prolonged vapid mess with an explosive finale
At this point, I've seen a couple of Takashi Miike's films, so I wouldn't class this at his Gorleston or most messed up, but I understand if teenagers dying isn't your thing, then don't bother watching (although it should be fairly obvious that this is what is going to happen, plus it's no more 'out there' than your standard slasher).The runtime is atrociously long, so much of this film feels like filler that is a painful slog just to get to the last explosive 40 minutes. Sadly, it's hard to enjoy even the 3rd act, as all the side characters that have been shown thus far have already been removed from the story, thus there is no real tension or investment for us as a viewer. the plot is all over the place for seemingly no reason, and is interspersed with random flashbacks that are jarring, to say the least.
In terms of acting, the character Hasumi has to carry this one on his back, and while I think he does a good job, it doesn't save the film. Hideaki Ito is able to the toe line between crazy and overly comedic fairly well, despite the random English he has to work with. Sadly, no one else really makes any kind of impression on the viewer, and generally aren't around for long anyways, so it doesn't really matter.
My favourites? Honestly the soundtrack isn't too bad, and the few standout songs our characters listen to are pretty fun and catchy. There are some great shots throughout, and the 3rd act is bursting with colour, which leads it to being a great visual treat. Maybe if I'd consumed the media this film is based off of, I would've enjoyed it more, but as a standalone? I wouldn't say it's worth your patience.
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Pros:
- Panic-inducing scenes of hopeless carnage that is truly disturbing and upsetting
Cons:
- The presentation is so poorly assembled that it makes the point of the movie feel like it is praising the heinous actions
- Awful character development that fails at creating an interesting protagonist with clear motives and reason for his actions
- Due to the serious nature of the subject matter and the contrasting apathy/silliness presented by the main character, the movie just comes off as cruel and edgy
Final thoughts:
Save yourself the time and watch something better like Confessions. There is actually a point to that movie!
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Among all pointless movies I watched, this one is the most pointless
I want to ask everyone working on this movie, why did you make it? Perhaps 2013 is indeed to far away from 2025, but how far did we come? And most of all, I want to know, what was the standard back then to get movie greenlit?Trust me when I say, the time watching this you cannot return.
Handsome serial killer? Ok, and? No background story? Plotless exploitation of minors?
I wasted more than 2h of my time. I cannot see a person who would enjoy this.
Ah, to bring back time.
A strong pass.
Thank you for reading.
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Me surpreendeu
Que filme absolutamente bizarro e perturbador, E EU AMEI CADA SEGUNDO. Sério, parece que Lesson of the Evil foi feito sob medida para mim.Eu sou apaixonada pelo subgênero slasher, e ver um slasher protagonizado por um psicopata tão carismático foi maravilhoso.
A construção da narrativa é excelente: a forma como o protagonista vai perdendo o controle aos poucos, mesmo sendo um sujeito meticulosamente calculista e absurdamente precavido, é incrível.
A primeira metade do filme é quase enganosamente calma, abordando os dramas escolares com naturalidade e interligando tudo com uma sutileza impressionante. Já a segunda metade é puro caos. Violenta, insana e viciante.
E aí entra o trunfo do filme: o protagonista. O carisma desse psicopata é tão absurdo que me vi rindo, me divertindo e até torcendo por ele em várias cenas. E o mais legal é vê-lo improvisando, adaptando seus planos conforme tudo vai saindo do controle. É um deleite acompanhar essa queda.
Os personagens são ótimos, os cortes de cena funcionam muito bem, a cinematografia é afiada e a trilha sonora tem aquele ar vintage que combina perfeitamente com a mente doentia (e charmosa) do protagonista. É um baita slasher, cheio de sangue e mortes, mas o que o torna especial é o fato de não ser só sobre um cara matando gente. Existe drama, existe construção, existe tensão. O protagonista é a história. E o filme te aproxima tanto dele que é impossível assistir de forma neutra.
Não é um terror feito para dar medo, é quase um terror cômico, não por conter cenas engraçadas, mas porque o carisma do protagonista transforma a violência em algo estranhamente divertido. Medonhamente divertido.
Recomendo muito para quem gosta de slashers que saem do óbvio, que querem algo mais estilizado, mais ousado, e não têm medo de se encantar pelo vilão (eu sempre).
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