Haze - Il Muro

The thing about Haze... First I have to say that the DVD costs about 20€, that's a bit expensive if you expect a full movie and in the end only get a short-film, BUT, the director once again creates a dark industrial set with a bit of organic flair. Just the way I like it! It's not as horrific as Tetsuo or Brutal as Tokyo Fist, it has more from his last movie Vital mixed with the craziness of his early films. In an interview he says himself that in his eyes the movie is between Tesuo and Tokyo Fist and I think thats not the worse description. All in all it's worth a look, but before you buy it for a high price better check out your next DVD-Rental-Store and have a look for yourself. About the German DVD release from rem (RapidEyeMovie) I can say that it has a beautiful but for the Label standard made Box with a Poster. The Extras on the DVD are okay, I think about 6 Trailers and an Making Of and an interview with the director ('bout 15 min). So Dude's check it out and have fun!

Coming close to completing my collection of all the Shinya Tsukamoto movies, and this one is pretty hard to explain. A man wakes up in somekind of a concrete space, hardly able to move, and notices he has an injury which is bleeding. It's very dark, and you only see his face for quite a while and hear him think to himself about what is going on. He begins to crawl through tunnels, or maybe a maze, and comes across a woman also trapped and bleeding. Different visions occurs, like a force knocking on a huge door which he can't seem to reach, and multilated bodies floating on the surface of a source of water in this space. They begin a conversation about life, dreams, death, and what is happening to each other, and how to escape. He wonders if the world is at war and they are prisoners, or some pervert has locked them away for whatever reason, or is it really a very nasty nightmare or are they in hell. That's pretty much what is going on, at least for what you can see, because the movie is pretty dark until the last 10 minutes or so. Although the movie is only around 49 minutes long, that is plenty long enough for this type of ambiguous narrative. Being a huge fan of Tsukamoto, this movie to me is like a terrible nightmare, and that may be what it is, you have to judge that because the movie doesn't help you along much at all. But what there is that is so Tsukamoto, is the superior use of music and sound effects, along with some disturbing visuals. Interesting movie to say the least, and a must-have of course for Tsukamoto fans.

One of the very few films that captures that feeling of a bizarre nightmare perfectly. Screw all the clichés and jump scares from most horror movies, this is real horror.

One of the biggest things that makes this so horrifying is the sets, because 95% of this film takes place in a concrete maze (which are actually painted wooden sets) with barely enough room to move. It's so claustrophobic that I actually felt extremely uncomfortable watching it. One scene in particular has our lead character's teeth against a metal pipe, with no room for him to pull his mouth off, leaving him to shimmy left and right as his teeth grind on the metal. It's horrific and unlike anything I have seen in a horror film. It's essentially Cube or Saw with less of a focus on body count and gore (Not to say that this doesn't have some blood and gore.)

I also have major respect for Tsukamoto for keeping his films at a length that he feels is necessary for telling the story. This one is about 50 minutes long, and it feels just right. His films seem to be quite often below the 1 hour 30 minutes mark.

This thing is short, horrifying, and thought provoking all in one. We seriously need more horror movies like this, because this truly encapsulates what true terror really is.

It's so basic a premise that it hardly seems like a feature that could hold our attention, let alone meet the needs of the genre it would be described as. Yet Shinya Tsukamoto here proves an ingenuity of film-making and storytelling that defies outward simplicity. One recognizes hallmarks of his other films in 'Haze' that keep us on our toes, accentuate characters' states of mind, and or lend atmosphere - industrial music; pointedly shaky and often tightly focused camerawork; inserted or overlaid visuals and visual effects; sharp editing that cuts rapidly through sequences of additional imagery. Here these all further serve to emphasize the deeply claustrophobic setting.

Confined and bare though the space is, we're treated to careful, grim set decoration to cement the scenario. Strong attention to outstanding sound design agitates our anxieties as it highlights specific trials of the protagonist, or portends a greater danger of the place he finds himself in. All due commendations to composer Chu Ishikawa for a fantastic score that does much to build the mood at all points. And hats off to Tsukamoto - fulfilling all but a few functions of the film's construction all by himself, while also starring alongside Kaori Fujii. Both actors embrace tired, determined physicality in performances of range and nuance that once again exceed the bounds of such a distinctly small movie. Moreover, themes are broached of the unknown risk of moving forward, but also the great peril of stagnation, and the importance of connection in even the most dire of circumstances. The protagonist and supporting character both convey thoughts as to a broader narrative, a Why and How for the What, but 'Haze' declines to truly explore or explain - the picture considers itself complete as it is. I appreciate that punchiness.

In under 50 minutes, Tsukamoto crafts a more compelling, thrilling, sometimes visceral cinematic experience than some features can achieve over far greater a length. It's honest, unembellished, and surprisingly absorbing. Recognizing a content warning for blood and gore - if you're a fan of the filmmaker's work, this is especially worth checking out, but even for horror fans at large, 'Haze' is an odd and truncated but satisfying movie that's worth watching if you have the chance.

Haze - Long Version

An experimental J-horror experience with a claustrophobic atmosphere and tension filled storytelling. But it never had a satisfying ending or revealing the mystery.

Haze - Long Version

An experimental J-horror experience with a claustrophobic atmosphere and tension filled storytelling. But it never had a satisfying ending or revealing the mystery.

Haze - Long Version

An experimental J-horror experience with a claustrophobic atmosphere and tension filled storytelling. But it never had a satisfying ending or revealing the mystery.

Haze - Long Version

An experimental J-horror experience with a claustrophobic atmosphere and tension filled storytelling. But it never had a satisfying ending or revealing the mystery.