Saito shows that the Other always bears some responsibility for the subjective outcomes of dysfunctional familial dynamics and the criminal excesses that plague its mendacious image of peaceful harmony.
Category: Revenge
Bushido (2024) review [Camera Japan Festival]
Kazuya Shiraishi proves that the frame of the samurai and the Edo society can still be utilized to deliver refreshing narratives.
Shinobi no Mono 2: Revenge (1963) review
Satsuo Yamamoto reveals the frailty and replaceability of the capitalistic father in an engaging way.
Shinobi no Mono: Band of Assassins (1962)
Yamamoto expertly utilizes the game of disguises, traps, gadgets, concealed passages, hidden stairs, and trapdoors, to offer an allegorical tale of the post-war subject’s conundrum
Kubi (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
One of best period dramas in recent years.
Penalty Loop (2024) review [Nippon Connection 2024]
The way Araki resolves the narrative’s thematical questions concerning vengeance and the working-through of trauma will divide spectators
Bad Lands (2023) review
The incredibly well-crafted narrative structure, fuelled by Sakura Ando’s extremely satisfying performance, ensures that the spectator remains engaged from start and finish
The Fall Of Ako Castle (1978) review
Fukasaku has crafted a period piece that, due to its impeccable dramatic pacing, has to be counted among the best
Man Who Causes A Storm (1957)
Inoue’s rags-to-riches narrative might not escape the territory of predictability, but he puts enough thematical meat on the table so that the spectator, in full knowlegde of how the narrative will unfold, still comes away fully satisfied.
The Master Plan / The End of The Tiny World (2021) review
“Pleasant, but ultimately fails to deliver the emotional catharsis it so clearly promises.”
Sadako DX (2022) review
“A failed re-imagining of a classic horror-story.”
Halloween movie special: Summer Of Demon (1981) review
Despite some nice visual compositions and some great performances, Ninagawa’s composition ultimately deflates the drama, leaving this adaptation unable to touch the spectator.
Halloween Special Review: Shinshaku Yotsuya Kaidan part 1 & part 2 (1949) review
Kinoshita offers an incredibly engaging psychological exploration of Iemon’s faltering ego and the dramatic shift this faltering causes in his relationship to Oiwa.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) review
Nakagawa succeeds in delivering an unforgettable finale that, due to its hallucinatory feel, mesmerises the spectator with its haunting imagery.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghosts of Yotsuya (1956) review
An incredible horror film that retains its power to engage and thrill the spectator due to Tomisabura Wakayama’s outstanding performance.