Takashi Miike is known for his intense and controversial films like Audition and Ichi the Killer and famous for his extreme use of violence and gore, and being a fan of his, I was really looking forward to watching Lumberjack The Monster on Netflix.
The movie follows lawyer Akira Ninomiya (Kazuya Kamenashi), a ruthless man who will go to any lengths to get what he wants, with the help of his friend, Kuro Sutigani (Shota Sometani), a creepy doctor who experiments on unwilling patients.
Their psychopathic lives are disrupted when a serial killer known as The Brain Thief attacks Akira, trying to steal his brain but failing. Akira then wakes up in the hospital to find a mysterious neurochip in his head that gives him unexpected emotions.
The film maintains quite a serious, suspenseful tone that really contrasts with its quite bizarre plot and as Akira seeks revenge, he struggles with his new emotions, which complicate his ruthless methods.
It is quite absurd at times it has to be said but also has some really funny scenes.
In the first half, it comes across as a sleek, dark police drama, but it feels more like a TV show than something distinctive and the latter part of the film attempts to explore deep themes like monstrosity and human connections but ends up weighed down by too much explanation.
By trying to explain too much, the film loses its edge and fails to fully embrace either a disturbing horror or a serious psychological exploration.
The twists in the film though are quite effective, and the production quality is high. The action scenes are well-executed and occasionally have a bit of a noir feel, and Miike balances gore in a way that satisfies without turning away those who prefer less violence.
Despite some positives, it really doesn’t offer anything truly new and it feels too familiar, and is a film that I think will be quickly forgotten and certainly not one of Miike's best offerings.
The overly dramatic conversations can be a bit confusing too, leaving you unsure if the dialogue should be taken seriously or not.
It's worth a watch, but don't go in with high expectations. [Lumberjack The Monster on IMDB]
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