intrudes into the siblings' lives. The boundary between cinema and home becomes unstable, amplifying the horror.
What Kind of Film Is Tormented?
Dark in tone, with variable pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Variable
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A nightmarish descent into childhood trauma where a young boy's violent act summons eerie dream-world intrusions, creating a tense and unsettling atmosphere of psychological horror.
- nightmarish
- unsettling
- anxious
- childlike horror
- oppressive
- psychologically tense
- family trauma
- guilt and atonement
- childhood fears
- haunted past
Content notes: animal death, child violence, psychological trauma, child endangerment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Tormented? Test yourself on the story.
