English Title: Lumberjack the Monster
Japanese Title: 怪物の木こり
Director(s): Miike Takashi
Screenwriter(s): Koiwai Hiroyoshi
Studio: Warner Bros
Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 58m
Starring: Kamenashi Kazuya, Nanao, Shibukawa Kiyohiko, Nakamura Shido, Yoshioka Riho, Sometani Shota
This film is based on the novel of the same name written by Kurai Mayusuke. Please note that I have not read the novel so the review is purely of the film.
The story is in essence a mystery with elements of a horror-thriller. Ninomiya (Kamenashi Kazuya) is a hotshot lawyer and a psychopathic killer. One day, Ninomiya is attacked by someone wielding an ax and dressed like a lumberjack. Ninomiya survives but is injured, subsequently discovering that he has a chip in his head. Before Ninomiya, two have been gruesomely killed, presumably by this lumberjack with police profiler Toshiro (Nanao) investigating. The plot follows Ninomiya trying to deal with his assailant and Toshiro investigating both of them…
The plot and its progression are too predictable. There is little that is outright wrong with it, it is not nonsensical. However, there is nothing that is particularly intriguing. The opening flashback scene shows the police turning up at the house of a couple to discover the bodies of multiple children and one survivor, one who has been operated on.
[Potential Spoiler] So, this lumberjack is targeting those with questionable character or even psychopaths like Ninomiya and this is all somehow related to children who have been operated on and have chips in their heads. This and other details are gradually revealed through dialogue in what is at times clumsy exposition scenes. Also part of the plot is that Ninomiya’s chip is failing so he gradually becomes more normal.
However one looks at it, it is good that the writer knows how to signpost but it doesn’t take much to work out what is going on. What is revealed regarding the past connection is not spectacular. To be fair, perhaps this is limited by the source material.
The film mostly looks fine. It is not heavily stylized, the darker scenes are nicely lit and film editing by Sagara Naoichiro is well done. There is no shortage of blood when there is violence but the action is measured throughout. It does not rely on constant gore or jump scares to carry the film. There are no jump scares.
The music can be too cheesy at times. There are worse but at least it is not so loud in the mix that it is jarring. But it is apparent.
Kamenashi plays the cold lawyer serial killer just fine. Although it is appreciated that his character does not go through the cheesy redemption arc, the character is written mostly pretty flat. Kamenashi’s performance is solid and there are interesting moments when he is trying to do the right thing but still appears to be his usual cool self.
Almost the same can be stated for Nanao as copper Toshiro. She is the “cool no-nonsense chick” trope. There are some obvious but not deep comparisons and parallels between the two characters; that is, both are cold and determined in their own way.
I can imagine that the story may be much better as a novel but there is nothing particularly special as a film. The production is mostly decent. Visually, the dark but not too gritty tone is appreciated. It is framed in a fairy tale–like story of a lumberjack which is fine but, like the plot progression and expositions, its use is somewhat clumsy.
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