Static spends its first act convincing you it's a workplace drama, and its final act reminding you that it was never anything of the kind. Yuki Amano's script keeps its cards close, and the film is better for the restraint, right up until a final ten minutes that finally lets the tension break.
Amano understands that the scariest sound in a thriller is the one that almost isn't there.
Naomi Ishida carries the film as the station's last overnight host, and the choice to shoot most of her scenes in a single small booth pays off far more than it has any right to. Static won't be for everyone, but it earns its slow burn.
