Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low-budget zombie film in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility when they are attacked by real zombies.
Asian Horror Reviews Website: One Cut of the Dead
This is going to be a rather short review of One Cut of the Dead because to talk too much about this movie would be deterrence and would take away the magic that was this film. I will, however, speak briefly about my thoughts on this gem.
When the zombie sub-genre of horror became mainstream, my love for these types of films and stories waned as it was all over the place: in film, in television commercials, on the Disney channel! It was all too much for me and, frankly, the scare factor was just not there anymore for me. Gone were the days of the George Romero zombies, although there were satirical images portrayed in the films and not-so-subtle jabs depicted, the world that Romero created was just downright frightening. The zombie films of the 70s and 80s did them right, despite some, if not most, can be laughable by today’s standards but, still, they knew how to scare the crap out of us, if not gross us out.
When I popped in the Bluray of One Cut of the Dead, I was met with grainy, poorly filmed, and bad acting. I was aghast at what I was watching but held on because I knew that there was more to this film than initially meets the eye. For those who will watch this film, hold steady and stick with it because there is a purpose, and it is well worth it. I even recruited my seven-year-old daughter to watch it because from what I knew of this film, it is far from scary and billed as a comedy. She too was flabbergasted initially, but then as the film progressed, she was able to catch on and see the film for what it is in all its glory. One Cut of the Dead is one of the better films I have seen in a while, I was absolutely enthralled at the film’s conclusion, and it had me smiling from ear to ear by the time the end credits rolled. Speaking of which, be sure to stick around for said credits for another treat.
In the end, the cast was a joy and the film was borderline genius. Watching One Cut of the Dead brought me back to my younger days when I was an aspiring filmmaker and the troubles and turmoils that came along with it. I recommend this film ten times over!