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It felt like Faceless was one of those films that it would have behooved the watcher to have read the novel it was based on first. I struggled to grasp the core concept of this film. Whether he was guilty or not seemed obvious from the beginning. His search also seemed obvious. What the audience was left with was basically a boy’s personal journey of growth and search for meaning while on the lam, without ever getting to know him very well.
Kaburagi Keiichi was only eighteen years old when he was sentenced to death for the murders of three people. Three years later he escapes from prison and begins his life on the run, donning new personas and disguises along the way. He’s a good guy who meets good people while searching for something to exonerate himself. On his trail are two detectives tasked with bringing him in and to not question if maybe they made a mistake three years ago.
Yokohama Ryusei gave solid performances as the different people Kaburagi impersonated. Yet as competently as he individualized each “new” character, I still felt distanced from Kaburagi. By jumping into the middle of the story, with Kaburagi playing different aspects of himself, hiding his true identity, it was hard to connect with the character. It would have helped to have shown the innocent eighteen-year-old before his life was thrown into the blender. The most moving scenes for me were the moments when he experienced things for the first time and made real connections with the people he met.
The film criticized a police force more concerned with expediency and image than in the truth or justice. The role of the public in demonizing defendants and demanding swift answers also subverted justice.
Faceless had an intriguing concept, yet the bouncing from identity to identity, made immersing into the film more difficult. Perhaps the 2022 drama which covered the same material was better able to delve into who Kaburagi was and what he was thinking. As a thriller it didn’t cause my heart to race or make me wonder if he was a mass murderer. As a character study, we were never let into his psyche. Despite the slow pace, I enjoyed the film, but it could have been so much more.
17 September 2026
Otousan Note: What happened to her father’s appeal?
Drama Mama Note: The most important question that was not answered was whether Kaburagi was able to finish his drama!
Kaburagi Keiichi was only eighteen years old when he was sentenced to death for the murders of three people. Three years later he escapes from prison and begins his life on the run, donning new personas and disguises along the way. He’s a good guy who meets good people while searching for something to exonerate himself. On his trail are two detectives tasked with bringing him in and to not question if maybe they made a mistake three years ago.
Yokohama Ryusei gave solid performances as the different people Kaburagi impersonated. Yet as competently as he individualized each “new” character, I still felt distanced from Kaburagi. By jumping into the middle of the story, with Kaburagi playing different aspects of himself, hiding his true identity, it was hard to connect with the character. It would have helped to have shown the innocent eighteen-year-old before his life was thrown into the blender. The most moving scenes for me were the moments when he experienced things for the first time and made real connections with the people he met.
The film criticized a police force more concerned with expediency and image than in the truth or justice. The role of the public in demonizing defendants and demanding swift answers also subverted justice.
Faceless had an intriguing concept, yet the bouncing from identity to identity, made immersing into the film more difficult. Perhaps the 2022 drama which covered the same material was better able to delve into who Kaburagi was and what he was thinking. As a thriller it didn’t cause my heart to race or make me wonder if he was a mass murderer. As a character study, we were never let into his psyche. Despite the slow pace, I enjoyed the film, but it could have been so much more.
17 September 2026
Otousan Note: What happened to her father’s appeal?
Drama Mama Note: The most important question that was not answered was whether Kaburagi was able to finish his drama!
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