Japanese horror has always been a hot topic. Whether it's unique concepts, shocking twists, or simply terrifying content, the Japanese always seem to hit the mark. Or so I thought. If you delve into Japanese horror, you'll see how they used to be ahead of their time, offering incredible stories and scares that truly got under your skin. But with the passage of time and Japanese horror's global dominance, it seemed to lose its spark.
It's not that we don't see the occasional crazy film, but when I saw the first Re/Member, I was already quite disappointed by the lack of originality. It's not that I didn't appreciate the concept. In fact, the idea of body scanning is quite interesting and lends itself to a lot of fun and fear. But the sad reality is that the film was a forgettable mess. Even so, thanks to its unique concept, I enjoyed it, given my eagerness to find out what happens in the end. But as for the second film, all the elements that made the first one enjoyable were also lost.
Director: Eiichirô Hasumi
Writers: Harumi Doki, Katsutoshi Murase, Welzard
Stars: Kanna Hashimoto, Gordon Maeda, Maika Yamamoto
The first film relied heavily on common Japanese horror tropes, one of which was its chosen setting: a school. School horror is a cornerstone of Japanese horror, and it relies heavily on the supernatural imagery of a school building at night. That was largely what made the first film work so well: the creepiness of the school at night, plus the fun concept of the Red Person. But by the time we get to Re/Member: The Last Night, the Red Person is no longer scary at all (I won't lie, she never was, because this isn't The Grudge; she's just some random girl covered in blood), plus she doesn't even have the teddy bear, and the school setting has been abandoned.
In its place is an amusement park that somehow feels insubstantial, neither as real nor as developed as the school setting last time. If it weren't for one scene I won't spoil, this whole thing could have taken place in an industrial setting or even a shopping mall, and you wouldn't even notice the difference.
Furthermore, while the first film gave us something to look forward to with the children, making them feel like true protagonists, the second presents them as secondary characters. The reason Re/Member was remembered was because it created a connection between the audience and the characters. That's why we longed for them to find the body parts and survive to see the next day. This time, there's no emphasis on the body search itself, and it feels like they discover the pieces very quickly but are careless when returning them.
Much of the tenderness that came with the time loop in the first film is also absent here. Sure, there are some personality changes, especially in one character, but the mastery of the time loop isn't as noticeable, which doesn't really work at all. Previously, Asuka and Takahiro were a couple we looked forward to; this film brings them back, only to ruin what we had.
Visually, the film fulfills its purpose fairly well, without being particularly outstanding. At least the nighttime scenes aren't pitch black to the point where you can't make out what's happening, and there's no point where you can't see what's going on with the action. That said, the nighttime lighting gives some scenes a monotonous feel that could affect immersion, but you might not mind if you're only interested in the gore. Speaking of gore, it's perhaps not as shocking as the first film, though it does have the classic dissections, decapitations, and all the rest, but there's a post-credits scene that should give you a good scare if the rest of Re/Member: The Last Night leaves you wanting more. But do you really want to go there? Personally, I don't think so, because even that isn't worth it.
The kids' performances aren't anything special, but they're generally good enough to keep you engaged. In fact, the script falters a bit at times, when the characters are asked to shift too quickly from panic to optimism or from grim determination to romance. Aside from moments of emotional tension, the film also struggles to convey the anxiety that the characters might fail, as Re/Member did after the doll Emily began devouring children and erasing them from existence.
While the sequel attempts a similar high-stakes moment, the fact that none of the characters take the threat seriously causes the whole thing to fall apart and feel almost boring. Dividing the film into two parallel storylines may also detract from the tension, even if its aim is to build a deeper world.
Comments
Post a Comment