One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.

Review

Written and directed by Shin'ichirô Ueda (Neko bun no 4) One Cut of the Dead is a stunning little film. It's both funny and clever, gory, and rather well made. And I can't tell you anything about it without spoiling it. A film of three parts, some horror, some horror-comedy, the film centers around a film crew shooting a horror film on a shoe string budget. It is, quite fantastic, although technically flawed in many places, and weirdly, a technical marvel in others.

You will be tempted to give up on it early on. But don't. I deplore you.

The presentation is very patchy in places - some of which is by design, some by necessity, and it all comes together...in the end. The first third of the film is a little head scratching, until you fall in where the film is going, which is some 45 minutes in, so you have to stick with it, but it is so worth it. The acting is off, sort of on purpose. The FX are dodgy...on purpose. It has to be seen to be believed.

It's hard to continue without spoilers, so, if you like horror, horror-comedy, the art of film making, have an interest in cinematography, or just like a damn clever, truly unique filmic experience, then this is a must see.