Director: Yoshikazu Ishii
Year: 2018
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Gêmu masutâ
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Plot:
Waking up in a strange room, a group of strangers find themselves forced into playing a series of games with a masked game master that involves them playing cruel and extreme games as well as being offered poisoned plates of sushi and must continue until only one person is left alive.
Review:
Overall, this was a troubled if still highly enjoyable offering. Oddly, what really gives this one the most to enjoy is the games played other than the main sushi-eating competition. Those are far more enjoyable here, opting for a change of pace away from the scenes of them sitting around with a plate of food in front of them. These include a race to secure a special box loaded with a gun to shoot one of the others, a rather brutal version where the remaining men are forced to try to have sex with the lone girl and a a fine version where the participants must attempt to kill each other with unconventional tools. With the twisted oucomes and morality featured here as well as the brutal action that comes into play with how each victim is graphically yet comically dispatched, those sequences offer up the cheesy fun charm usually associated with the these efforts.
It's other main plus is the fact that the central premise and execution gives a lot to like. With a bewilderingly silly plot that serves as an excuse tp launch into the series of scenes featuring those tortures and games, the film is also capable of generating some great laughs throughout here. From the same dancers instigating elaborate dance numbers leading to the preparation of the sushi to the annoyingly catchy theme song that plays during the traveling scenes of the sushi arriving on a miniature train through the halls of the building, there's some light-hearted moments that come alongside the fun premise. The idea of the group being held there and slowly killed off by the deranged mastermind gives this a lot of nice gore as well which manage to hold this one up over it's few minor flaws.
The main issue holding this one back is the incredibly weak and barely-there storyline. The concept of playing this type of game should not take this long to see play-out. This type of story should be a setup for an anthology story, yet as a feature-length project there are plenty of additional aspects brought into the film in order to beef up the running time it doesn't need. Looking into the backstories of the participants once the game has finished is one such example as those don't mean anything since they don't add anything to the individuals in the games and it pads out the running time away from the games.
The other flaw present is the rather obvious low-budget nature of this one. Aside from the cheap, rubbery prosthetics for the kills, the film essentially takes place in one location with only the briefest of excursions outside. That allows us to really see the one-room set in all its glory way too often. Filled with some cheap masks and a rather obvious set of props around this. As well, that the film resorts to such obvious padding to the running time with its looks to the lives of the group in everyday life speaks to the overall low-budget to be found. These here are what hold this one down.
Overview: ***/5
Although there are a few flaws to be featured here, the film still maintains a good deal of positives that offer its watchable elements. Give this a shot if you're a definite fan of the more extreme stuff from Japan or the cheesy side of the genre, although if that concept is unappealing in the slightest bit then for sure avoid this one.
This was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is reprinted here under their cooperation.
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