Japan has produced many varying films about terminal illness, but few match the originality and intricacy of this one. It's incredibly moving, delivers a powerful double twist and kept me guessing the story's direction throughout—a triumph that could easily have unraveled in less capable hands. This remarkable film deserves widespread acclaim.
I simply expected a samurai time-travel comedy but also got a unique, affecting story about what happens when someone’s identity belongs to a bygone era—and what it takes to stay relevant.
𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯 fans, lower your expectations—this is mindless entertainment.
Despite powerful lines that highlight family themes—such as Joon-i’s “𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭?” and “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳”—which suggest an emotional journey akin to the first film, much of that is overshadowed by over-the-top, 𝘔𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘹-style action sequences. These scenes often resemble video game cutscenes, making the director’s claim about crafting a “𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵-𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱” feel rather unconvincing.
Interestingly, the first film never uses the term “𝘻𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦,” yet in this sequel, it’s mentioned frequently without explanation, which is inconsistent. Captain Seo’s character also lacks credibility—he has no commanding presence, appears cowardly, and it’s implausible that someone like Sergeant Hwang, who exudes leadership, would ever take orders from him.
A curious one-time watch, but not one I'd revisit. The film explores a deeply dysfunctional family: an arrogant and bitter, failed actress; her emotionally detached mangaka younger sister who exploits her desperation, disgracing her in their small rural town and straining their relationship; a cranky, controlling, adrift stepbrother; and his passive wife who endures mistreatment in a clearly unhappy home. The story gradually reveals the roots of their dysfunction, frequently shifting our perspective.
There are no heroes here—only losers, each their own worst enemy. It’s a chilling glimpse into what can fester behind closed doors and how it escalates when left unchecked.
"Door" opens with a chilling premise—how compromised privacy can unravel one’s fragile sense of security, especially when alone or caring for a vulnerable child. Cold callers—whether by phone or in person—embody this threat, raising unsettling questions about how they know so much without any prior disclosure. The film cleverly uses sound, particularly the antagonist’s echoing footsteps, to evoke an eerie omnipresence as his behaviour escalates from calculated menace to self-destructive obsession. While the threat feels disturbingly real, the protagonist’s repeated poor decisions—like failing to contact help during a violent disturbance or tolerating obscene calls—undermine the story’s credibility. Her reluctance to rely on police intervention after one ineffective report allows the danger to spiral, leading to severe consequences. Though the final act is intense, well-shot, and features impressive practical gore FX, its descent into absurdity dulls the impact. To sum up, "Door" is a film with unreached potential.
A delightfully fresh time-travel comedy centred around an AC remote amidst Japan's sweltering summer heat, driven by lovable characters, clever writing, and energetic direction. From screenwriter Makoto Ueda, the creative mind behind other time-travel classics like Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020) and River (2023).
It has a surprisingly low rating on other sites, considering the numerous improvements made to the narrative while staying true to the original. A lot of love and thought evidently went into this. Although the CGI could've been better, it serves its purpose.
An extraterrestrial dictator takes over an unruly high school to restore order, but their actions go too far. Only the female lead, with her mysterious powers, can make things right. The film is a wild, stylish ride, brimming with 80s charm and a splendid score. However, its world-building and antagonists' motivations are insufficient, leaving many unanswered questions.
While the film's odd comedy wasn't quite my taste, I can still appreciate its poignant portrayal of isolation. Special kudos to Aoi Yu for truly going the extra mile for her role.
An improvement over the first in terms of narrative structure, but still lacking the overall pizzazz to captivate throughout. Only a few scenes stand out, such as those likely inspired by 'Scanners' (1981).
Despite impressive SFX, the film suffers from a weak plot, characters, and convoluted lore. It would've been better off following a cohesive formula like "The Mummy" (1999), instead of killing momentum with numerous time skips that derail any sense of urgency and tension.
Plan 75's concept certainly sparks deep conversation, but its execution is rather tedious. Ideally, this film could've been a gripping thriller, but it wasn't to be.
Caring for senile loved ones can be tough, especially with unresolved past issues, but hidden wisdom can be found in their peculiarities. A therapeutic film that features gorgeous cinematography.
For what's just a minimal-plot, one-man-army action flick, it takes itself far too seriously, leaving little room for the fun typically associated with this subgenre, as seen in 'One Percenter (2023).'
It's surprising how underrated this is, given its brilliance.
A thrilling ride with moments of dark humour. The story highlights Japan's declining rural towns, where determined residents strive to save their community. Innovative local farmer Keita solely takes on such responsibility, but complications force him to choose between giving up or staying the course. Yet, in this ambitious quest, resentment threatens everything. The line, "Moriya's death was the only surprise, huh?", gains significance in hindsight due to its context.
The Japanese military becomes suspicious of Yusaku and Fumio after the woman they brought from Manchuria is found dead. Satoko, Yusaku's wife, exposes sensitive documents to the military, hoping to implicate Fumio and protect Yusaku, despite both men being cleared. Her actions cast suspicion on both her and Yusaku for treason. Huh?
The cinematography is bland and lacks a complementary 1940s aesthetic. Nevertheless, the film effectively misdirects viewers about the characters' intentions, heightening tension, and includes a disturbing implied torture scene.
Despite powerful lines that highlight family themes—such as Joon-i’s “𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭?” and “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳”—which suggest an emotional journey akin to the first film, much of that is overshadowed by over-the-top, 𝘔𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘹-style action sequences. These scenes often resemble video game cutscenes, making the director’s claim about crafting a “𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵-𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱” feel rather unconvincing.
Interestingly, the first film never uses the term “𝘻𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦,” yet in this sequel, it’s mentioned frequently without explanation, which is inconsistent. Captain Seo’s character also lacks credibility—he has no commanding presence, appears cowardly, and it’s implausible that someone like Sergeant Hwang, who exudes leadership, would ever take orders from him.
There are no heroes here—only losers, each their own worst enemy. It’s a chilling glimpse into what can fester behind closed doors and how it escalates when left unchecked.
A thrilling ride with moments of dark humour. The story highlights Japan's declining rural towns, where determined residents strive to save their community. Innovative local farmer Keita solely takes on such responsibility, but complications force him to choose between giving up or staying the course. Yet, in this ambitious quest, resentment threatens everything. The line, "Moriya's death was the only surprise, huh?", gains significance in hindsight due to its context.
9/10
The cinematography is bland and lacks a complementary 1940s aesthetic. Nevertheless, the film effectively misdirects viewers about the characters' intentions, heightening tension, and includes a disturbing implied torture scene.