Audition (1999)

 

    Hi everyone! Hope y'all have had a frightening October so far and are preparing for the weekend's festivities. This month flew by and while I've done a few spooky things, there is nothing better than curling up at home with some popcorn watching a good horror movie. 

    

    Audition was never on my radar for some reason but it's been on a few "Horror Movies to Watch" lists recently and combined with raving reviews I decided to dive right into it. I don't say it often but this film is unlike other horror films I've watched before. This is also my first Japanese horror film review! 

    

    Audition was released on October 2nd, 1999 and directed by Takashi Miike as an adaptation of the 1997 novel with the same name written by Ryu Murakami. It is cited as an influence on the "torture porn" genre all thanks to the final scenes but especially in its stark contrast with the previous, story-rich nature of the film. It so greatly impacted director Eli Roth, Hostel was birthed from inspiration and Miike himself was a part of it. Others who greatly praised the film are the Soska Sisters who paid homage to the film with American Mary. To this day, the film is dissected by critics for feminist, misogynistic, sexual, childhood trauma themes. "Introduction to Japanese Horror Film" by Colette Balmain has excellent commentary on this. The film stars Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. The film runs for a total of 113 minutes. 

    After 7 years as a widower, Shigeharu Aoyama's son suggests he dives back into the dating pool to find himself a new wife. With the help of his film producer friend, they stage a fake film audition for a female lead based on Shigeharu's requirements for a romantic partner serving as a dating service. Smitten by only one woman, Asami, he decides to pursue her against his friend's insistence that something is quite off about her.

    

    To be frank, I was so enthralled by Audition that I hardly, if any, took personal notes. The elephant in the room is that it does not feel like a horror film at first...at all. In fact, I had to stop once or twice to make sure I selected the right one. It's introduced as a romantic drama: a man looking for love in all the wrong places and going after the woman you were advised not to pursue. We've all seen it before. The story is relatable with a twist but it's an alluring story from the beginning. All characters were likable and had depth to them. You are given a well-rounded view of Shigeharu's world and everyone in it. Amidst the seriousness lies airy, hearty humor providing the film with moments of ease and mental breaks. The score was appropriate, dark yet sweet, and an asset to very important scenes. The meat of the film lies towards the end where the story quickly turns on itself. It's unsettling, diabolical, and rightfully iconic. 

    Japanese Horror is a vast, grotesque world and its touch will forever be imprinted. Audition is worth more than just reading a review and it's certainly worth a discussion or two post-watch where I believe the appreciation truly lies. I highly recommend if you are willing to sit for almost two hours, have an iron stomach, and can appreciate 90's Japan.

My overall rating is 10/10 based on:

-Fluid, slow-building story

-Depth to characters

-Superb acting

-Dialogue

-Themes

-Acting

-Torture scenes

-Unorthodox presentation and delivery

    Thank you for reading! I'm very happy to have watched Audition when I did as it's unforgettable and phenomenal. Come to think of it, I don't think there's a J-Horror film I've watched that I didn't like. This certainly comes up to my top 5. If you've watched this before, please let me know what your thoughts are!

    Reminder that the Halloween Poll will close this Thursday, October 27th and the winning film will have it's review done by the 31st. Excited for this one!

    You can vote here: Halloween Poll

    

    Next review is in the works and one that was recommended by a good friend of mine. This will also be the first of its kind on my blog.

Stay safe and make wise decisions!

-CL