Akumu no erebêtâ

The plot: Four strangers trapped together in a stopped elevator share their stories and learn that some of them may ulterior motives for being there.

Elevator Trap isn't the kind of film that I usually watch, but I figured that I'd take a chance on it. It's a quirky Japanese comedy-thriller that unpredictably veers from comedy to thriller throughout the film. Sometimes I really enjoy that quirky refusal to adhere to stylistic convention, but here I thought that the film would be better off as a straight thriller or black comedy. The first half of the film is fairly lighthearted and silly, but it becomes darker as time goes on; eventually it pauses in order to deliver a public service message about suicide.

As with the stories of Agatha Christie, which the film references a couple times, the requisite plot twists may seem a bit predictable to savvy thriller fans who know to expect the unexpected, distrust the obvious red herrings, and automatically suspect the least likely characters. Still, for fans of Agatha Christie, this is a fun homage that plays with the clichés of the genre. I was not able to predict everything, of course, but I did a fair job of mapping out the plot twists once the characters were introduced. Unlike some films that depend on plot twists, I did not notice any obvious plot holes.

The sets are not as limited as the synopsis might lead you to believe, and the list of characters is larger than the few people stuck in the elevator. In fact, probably half of the film takes place outside of the elevator, though many of those scenes are flashbacks. The acting was pretty good. I found the quirkiness a bit forced and the plot a bit predictable, but I'm sure others will enjoy it. If you haven't gotten tired of films about people stuck in an elevator, this is worth a watch.

"Elevator Trap" is a goofy, enjoyable movie that reminded me of "Pulp Fiction". Some oddball characters are thrown together in a preposterous, non-linear narrative that mostly plays for laughs even though it has its share of gore, suspense and plot twists. Yes, most of the movie takes place inside an elevator, but don't let that scare you away.

I admit, the baseball framing device confused me (maybe you have to be Japanese to understand). And some of the elevator conversation is tedious, mainly because you don't know its significance til the end of the movie. It's still worth a look if you don't mind subtitles.

And stick around to the end of the credits for one last scene, even though it really isn't necessary if you've been paying attention to the story.