Year: 1974
Rating: 6.0 / 10
For years I’ve always heard people around me talk about John Waters films– family, friends, ect. It’s been one of those things “I’ll get to it one of these days” – except I might’ve seen the Hairspray remake in theaters, but I’m not sure lol. Either way, for years I’ve wanted to see a John Waters film and understand what all the allure was about.
I guess maybe I don’t fully get it. I don’t mean that as in, “I hated this, I never want to see it or another film by him again”. I guess I was just expecting more out of the experience than I got. I think the subject matter and plot is interesting, the sets and people stand out but for me, I guess I’m not leaving with a whole lot.
The plot is as follows: Dawn Davenport, a delinquent who runs away from home due to not getting what she wants for Chirstmas, ends up pregnant and later has a daughter. The film follows her life as she descends into a life of crime and abuse to those around her. She gets mixed up with a couple who wants to then photograph this life of crime and she obliges.
How I’m reviewing this I guess I can compare it to Anatomy of a Fall– It’s not a bad movie in the scope of what it sets out to do and the story. It accomplishes that. I guess it’s more or less on my at this point and for me, I just don’t fully get the hubbub. Sure, I can understand it more in the context of the time and how radical it was for then… But I’m also viewing it from my own lens and I don’t think it resonates with me all that much.
There are a few stand out lines and parts (I’ll never deny the iconic nature of the line “Who wants to die for art?”); and to reiterate again, I think the concept is interesting and the path the story takes is interesting. I think the Christmas music in the beginning part was a fun touch to contrast against the trashiness.
I don’t know; I almost feel as if I'm missing a big part of it. As a concept, it’s interesting, but as an experience, I’m not so sure. I don’t regret watching it, but it’s not one that’ll stay with me per se.
Year: 2024
Rating: 6.5 / 10
First movie of the month for me, and happy pride! Going into this movie I knew the vague plot, but I was actually surprised that there were some former RPDR girls in it!
The synopsis of the movie is simple: 4 drag queens accidentally get booked in a small town bar and end up having to help the patrons survive vampires! The plot itself isn’t a ton, but it’s coherent and original enough that it works just fine.
The movie has some great outfits, fun scenes, and is overall very camp. I think overall it does a good job given that the budget isn’t high and the performers aren’t like world class actors (some scenes make that very apparent). The special effects are not great to say the least, but it at least works in a film like this that hinges on the campiness and fun of it– I’d much rather what they had in this movie than to blow all their budget on SFX.
I don’t have a ton to say about the movie– It’s great for a fun, light movie night, or if you’re just interested in the career of some RPDR alumni after the show. It’s not a great epic, but it doesn’t build itself to be, and it’s quite cute and the more you fall into it the better it gets.
Year: 2024
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Another horror movie! With a little sprinkling of LGBT themes! I was not expecting anything from this movie– horror AND Tubi original? My bar was low for this movie and it was actually pretty good!
The basic plot is simple: We have a nuclear family out on a campervan fueled road trip. After they have a barbeque, some men come up to them asking if they’ve seen a relative who’s gone missing. These guys are seemingly cagey, especially when put up against our stereotypical well-kept nuclear family from Los Angeles. After talking, the men leave and the family eventually drives off… However, that’s not the end of either of their intertwined stories, as the family is not all what they seem.
Now, the plot structure is basic enough for a horror movie, but it really subverts expectations, especially towards the end. I said this when I reviewed Spider Baby last month, but I find the subversion of the “evil countryfolk” trope really fun, especially because it usually comes with people who seem conventional but are evil. I think this movie really sets up suspense early and even though I expected the family to be evil, I did wonder which way they were going to take it when the family met up with the men again.
I think the final part of the movie and how it plays out really is interesting and fun; I do have to yell at the main girl in the country family for certain parts of her actions, but man, I just felt so bad for her. To get into smaller spoilers, I do like the juxtaposition of the country family being loving and supportive of each other while the suburban family is the one who had issues amongst them. I think they really did a fun job of fleshing out the characters for this.
All in all, I think it was a really good watch and I recommend it. It’s an interesting little gem that I did not expect to like at all and was happy to have enjoyed it.
Year: 2018
Rating: 8.0 / 10
I first saw this movie quickly mentioned on a twitter thread on how it was a controversial Kenyan LGBT movie… And then when looking it up, I saw it described as a “typical romance plot”... I think the latter is not an accurate way to describe it. I think describing it as just a typical romance plot is only watching the first 40 minutes or so and not the whole 82 minutes. I think while it has some beats that are typical and expected of the genre, that doesn’t mean it’s limited by those either.
The base of this story is two girls, Kena and Ziki, both from families where their father is running for a comptroller position. Kena aspires to be a nurse, her parents are split, with her dad running a store, and her having a lot of male friends. Ziki is shown to love dancing and has 2 female friends she’s seen around, she’s much more vivacious and the less cautious of the two. The two meet and slowly fall in love. Their love is a sweet, sometimes awkward, but genuine connection. However, people slowly find out about their love affair and it comes crashing and burning for them.
The story is told slowly, as we first establish their meeting, to their love affair, and get small glimpses into the prejudices that surround them. We get it in increments– name calling with slurs at other people, then a homophobic sermon, before we get a scene where they’re discovered and beaten, then laughed at by the police and blamed by their families. It’s an incredibly hard watch when these scenes finally happen. It’s absolutely gut wrenching to watch them in so much pain, mentally and physically.
The acting in this movie is good– there was only one actress who was kind of a strange standout for not being on par with the rest, but she was a minor character with only 1 big scene (one of Ziki’s friends). The color in this movie also was nice, I noticed a lot of pinks and pastels in the beginning while their love was blossoming, and towards the end, more muted colors (though the movie is still very colorful). I personally didn’t care for a good deal of the music choices, but that’s a small thing and doesn’t ruin the experience.
I felt even though it was a short movie, it was pretty decently fleshed out. The main girls had chemistry and goals beyond each other. Their characters were solidified through their actions together. Also, I unexpectedly really liked Kena’s dad… Which is funny because at first I didn’t care for him at all, but by the end, I grew to like him a lot (the actor was great all the way through, I just mean the character.)
I do think overall it’s a worthwhile movie to watch, especially given the difficulty that came with making it.
Year: 2024
Rating: 10 / 10
NOTE: For the purpose of this review, I use they/them for Owen, as I’m not quite sure how to refer to them (which, it’ll make more sense if you watched this already). I’ve seen other people do the same, so i'm following that convention.
I watched this movie once, and then the next day I watched it again. I did not stop thinking about it in that time and I doubt I’ll rest up thinking about it anytime soon.
This movie is layered– It’s enjoyable on a surface level, but it becomes so, so, so much more enjoyable on a deeper level when you connect to the themes of it. As someone in a perpetual state of ambiguity and second guessing when it comes to gender (I’d call myself nonbinary properly, but I think I have a lot to work out with becoming comfortable in that term for myself), it hit extremely hard. Especially as a child in the suburbs with parents who, while I hesitate to call them strict, were very protective, having little friends in school, and bonding with people grades above me– on a surface level, that connection was a little too hard and too real for me.
The analysis of this movie is thick and where I think the real meat and bones lie– but first, let me talk at surface level. The aesthetic and shots are nice, the coloring of the movie is beautiful and powerful (especially on an analysis level, but getting to that). The old 90s kids/tween show is perfect– and while I didn’t clock the Buffy references fully (as I’ve never watched it), I did clock parts feeling like Pete and Pete, which makes sense, since the main actors from it are in this movie. Every shot in this movie feels meaningful and like every watch I could dissect some new small detail from it. There was no oversight, everything felt like it had purpose.
That also brings us to the acting in the film. It’s stellar and feels realistic. The awkwardness, the loneliness, it all comes through so palpably, that by the end, you can't help but feel shaken. The last 30 minutes especially hold some of the best acting in the film, as we get into the emotion of things on a more direct level. My favorite scene is the ending– the last like 5, 10 minutes– Owen’s actor puts on such a heart wrenching performance, it's insane. This isn’t to dismiss the other actors, as they all do a phenomenal job– I also cite Maddy’s intensity, especially in the scene of coming back and telling Owen where she had been. It’s been pointed out by those with better phrasing than me, but to be able to look at a camera and say “I piss and shit myself” without a break in intensity for the viewer is really something else, as silly as it may be on paper.
I also really love Mr. Melancholy and Marco and Polo’s design. I think both the initial glimpse we get of Mr. Melancholy fits so well– it’s janky for sure, but it feels true to the time. Marco and Polo are interestingly designed as well, continuing the moon theme. If you told me they were from a real 90s action-drama, I'd believe you. I also really like the more “realistic” version of Mr. Melancholy we see later on; There’s something really unnerving about his look, and it adds to the tension of the scene.
NOW… The analysis. I’m not saying I’m right on any of this, it’s just what my interpretations of it have been. I mean, to get the initial out the gate, I should mention this film is directly about being trans, and that's from the director’s mouth. If you know anything about the film, that shouldn’t be a shock, but I’d rather note it and not leave anything out of the loop.
I like both the direct view of this movie and the metaphorical; The direct view is Maddy is right, they are characters from The Pink Opaque in some sort of reincarnation. The more metaphorical, which still marries in with the direct, is the metaphor for how pushing down knowing you’re trans is harmful to the self, and will ultimately eat you from the inside you slowly.
There are so many details that help support things. I think for any analysis to make sense, I should start at the beginning of the movie. The shot of Owen walking under the parachute-thing that schools do– It’s lonely, it’s walking your own path, away from what the others are doing. In the loneliness, it almost felt freeing in a strange way; It’s one of the only shots in the movie that there’s bright light as well. It’s obvious the parachute colors are invoking the trans flag as well.
The next scene is to the darkness– School, at night, election day. Owen’s mom is taking them in and guiding them to pick the candidate she wants to win. She says something along the lines of, “You’re not too old to do this”; Which I think the implications of that statement said another way is important, “You’re too young.” Keep a pin in this for now. Other little details to keep in mind for fun connections are the name of the school– Void High School (VHS), however, I think this connects deeper… Another pin, if you will.
We meet Maddy in this part as well; Two years older than Owen and already a fan of The Pink Opaque. I don’t have a lot to say about their meeting, but I’m sure I’m missing something here; The glow of the vending machines feel very purposeful, as they both go to the light together. I also think Maddy’s initial talking down to Owen is interesting, calling them “a baby”, but then seeming to feel bad about it. Maddy also explains that people mistake it as a show for kids, when it’s much more than that and serious. Owen mentions to Maddy that their bedtime is too late to watch it, and Maddy has an idea to get around it.
Owen’s mom is driving home, and Owen asks her if he can stay over at a friend’s house– Johnny Link, who their mom mentions she didn’t even know they were still friends. Owen’s mom says she has to ask their dad, and does so. We don’t see the dad just yet, and I think this is important. However we start seeing the chalk on the road forming and forming…
Owen goes to Johnny’s house, their mom waiting for them to get inside. Owen’s mom asks about their inhaler– keep a pin in this. Owen waves her off, pretending to be waiting. Also a small note, Owen standing in front of Johnny’s house is again one of the few scenes we get where it’s light out. Once she’s gone, they run to Maddy’s house, where we find Maddy and her friend Amanda waiting for The Pink Opaque to come on.
At Maddy’s house, we get a rundown of The Pink Opaque: Two girls, Tara and Isabel, met at sleepaway camp and have a psychic connection. They don’t see each other in person after the sleepaway camp, but still can fight crime. Also interesting to note; In the first scene of the episode we watch of the Pink Opaque, you can see the chalk. We get a terrifying ice cream monster, and a flash back to Owen, enveloped in pink light. We get a view of an ice cream truck at night, with pink fog rushing from it– I believe this is supposed to represent Owen’s egg crack moment.
Amanda leaves after the show, and Owen tells Maddy they told their mom it was a sleepover. Maddy asks Owen their thoughts on the show; Owen enjoyed it. Owen asks Maddy some questions, and ends up apologizing for getting things wrong. Maddy tells Owen not to apologize. Maddy tells Owen they can sleep on the floor, but to be out by sunrise. We learn here also that Maddy’s step father is abusive [“He’ll break my nose again”] and Maddy’s mom doesn’t care. Maddy also mentions the show feels more real than real life.
We get a shot of an older Owen sitting by a fire, and then Owen walking back to Johnny Link’s house, along with Isabel walking. This turns into two years later, Owen walking at a fair with blue cotton candy, heading back to see their mom who’s waiting for them. Owen’s mom is having a health scare, and I thank the director for not going in-depth with that part. Owen’s mom finds them being distant and far away, wanting to know Owen is still “on the right path”. Owen spits on their cotton candy, and we hear electricity crackle.
As they drive home, Owen lays on their mom’s lap and asks if they can stay up late to watch the Pink Opaque. Their bedtime has only gotten moved 15 minutes, so it’s a no, and their dad remarks, “Isn’t that a show for girls?” – Which, for an intro line to a character is very striking. We also barely see Owen’s dad in this scene, mainly only the back of him.
Once Maddy finds out that Owen isn’t allowed to watch the show still, Maddy starts leaving them tapes in the dark room. We get some important information as Owen is walking to the dark room– 1. “The drain lords: They stop attacking if you don’t think about them” and 2. Visually, we go from dark hallways to a brief scene where Owen is walking in a hallway filled with light, pink and purple windows on one side, and blue on the other, with white in the middle. Now, I think the dark room specifically is important as a metaphor as well; as dark rooms are places where things are developed and transformed.
Owen narrates that they watched the tapes over and over again; We get a view of Marco and Polo, which I think are interesting figures in themselves, feeling very gender-ambiguous as well. We see Mr. Melancholy and watch part of the Pink Opaque pilot; in which Tara tells Isabel that she could sense she was special before she even knew it. For some reason, my first watch I picked up on it mildly, but the second it hit like a brick– especially as someone who’s been clocked by my trans friends who all told me, “Yeah, we were waiting for you to have an egg crack moment.” The episode gets interrupted once Owen’s dad comes home, and they switch it to static quickly.
Next is Maddy and Owen on the bleachers. They sit far apart and chat. We find out Maddy and Amanda are no longer friends, Maddy is a lesbian, and then she asks about Owen. Owen explains that they’re unsure, and feel there’s a hole in themself, nothing there, and even their parents can sense it, though they don’t say anything. Pin in this as well. They make plans for Owen to come over again and watch The Pink Opaque.
We get a flash to them watching the Pink Opaque together, bathed in pink light. Maddy is quietly sobbing as they watch it. Later in the night, Maddy tells Owen she’s planning to run away, citing she’ll die if she stays. Owen tells her if she leaves, he’ll have no one to watch the show with. Maddy draws the Pink Opaque ghost on Owen’s neck. We cut to Owen trying to scrub it off the next morning, cut with Maddy telling them to pack as much as they can and leave with her. Owen knocks on Johhny’s door and frantically tells his mother that she needs to tell their dad they’ve been lying to him about staying there. We get a shot of the street, which is covered in graffiti. Owen’s mother dies, and then Maddy leaves, and all they found was her burning TV set in the yard. The same month, the Pink Opaque got canceled.
Now, time to remove some pins: Owen’s mom. I think Owen’s mom is an interesting character in what she represents. She’s gentle, more approachable than Owen’s dad for sure, and who Owen seems to have bonded with a lot more. However, at the same time, she still has pressure upon Owen, and guides their choices to be “correct”. I think she’s a complex character in what she represents. I would sum her up as representing adolescent pressure; not the transphobia that is harsh and meant to be, but the gentle and “well-meaning” in a sense, “Don’t you worry how things will affect your future? You’re too young to really know”. It’s not harmless at all, it’s just very subtle and in fact hurts the same. It’s the guiding to be in a box that was set for you, and not to step outside of it. I can liken it to my own experience well. In tandem, I think her death represents the death of adolescence; When you’re expected to conform to societal stands, but those societal pressures are heavy and weighted, but more on that when I talk about Owen’s dad.
We go eight years later, and we first see Owen standing in a fun center, but that doesn’t feel relevant until later. We see Owen have issues ordering food, and then we go to Owen accidentally walking in on two co-workers having sex. Owen apologizes, and we see them at their desolate movie theater job. There’s an interesting shot of an exit sign with shopping carts outside… I don’t specifically know how to interpret this, but it evokes a heavy sense of dread. It could feel like the fact there should be life, and there are hints of it, but all we’re seeing is the aftermath.
We go back to Owen being talked to by the coworker who was having sex, telling Owen that the other co-worker likes him and then being harsh on the fact Owen is not making eye-contact with him. As Owen drives home, there’s a powerline messing up in the road. They stop to investigate, and we hear the crackling again. In the wreckage of the powerline is a guidebook for the Pink Opaque, and we see it mentions season 6… Now, the Pink Opaque stopped at Season 5. We then see Owen come home and a brief look at their dad, who’s silently watching TV. He doesn’t talk to them, but it feels heavy nonetheless.
A small scene that’s interesting to me is the scene where we see a CGI movie playing behind Owen as they work at the theater. The CGI can be written off as an emphasis of the era, but the dialogue in the movie to me is interesting; specifically the lines: “creating an eternal night / the survivors fled underground”. At this point, we’ve established Mr. Melancholy’s character as wanting to create an eternal night as well. It’s a small thing, but interesting nonetheless.
As Owen is grocery shopping, they see someone staring at them… It’s Maddy! Owen hugs her close and they reunite. Maddy wants them to talk at a place at the edge of town. We end up being met with two performances at the Double Lunch of musical acts… Which, in the Pink Opaque, is a segment as well. I wonder if some of the lyrics with the musical acts correspond to things, such as "I think i was already born missing you". I also think the first act being a more mournful song, while the second is a more angry and angstier song is an interesting transition.
Between the two acts, Maddy and Owen talk. Owen tries to get Maddy to go to the police, but Maddy is hesitant. Maddy asks Owen about the Pink Opaque, and if they just remember it as a TV show. Interspersed in their conversation is views of Owen in a purple dress– Isabel’s purple dress. I think the color is interesting here, as purple is between blue and pink. Maddy tries to hint to Owen that it was more than just a show before eventually telling Owen she’s been inside the Pink Opaque. Maddy reminds Owen of the final episode of Season 5, and Owen goes home to rewatch it.
The final episode sequence is breathtaking. We learn Maddy sent a tape over to Owen after she had left containing this episode. In the episode, Isabel and Tara head back to their old sleepaway camp to meet up for the first time since the first episode. She finds out Tara has been captured already and is underground, buried alive. Isabel is then also captured and her heart cut out and stored in a freezer. Isabel is then forced to drink something called “Luna Juice'', a blue liquid that will kill her. We see Mr. Melancholy up close, and he’s holding a snow globe-like thing… Containing Owen watching the TV and that first scene of Owen in the parachute. Isabel is buried alive, mouth frothing from the juice.
Owen’s dad gets home to see Owen’s head stuck in the TV, it sparking with blues and pinks– Blues especially though. Owen’s dad then brings them to the toilet as Owen screams. A friend of mine said this might be a metaphor for Owen trying to come out to their dad unsuccessfully. Owen vomits blue sparks, and the scene cuts. We see a TV burning again.
Owen heads out to the school to see Maddy– the gym, specifically, under a constellation tent thing. Maddy further explains where she’d been, moving around, changing names, eventually realizing it didn’t matter where she moved, she’d still feel like she’d die if she’d stayed. She paid some guy to unknowingly bury her alive. An interesting thing in her detailing over being buried alive is she mentions “apologizing for the whole thing” while crying for help; an interesting parallel to Owen earlier on. Maddy says she dug her way out eventually, and was then Tara in The Pink Opaque. She looked for Isabel/Owen, but knew they were buried and were unable to find them. She drank the juice and headed back to the “real” world to find Owen and save them, bringing them back. Maddy tells Owen they need to bury themselves alive to save the other versions of themself. A standout line here is from Maddy saying, “The longer you wait, the closer you get to suffocating”.
The two of them go to the football field to bury themselves alive. Owen remembers being in that purple dress as they walk to it. However, Owen becomes frightened, citing it being “Like the drainlords, it’s not real if I don’t think about it” and running off. The potency of this is so effective and painful, knowing that feeling first hand. Owen comes home, their dad still watching TV. They recall they locked themself inside, waiting for Maddy to come back to force them underground, but she never came.
Owen makes themself believe they made the right choice, but still ruminates over if they did or not. We see a shot of the chalk saying “there is still time” as Owen walks down the street.
The theater closes, and Owen’s manager brings them over to the new fun center. Owen’s dad passes away and Owen stays in the house, upgrading their TV. They say an interesting line, that it was time for them, “to become a man”. They mention they have a family they love now. We see Owen by the fire yet again, this time, pouring water to extinguish it.
Owen finds The Pink Opaque on streaming, but it’s no longer the show Owen remembers; being cartoonish, now having a group of 4 kids. I’m still ruminating over the meaning, because I think it goes beyond the idea of nostalgia clouding your views. Owen also mentions feeling embarrassed, which is interesting.
The final part of the movie, we see Owen, 20 years later, and at their new job at the fun center, which includes arcade versions of Mr. Melancholy and Marco and Polo. We also get a glimpse of a child celebrating his birthday, with a clear “birthday boy” hat on, and a quick glimpse of the machine saying, “You are dying” as it cuts to Owen taking an inhaler. There's a celebration for the birthday boy, in a manic and loud fashion. Owen gets overwhelmed and screams, eventually calling for their mom. The room is silent, everyone with their head down ignoring this.
Owen is in the bathroom, shirt off, on the floor. There’s blue vomit in the sink. Owen cuts their chest open and there’s a glow of light inside. They put their shirt on, and while sobbing, they go out and apologize to people, blaming meds. No one looks twice at them. Then the movie cuts to black.
There’s a lot to say, especially about these last few parts. Owen’s ragged breathing and apologizing, blaming meds, is yet another thing that hits home, as I know I've covered up my own tracks of self discovery this way, blaming other forces and apologizing, not wanting to get to the root of the issue.
The first time I saw it, I felt like, “that was it?” When i rewatched with my girlfriend, she felt the same. However, as bleak as I initially viewed the ending, on a second watch, it almost became a thing of beauty. The “there is still time” before that final part, same with Owen cutting themself open to see another life still possible almost invokes hope. There is still time. The only time it becomes too late is when you’re dead– which is the takeaway of this movie for me.
There are some other things still to address before I end this review/small analysis. I think an important factor of foreshadowing is the inhaler. A friend of mine told me that asthma is commonly described as feeling like TV static, which I think is an interesting note in all of this. I also think the inhaler being tied to Isabel’s inability to breathe was really an “oh shit” moment to put together. The fact the highschool is also called Void High School– when Isabel and Tara were sent to the “midnight realm” is a cool detail.
A big thing I’ve been thinking about too is the details of fire in this movie– The sparkling noises, Owen sitting by the fire, the burning TVs. I think they’re all connected in metaphor. The sparkling noises showing the moments where Owen is starting to get small hints that they’re different. Sitting by the fire is might be Owen reminiscing about all these experiences, and putting it out might be forcefully trying to push down these thoughts. The burning TVs almost feel like passion and knowing spilling out– on the precipice of self discovery (as this happens right after Maddy leaves and Owen seeing the finale). I think Owen’s TV being shown and then not long after putting out the fire are tied together as well.
This movie is definitely one that’ll stay with me, and I really recommend it to others to watch as well. I’d also like to give a small shoutout to my friend Luka for telling me to watch it. I’ll also thank Luka and my girlfriend Naomi for talking analysis with me and bringing up a lot of really interesting points that helped me form my own thoughts and opinions on the deeper meaning of this beautiful movie.
Year: 2023
Rating: 10 / 10
NOTE: This movie deals with CSA and incest and it's mentioned in the review lightly. Please proceed with caution.
There’s lot to say here! As a small child, I watched some of the ‘68 GGnK episodes on a YouTube embed on a free site made by someone I was friends with… I recently got back to it a year or two ago, rewatching the old episodes and just this year grabbing the compilation book that finally came out in English! I’m setting up this backstory to say: I had a very different expectation of what this movie was going to be.
I remember when the poster came out, I was surprised to see blood! Afterall, I remembered fighting in the anime I watched as a kid, but never like this! I was hesitant, having seen none of the newer GGnK adaptations, but interested nonetheless. After waiting ¾ of a year, I finally got to see it!
I think it’s hard to really talk about this movie without spoiling it, so be warned going ahead because I'll be discussing the whole plot of the movie.
The family patriarch of an important family has died. Mizuki, a salaryman of a company that works for the family (and who’s president is married in), is tasked with going into a village on a mission. As he goes there, he gets haunting visions of a man [Gegero] saying hell is beyond that point, and shocked he can see him. We also get flashbacks showing he was in the war [presuming, WWII] and not wanting to be killed there.
The village is deep into the mountains and very remote. As he comes in, he meets a girl named Sayo who's shoes broke. He recognizes her as part of the main family of the village. Without hesitation, he fixes the shoes and is just very kind to her. She seems smitten by his generosity– which in hindsight is incredibly sad, but we'll get to that later. We meet her cousin too, Tokiya, a young boy who's frequently sick. Sayo gives him directions to the family house and he goes on his way.
As he arrives at the estate, he's suddenly cornered on all sides by men. We later find out it’s the village chief, who's married into this family, and his men. Mizuki introduces himself and the president of the company he works for calls him forward. Mizuki and the president walk in on the family’s funeral processions, of which the eldest daughter scolds Mizuki for being rude.
As a quick rundown, the family consisted of: 5 children; 2 boys, one who we’ll get to later, but one is also the next in line for the role of family head. 3 daughters: The stern oldest who’s married to the president and her child, Sayo; A middle one who’s a drunk; and the youngest who’s married to the village chief and Tokiya’s mother, and is very nervous and on edge; And of course, we have their father who has died.
An important piece of knowledge right now is the heir, the eldest son, Tokimaro. He takes over the religious duties. Tokimaro is set to adopt his nephew, Tokiya, and prepare him to take over once he becomes of age– Tokimaro just being an interim head. The president and his wife remain as the head of the company. The president is mad, expecting more due to a verbal promise by the father. A fight ensues. Sayo asks Mizuki to help her, not elaborating further. He tells her he works under the president. The fight is broken up by the eldest son crying and a ground-shaking wailing from god-knows-where at this point.
We learn that the family members also will be taking seclusion for the mourning period at night. Sayo’s mother calls for her and she follows. A younger Nezumi Otoko shows up– for people uninitiated with GGnK, he’s a yokai that’s an ally to Kitarou. He tells Mizuki he’ll show him around. Mizuki gets a small room to sleep in. We learn more about his wartime experience and how he got his scarring from a bomb. We see a screaming facial mask of the older brother before Mizuki wakes up.
It’s discovered the eldest brother is now dead, a weapon through his eye– a very gruesome display. People start murmuring about a curse. The village chief and his men bring forth a man who they believe they did it– Gegero! An outsider to the village. They plan to cut off his head, but Mizuki stops it, and is thus entrusted with keeping a watch over him. It seems the family still wants him dead, however.
At night, Tokiya comes and watches Mizuki and Gegero eat, but is found out quickly because of his cough. Mizuki talks to Tokiya and tells him about Tokyo. Tokiya is worried about him dying since his grandpa and uncle died– but Mizuki consoles him. Tokiya leaves. Gegero is opposed to talking to Mizuki at first, but Mizuki promises to let him out if Gegero tells him why he came to the village. Gegero tells him he’s looking for something, and Mizuki asks if it’s “M”. Gegero is confused, and we find out he’s actually looking for his wife who went missing, and he’s been looking for years now. Mizuki doesn’t let him out of the cage and goes to sleep.
We see a sequence of the village men attacking a corpse-like figure. Mizuki wakes up and he’s in Gegero’s cage. It’s not locked, so he gets out and searches for him. He finds his geta footprints and follows the trail. He walks in on Gegero talking to someone– a kappa– but is surprised when he gets closer and sees him alone. Gegero mentions being surprised he could see him.
Mizuki later sees a man alone in a building. We find out via Sayo it’s the second brother, who went mad after visiting an island in the village lake, violating a taboo. Sayo asks about Tokyo , and Mizuki invites her and Tokiya to Tokyo to go to an ice cream parlor. The president comes upon them talking. The president says if things go well, he’ll give Sayo to him along with a prestigious position if he wants it. The president mentions to Mizuki that he believes the killer is in the family. The president shows him the blood product “M'' and explains the raw material seems to be in the village, but it’s shrouded in mystery– to the point that the fact the president wasn't born in the village means he can’t know how it’s made. The president asks him to find out how it's done and he accepts. Mizuki smokes a cigar and coughs and the president laughs at him.
As he’s ready to throw the cigar in the lake, he sees Gegero out on a boat heading towards the forbidden island. He calls to Gegero, who ignores him. He tries to get a boat, but he sucks at it, and Nezumi Otoko helps him get to the island. The island is untamed terrain, leading to quite a hike for Mizuki. As he gets to the top, everything gets darker and darker, and he stumbles upon torii gates protecting a huge hole in the ground. He also hears ringing and strange noises, especially as he gets closer to the hole. He hears screams and sees a seal above the hole, his nose starts bleeding and monsters rush at him. Gegero saves him in time and the pair flee.
We find out that not only does Nezumi know Gegero, but that Gegero is part of the Ghost Tribe. Right after, we find out the middle daughter was killed, skewered specifically, in the woods on top of a tree. Gegero remarks it's not the work of humans– it’s yokai. Gegero also explains the workings of the world: yokai are everywhere, and he’s not human. He mentions yokai have been hunted and killed by humans, and their numbered dwindled. He and his wife are the last 2 of the Ghost Tribe left. He remarks he saved Mizuki out of pity.
At night, Mizuki tells Gegero of “M” and his mission to find it. They plan to expose what’s going on together– both to find Gegero’s wife and the mystery behind “M”. The next day, Mizuki asks about the island, and Gegero mentions the barrier seems to be cracked. The power on the island comes from deep rooted grudges, turned into the yokai Kyokotsu– and it’s a very powerful one, rooted in hundreds of years of grudges.
Mizuki later talks to Sayo to ask her about the well. She’s upset that Mizuki just called her out to talk about her family. Sayo makes him promise to get her out of the village. He eventually tells her he’ll do it. Sayo mentions there’s a limestone cave in the basement of the house leading to the island, but she doesn’t know where the entrance is because she's not of age yet. She promises to get the living uncle out to talk to Mizuki.
The youngest daughter of the family doesn’t want Tokiya taken away from her and combats her sister on taking him so he can take over. Mizuki and Gegero later talk together in a graveyard. Mizuki regales Gegero about his experience in war, talking about the horrors left in the wake from the cruelness of the army, to the leaders getting richer while everyone else suffers. Gegero then tells of how his wife loved humans, despite his dislike of them. He mentions she lived among them while he did not.
The next day, Sayo is able to get the uncle out; who freaks out upon seeing the island in the distance, trying to jump off the building terrace they're on. The uncle spills the paper he’s carrying, drawing of Gegero’s wife– saying she appears in his dreams. The village leader shows up, saying the uncle is telling the truth and that the uncle tried to free her before getting struck with some forbidden family technique to break his mind. Gegero remarks that the people aligned with the village chief who used that technique hunted the Ghost Tribe. The village leader and his men attack Gegero, but Gegero fends them off before they bring out a Kyokotsu to attack. Gegero cannot fend for himself and is taken by the village chief to the oldest sister. Gegero begs that his wife is free, but she mentions that they need members of the Ghost Tribe for their blood, and is hoping that Gegero and his wife have a baby so they can use that child as well for their blood. The men beat up Gegero, and Mizuki tries to get them to stop, pleading, before he’s cornered by blades. The eldest sister tells Mizuki to leave and forget the village.
Nezumi Otoko goes to Sayo, who’s inside her oldest uncle’s room, after called for him. She hands Nezumi Otoko a journal from her oldest uncle and tells him to bring it to Mizuki. The youngest aunt goes to disrupt Sayo– missing Nezumi Otoko narrowly. She asks her aunt to keep it a secret from her mother, but she refuses, saying once Tokiya becomes head, the house will belong to her. The ground violently starts to shake as things get toppled over.
Back to Mizuki, the oldest sister tells the men to take Gegero to the factory and tell the villagers to proceed with preparations for Tokiya to become successor. She tells them to also bring Sayo, as she’ll be married to Tokiya and “finally give birth to the next head of the family.” This is where things go from dark to really horrifying– we learn Sayo was abused by her grandfather, sanctioned by the family so she can produce an heir. Mizuki is obviously disgusted, but he’s knocked out by the village chief and placed in a storeroom.
Nezumi Otoko finds him and wakes him up, giving him the journal. He reads it with Nezumi Otoko over his shoulder, before ripping it up. Nezumi disappears, fed up with humans. Sayo appears before him, begging him to help her escape. We see them head off towards the tunnel Mizuki came in through.
We see the chief and his men bring a strapped-down Gegero to the underground. We get a flash of a discarded doll, which I don't fully understand the significance of [it was earlier in the film, not discarded; I have some theories though] as the men wheel Gegero to a room filled with zombies. We find out these corpses are people injected with blood from people of the Ghost Tribe– which those corpses’ blood are then refined to make “M”. As they prepare to cut off Gegero’s arm, the man holding the weapon is shot away by Mizuki, who has Sayo in tow. He threatens to kill Sayo, who begs her mother to help. We see that Mizuki told her to go ahead before, but he told her he needed to save Gegero. She chose to come with him. Sayo’s mother tells Sayo that Mizuki knows about what happened, and Sayo breaks down, distraught. Mizuki yells at the mother, saying it’s her fault that Sayo’s possessed. Mizuki says he saw the yokai around her. Sayo mentions the reason for the killings: Her oldest uncle tried to assault her, the middle aunt threatened to tell Mizuki about Sayo being abused, the youngest aunt tried to interfere with her. Mizuki mentions he’s guilty too, using her to get closer to the family. Sayo says she didn’t care, that even Tokyo would be the same, she just wanted comfort from him.
Sayo’s possession further materialized and she creates her own Kyokotsu– one that breaks even the one the village chief had. She proceeds to kill the men and her mother, and then tries to kill Mizuki too. Mizuki tries to stop her, but she’s too strong… But the village chief stabs her through the heart from behind before dying of his own injuries. Sayo bursts into ghostly flames while Mizuki cries, mourning her. Gegero is free, the seal keeping him from leaving is destroyed due to the village chief being dead. The pair head to the well, further ahead.
They find underground a blossoming cherry blossom tree, reddened. Mizuki’s nose is bleeding again, but Gegero diverts his attention to the corpse of the grandfather, with Tokiya standing on a platform underneath. We learn that the grandfather has taken over the body of Tokiya, damning Tokiya’s soul to hell in place of his own. The grandfather is protected by numerous Kyokotsu, born from the grudges of the Ghost Tribe. We also learn underneath the cherry blossom are the bodies of people from the Ghost tribe. Mizuki and Gegero try to find his wife, before the grandfather gives up the location. Mizuki is harmed by the well itself, being human, eventually collapsing. Gegero sees his wife, withered away, near death. She tells him she’s carrying a child.
Another battle ensues between Gegero and the Kyokotsu that the grandfather is in possession of. Gegero is unable to beat it, his body being taken by the cherry blossom which starts draining his blood. Mizuki gets up, coming for the grandfather and breaking the skull he uses to control the Kyokotsu, not caring about the consequences it’ll bring to Japan or the village. He collapses, but the Kyokotsu comes to attack the grandfather, gnashing him in its teeth before making him into a ball of eternal suffering.
Gegero is able to free himself before the Kyokotsu can harm his wife. There’s a cry from inside of her, and he gets a special garment formed from his ancestors underneath the cherry blossom tree protecting them, destroying the big Kyokotsu. He grabs his wife, carrying her over to Mizuki. Gegero says he needs to help save the souls trapped by taking on their grudges, and asks Mizuki to take his wife to safety. Mizuki asks Gegero not to sacrifice himself, believing the world should be damned, but Gegero says he has to, making the world a better place for his child.
We see the Kyokotsu terrorize the village, alongside all the other major people being killed off above. Gegero becomes a lighting rod for the grudges, his body dissolving until he’s just an eyeball.
We flash forward 70 years, to Kitaro himself saving the reporter who came this way. Kitaro finally has the last soul, and as he’s about to finish it off, Gegero, now Medama Oyaji, has a heart-to-heart with it, recognizing it as Tokiya. This part is actually incredibly emotional, as Gegero comforts Tokiya for having his future getting taken away. Tokiya is able to pass on, reuniting with Sayo.
We cut to a scene of police finding a man on the side of the road. It’s Mizuki, now with white hair, having memory loss. He knows he should be with someone, but doesn’t remember who, but his body has an emotional response.
We cut to the credits, which are beautifully done and tell the tale of Shigeru Mizuki’s original version of the story, showing what Gegero and his wife looked like in that version.
There’s a bonus scene after the credits, where Mizuki comes across a child born from a grave. At first, he’s horrified, wondering if he should kill the child. He remembers Gegero– who’s actually watching as Medama Oyaji, and decides against it.
NOW plot is out of the way– thoughts!
I think they really developed Gegero and Mizuki well and their motivations. Mizuki was very interesting, obviously taking a lot of inspiration from the creator, Shigeru Mizuki [even how he used to hear yokai stories as a kid from a certain woman]. Shigeru Mizuki passed before this movie was ever made– I forget if it was his wife or his daughter who greenlit it, but I really do feel this was a great memorial to his legacy of the series. I think the fact they put in his anti-war messaging is also a really great bonus.
The art in this movie is fantastic. One look at any background in the shot will just tell you everything you need to know in regards to that, there’s not a single miss. I really do like the designs of all the main characters in the movie– I’m someone who has a hard time remembering characters names, roles and faces together, but even I felt I understood who they were and their roles even if I didn’t have the names down.
Even I love how they harkened back to the original comic in the ending credits, drawing Mizuki in more of the traditional style, while showing the original Gegero and his wife’s looks.
Similarly to the art– they did not do the series wrong at all with the beautiful yokai depictions! Absolutely breathtaking– and the Kyokotsu, especially the smaller ones, and the living dead were actually kind of scary looking! [Flashbacks to being scared of Scooby Doo Zombie Island as a kid lol.] The music really never felt out of place either, and the voice work was really well done– though I was a bit surprised to hear a non-screechy Medama Oyaji/Gegero coming off from the 60s version (I’m not sure how he sounds in the newer ones.)
The story was really interesting and unique. I LOVE creepy village stories– but this one was really unique while keeping to the heart of the series as well. I’m still a little in shock with how dark they went. At first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sayo, worrying they’d go the typical “love at first sight for no reason” route… But after finding out about what she had gone through, it made so much sense it was absolutely heart wrenching. I’m glad it wasn’t Mizuki who ultimately killed her, and he obviously showed remorse over his actions of using her. I don’t think things were overlooked in her story– which is extremely important for such a delicate subject– and I don’t think they were exploitive of the trauma, going more subtle and real with it instead of sensational. I also think while shame was brought into it, by not only her own feelings but the family shaming her despite sanctioning it, I’m really glad she wasn’t shamed by any external forces and seen as what she ultimately was: a child and a victim.
The ending was heartbreaking– both as Mizuki struggled to remember and then choosing to not harm Kitaro despite being scared of what could happen. I think the final frame of the movie is extraordinary.
All in all, I’m so glad I got to watch this movie and I’m glad it lived up to the hype I built around it.
3:41pm .. .. // 7.2.2024