Japanese horror film ‘The Convenience Store’ arrives in Philippine cinemas this July

After gaining a cult following among horror gamers, Chilla's Art's "The Convenience Store" is making the jump to live action, with the film set to premiere in Philippine cinemas on July 29.

Originally released in Japanese theaters in February, the film adapts the 2020 indie horror game of the same name. The Japanese developer duo Chilla's Art, a team of two brothers, created the game which has built a strong following for its unsettling psychological horror.

The story follows a female college student, portrayed by Kotona Minami, who works the graveyard shift at a roadside convenience store. What begins as a quiet, routine job gradually turns into a series of eerie encounters as mysterious SD cards begin appearing and hauntings disrupt her nightly shifts.

The film marks Minami's first horror role. According to Automaton, the actress said the production's unconventional filming techniques felt "incredibly fresh." 

She added that imagining how the finished scenes would look while filming made the experience especially stimulating and gave her the opportunity to learn a great deal throughout the shoot.

The film is directed by Japanese filmmaker Jiro Nagae, who is known for horror and urban legend films “Kokkuri-san: Gekijô-ban,” “Sukima Onna,” and “Kisaragi Station.”

The original “The Convenience Store” game is available on PC via Steam or as a DRM-free download through Itch.io. It is also available digitally for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop.