Takashi Miike is a busy man, but his hard schedule doesn't seem to be affecting the quality of his films. "Chakushin Ari", released in theaters in early 2004, is the story of college student Yumi Nakamura, played by Shibasaki Kou ("Battle Royale"). Bored at a singles party, Yumi waits for her friend Yoko, who arrives to the party late after finishing work. While Yoko is changing clothes in the ladies room, she receives a phone call with a spooky ring tone she has never heard before. To make things creepier, the call appears to be from her own phone. Yoko listens to the message, which is dated three days in the future, and hears her own voice saying "It's started raining." The short message is followed by a bloodcurdling scream. Several days later, the events heard in the message actually occur, and Yoko meets a gruesome death.
However, Yoko isn't the last person to hear this strange ring tone. Others begin getting similar calls and meeting similar fates, and Yumi finds herself in a race against time to solve the mystery before her own number comes up...