Director – Shin’ichiro Ueda (Take 8, Formal Warrior Suit Ranger)
Starring – Takayuki Hamatsu (Mystic Shrine Maiden, Followers), Yuzuki Akiyama (Kamen Rider Zi-O, Queen), and Harumi Shuhama (One Cut of the Dead Spin-Off: In Hollywood, Black Maiden: Chapter Q)
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Don’t stop shooting!”
I’ve seen several horror fans talking about the horror comedy One Cut of the Dead. This 2017 Japanese film was added to Shudder not too long ago and horror fans have been eating it up. With the physical release nearing I received a press release for the steelbook release from RLJE Films. I was curious about the film so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a review copy of the film my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a low budget film crew working on a new zombie movie when things take a dark turn. The film is being shot in an old building and the director takes it up on himself to feed into an urban legend revolving the building only to discover that it is real and the dead are really walking the Earth. **Spoiler Alert**
I was curious about this one but the quote saying it was as entertaining as Shaun of the Dead really made me wonder what I was getting into. At the end of the day I have to admit that I enjoyed it but I can’t compare it to SotD because these films are not in the same league.
The acting in this one is my favorite aspect of the film. When it comes to horror you often find generic and cliched characters that bleed into the background. OCotD is not like this. The characters are very enjoyable and the cast does a phenomenal job at bringing them to life. I really enjoyed them and I sincerely hope that if this film gets a sequel we see the same cast make a return.
The story for this one is pretty fucking clever but once you’ve seen it the impact is no longer there. The film crew working on a zombie film in one cut is genius if you ask me. However, the delivery does take away from the film especially in the third act. By this point the viewer is seeing some of the stuff repeated for the sake of the story and it does become a little boring.
Finally, the film has some surprising effects that fits the them of the film very well. Sadly, the “deaths” we get are not that memorable but we do get to enjoy some practical and make-up effects. Overall, One Cut of the Dead doesn’t bring the laughs and fun like Shaun of the Dead but it’s unique story and delivery makes it a must see for genre fans. The steelbook is one of the cooler steelbooks I’ve seen so collectors will definitely want to jump on that. Check it out now on blu from RLJE Films.
