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Review

As only 1% of corpses in Japan are embalmed, the subject matter of this horror film is much more uncommon there than it would be in the USA, in which more than one television series has been made about embalmers. Already in strange territory, Aoyama pushes us into the outré even more by hinting at supernatural influences, ninja assassins, multiple personality disorder and Frankensteinian weird science. Some, but not all of these elements turn out to be distractions and red herrings, while others have more to do with the characters’ personal journeys than they do with the central quest for a severed head. Skating the edge of horror and fantasy in this way, he keeps the audience on edge throughout, wondering what could possibly come up next. Unlike many of the hit J-horror films now being remade in Hollywood, Aoyama is influenced far more by the work of Seijun Suzuki (who has a supporting role) and his contemporary, Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE), presenting his grotesques within the context of the cool police procedural and film noir atmosphere, often spicing things up with showy cinematic tricks.

 -- Brian Thomas