Tomie: Replay

This delves more into the realm of Junji Ito's Tomie.

Tomie: Replay doesn't waste any time placing you into the world of one persistent femme fatale. As a whole, the movie works great with a mix of quick frights and as a screechingly, effective head trip. The acting is great and it's a guilty pleasure watching people becoming gradually trapped in Tomie's quagmire of madness. Just watch Takeshi who shines in any scene at his apartment. Kudos to Sayaka Yamaguchi for her portrayal of Yumi who is one tough cookie (she screams well, straight from the diaphragm!). Note how characters' mental breakdowns range from hushed, vacant tones to high pitched shrieks of insanity. This does well at keeping the story not wholly predictable. There is a 'Tell-Tale Heart' syndrome in the story where you wonder if it's the guilty conscience at work or Tomie herself (or BOTH!!).

The spooky soundtrack and sound effects are key. One scene, there will be birds chirping in the countryside suddenly interrupted by breaking glass, loud moans, or a hacksaw cutting away. Some of the scenes look amazing (one reason for my enjoyment of foreign films). This includes Yumi's home with a wooden finish overlooking the city, the bus ride with a cliffside view, and an ominous staircase.

Tomie: Replay's definitely my favorite out of the series.