The Mujina originates from a Japanese myth about a faceless woman that appears to be sick or drunk and often has red hair.

Numerous Mujina sightings have been reported in Hawaii and the creature haunts its victims without a clear motive.

Bringing the Mujina to Life

In The Unfamiliar, the Mujina is the first creature Elizabeth “Izzy” Cormack meets in the underworld.
To add to Izzy’s disorientation, from behind, the Mujina appears to be her step-daughter, Emma.

The Mujina’s Soundscape

Sound designer Michael Medhurst combined the sounds of a laughing girl with an eerie sound effect to create a sound for the the Mujina.

Isolated sounds:

As used in the film:

Did you notice?

The majority of the Mujina and Kaimoni creatures were created in-camera with Creature FX Designer, Robbie Drake.

The Kaimoni was played by Tori Butler-Hart and the Mujina was played by Rebecca Hanssen. Rebecca played the character of Emma Cormack in The Unfamiliar too.

Co-writer Jennifer Nicole Stang read numerous Hawaiian mythological books and journals to make sure that The Unfamiliar’s creatures are rooted in actual Hawaiian myths and folklore.

Made with the support of the British Film Institute.