What Is the Story About?
Six high schoolers get stuck in a murderous time loop game called ‘body search’. They must find the scattered remains of an unknown victim to break the curse and finally see another day. How the team of 6 eventually manages to break the curse and the way they crack the code forms the film’s crux.
Performances?
Be it Hashimoto Kanna or Maedo Gordon, or the supporting cast comprising of Yamamoto Maika, Kamia Fuju, Daigo Kotaro, or Yokota Mayuu, none of the performances work out convincingly in the film. Perhaps, one of the biggest setbacks of Re/Member is its deeply disappointing casting.
Analysis
Written by Doki Harumi and directed by Hasumi Eiichiro, Re/Member has a very interesting premise going behind it. A fusion of thriller, body horror, monster horror and supernatural horror, the way the film starts off is really promising, but that inquisitiveness doesn’t really last long.
Re/Member opens to a sepia toned retelling of a suspicious murder incident of a little child in Russian language (hinting at paranormal and paranatural happenings ahead). Cut back, 6 Japanese high schoolers get stuck in what seems like a murderous time loop game called ‘body search’.
June 5th runs on a loop for the gang as they get killed by a strange creature everyday at the end of the loop. They must find the scattered remains of an unknown victim to break the curse, escape from the monster and finally see another day. How the team of 6 eventually come closer, manage to break the curse and the way they crack the code forms the rest of the film’s crux.
Although Re/Member starts off as a Japanese rendition to the South Korean Netflix original ‘All of Us are Dead’, it does break genre cliches in unlikely and disappointing ways eventually. The characters are extremely unidimensional and with no proper back-stories, you don’t even root for either of the the six to survive the loop.
The only thing Re/Member had going for it was the curiosity behind the cult body searching practice and the story behind the little girl’s death. The build-up also was reminiscent of iconic J-horrors of the 80s and 90s. However, Re/Member doesn’t shed light on either of the two and ends up as a disappointing film with a terribly done climax.
Precisely, Re/Member has an interesting concept but underwhelming execution and some of the worst acting moments ever in film. If you are curious enough, just give it a try with expectations below the drain just to feed that horror-fanatic in you.
Music and Other Departments?
The music of Re/Member works in the similar jumpscare horror template. Kanno Yugo’s score manages to transport the viewers back to the times of iconic 90s J-horrors like Ring, but doesn’t do any heavy lifting per se. The camera work however is really soothing at places. The CGI work, is largely tacky but isn’t that big of a distraction.
Highlights?
Core Concept
Cinematography
Drawbacks?
Poor Casting
Poor Screenplay & direction
Disappointing third act
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes. But only in few parts
Will You Recommend It?
Not Really
Re/Member Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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