Re/Member review: Terrifying, gory and fun

Re/Member is a Japanese supernatural horror flick that focuses on six high school students stuck in a murderous time loop. They are tasked with finding the remains of a murdered little girl while being hunted by her ghost if they ever want to see a tomorrow. The film is based on the web novel Karada Sagashi and is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Re/Member showcases a little girl being murdered by an axe-wielding maniac in the dead of night in a school. The plot switches to the present day, and it has been 30 years since the murder.

We are introduced to Asuka, a high school student who is a loner and considered a weirdo by her peers. She walks to school, and what is supposed to be a regular day turns into a nightmare.

As the day goes on, Asuka hears a little girl asking her to find her body parts. Unable to comprehend this strange occurrence, she heads home and before bed, receives mysterious texts stating that the Red Person is coming for her.

Terrified, she gets into bed and hides underneath the sheets. As the clock strikes midnight, she finds herself inside her school chapel alongside five classmates, Shota, Rie, Takahiro, Rumiko, and Atsushi.

The gang is killed by a mysterious demonic entity called the Red Person and relives the same day after waking up in bed. It is revealed that they must find hidden body parts of the girl who was murdered at midnight if they want to get out of this loop.

However, the demon will keep hunting them as they continue their search.

Performances

The main cast features Kanna Hashimoto (Asuka), Gordon Maeda (Takahiro), Maika Yamamoto (Rumiko), Fuju Kamio (Atsushi), Kotaro Daigo (Shota), and Mayuu Yokota (Rie). The six do a commendable job playing high school kids and shine in their respective roles.

Each character has distinct personality traits and is different from the rest. Sure, there are common tropes at play here. Takahiro is the troubled jock, Asuka is the loner, Shota is the bullied nerd who knows about a lot of things, and Rie is the popular girl who feels out of place.

However, despite these common personality traits, the actors shine because of the murderous Body Search game. It could have turned into a clichéd plotline with generic characters if this were a romantic drama.

Positives

Re/Member is a slick and terrifying supernatural horror film with a great premise. It delivers on the scares, and the gore is just right. How these kids perish meets the high standards of Asian horror cinema.

Time loops are nothing new, but blending the concept with a dangerous game involving a murderous entity takes it up a notch. The plot allows for some tender moments between these characters as we get just the right amount of context to their respective predicaments.

It also uses this setup to commentate on issues like bullying, anxiety, reclusiveness, inferiority complex, and guilt, plaguing teenagers across the world.

The threat level slightly reduces as the plot goes on due to the nature of the game. Dying and reliving the same day doesn’t feel too dangerous as you’re given unlimited time to finish the task. However, the makers solve that by transforming the monster.

The concept of being erased from existence if one is eaten is a welcome twist that puts a ticking clock on the kids’ heads.

Furthermore, the revelation that members of the Body Search will fail to remember it after finishing it introduces a moral dilemma for Asuka, who doesn’t want to forget her friends. It is almost anime-like to deal with multiple layers of conflict in a seemingly simple plot.

Negatives

Re/Member is confusing when it comes to pacing. Also, it experiences some abrupt tone shifts. During the day, we see these kids bonding, having fun, connecting on social media, and going to the beach.

As night falls, it turns into the horrifying adventure that they must escape. The urgency is convoluted, and the film sometimes struggles to find its identity.

The transformed monster isn’t the best when it comes to movement and visual effects. It looks like a malfunctioning puppet that cannot stand straight. This takes away a little from the immersion in the final act.

Verdict

Re/Member is a great experience if you love horror blended with grotesque deaths. It does suffer from a few issues, but it is easy to overlook them because of the great performances and a well-executed narrative.

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