Nervous Part 2: Versus Side Story

Nervous Part 2: Versus Side Story is the second and final short film loosely based upon Japanese fantasy slasher Versus. This short film actually has a few more connections to the original film than the shorter and underdeveloped first strike. This short film takes place some time after the events portrayed in Versus. The two police officers, one gangster and the escapee have no recollection of their past and live in a sanitarium. They are closely observed by a concerned nurse and a much more distant doctor. The four men befriend one another since they don't really know who they are. However, things quickly spiral out of control when flashbacks are slowly creeping back into their minds. Those painful memories turn friends into enemies again.

This short film is more than twice as long as the first strike and has some more development. The dialogues are very similar to the original film. There certainly is some entertaining situation comedy that keeps the short film going. Towards the end, there are some humorous fight scenes as well. The ending is quite unexpected but fits the comic tone of this short film.

The short film's flaw is that it lacks diversity as it's based upon situation comedy for sixteen minutes. The ending is even somewhat childish and leaves the audience waiting for a more sinister turn in vain.

In the end, fans of the original fantasy slasher Versus can watch this short film without any regrets. It's similar in tone and style and features quirky dialogues and absurd situation comedy. On the other side, this film can rather be considered a gimmick for die-hard fans rather than an interesting work of fiction on its own. If you don't know Versus, then there is obviously no point whatsoever in watching this. On the other hand, this short film is completely independent from the other short film. Both of these short films can be found among the extras of the ultimate version of Versus that has recently been released on Blu-ray by Arrow Media.