CURE (1997)

Written & Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cinematography: Tokusho Kikumura
Editor: Kan Suzuki

Cast: Koji Yakusho, Tsuy Oshiujik, Masato Hagiwara, Anna Nakagawa 

A frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they’ve done.


This is a film that the less you know about it the better. Though it still will have no overall effect on your enjoyment or feelings. It does help you to discover things as the characters do.

This movie is a marvel, not one to easily describe. It plays as a psychological thriller and horror but is more like a piece of art above all Else.

The film is tightly composed and contains a stillness. As well as staying very quiet no matter the violence that is shown.

Where the violence is shown more in the aftermath. Rather than actual attacks or actions. 

The mood and tone of the film never managed to rise. It stays dry, quiet, cold, and measured at its own pace. Which whole being a thriller is impressive as we watch pieces come together. Though still, some remain unexplained. 

The film manages to keep us interested and learning as it goes on. As this is a film that is best to pay attention to all the details though at Its speed it would be hard to miss certain elements.

The film eventually breaks down into a cat and mouse game between the suspect and the detective but it involves so much more that might be red herrings such as conspiracies. 

Some of the film’s threads that seem to connect to one another unravel or come off as some kind of coincidence. 

What helps throw the audience off is that there is no lead-up to the violence or actions of the characters. It just seems to happen and we are presented with it offering no rhyme or reason at first. Seemingly random and dealing with the aftermath. Which can be scarier than knowing the motive where you can rationale or understand 

Grade: B+

THE WORLD OF KANAKO (2014)

The-World-of-Kanako

Directed By: Tetsuya Nakashima
Written By: Tetsuya Nakashima, Miako Todano & Nobuhiro Monma
Based on the Novel By: Akio Fukamachi
Cinematography By: Shoichi Ato
Editor: Yoshiyuki Koike 


Cast: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Fumi Nikaidou, Ai Hashimoto, Jun Kunimara, Joe Odagiri

Kanako, a beautiful girl and one of the best students at school, goes missing with all the belongings left behind in her room. Her father Akikazu is now asked by his ex-wife to look for their daughter. He starts a desperate search of Kanako using any means, in the hope of getting his “ideal” family back in place despite the fact that the very reason of the family breakup was because of his problematic personality and behaviors. Following tracks of her past and present and talking to her “friends,” he starts to get to know his daughter whom he never knew or didn’t even attempt to know. When Akikazu is led to one clue, he realizes the world Kanako was facing beyond his imagination… Can the father find his daughter, and get back his perfect happy family he has dreamed of after all these years?

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13 ASSASSINS (2010)

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Directed By: Takashi Miike
Written By: Daisuke Tengan
Story By: Shoichirou Ikemiya
Based on A Screenplay By: Kaneo Ikegami
Cinematography: Nobuyasu Kita
Editor: Kenji Yamashita 


Cast: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Arata Furuta, Sosuke Takaoka, Koen Kondo, Masataka Kubota, Ikki Sawamura, Seiji Rokkaku 


A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.

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