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A rather peculiar mix of drama and genre cinema. Because Sasaki is known as a horror director the film has been promoted as such, but this is in essence a character portrait fleshed out with various genre elements (and yes, that includes horror). Solid performances and pointed styling help the film stand out, but there's this very visceral and raw energy that really sets this one apart. It's a film by a director with something to say, and no one to reign in or filter his message. A very strong feature by Sasaki, who delivers on the potential he showed before.
Three short films from Katsumi Sasaki, bundled into a neat little trilogy. They're all pretty gory and low-budget affairs, but they're no ordinary, run-of-the-mill splatter films. Sasaki's signature is more cinematic, not quite focused on the gore (though it is very much present), but with a keen eye (and ear) for atmosphere. The shorts all revolve around revenge, though the execution is slightly different for each short. The first one has a strong nihilistic finish, the second one has crazy cult vibes and the final one is a more classic female revenge narrative. You won't really be watching these films for the plot or characters though. I expected something cheaper-looking, more akin to the straight-to-video horror we've seen from Japan this past decade. But the films are aptly styled (I noticed special thanks for Ken Ninomiya in the credits of the first short, I'm not surprised at all) and come with strong soundtracks. The gore is pretty in-your-face and each short has at least one truly gruesome moment. Good fun if you like your horror hardcore and stylized.Read all