Nightmare Detective / Akumu Tantei

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: January 13, 2007 (Japan) / July 6, 2007 (USA)

DVD Release Date: June 22, 2007

Plot 411: People kill themselves with the help of man who enters their dreams.

Review: I still don't get these foreign horror films, especially Asian ones, but I think this one was pretty interesting nonetheless. hitomi plays a detective named Keiki Kirishima, who has just transferred from investigating white-collar crimes to fieldwork. Her first case involves the death of a female victim. Her colleagues Ishida (Ren Osugi) and Wakamiya (Masanobo Ando) quickly deem it a suicide but Kirishima isn't sure. When another case arises, she believes there's a killer on the loose when she discovers the last call by both victims is to the same number. After some investigation, she thinks someone is hypnotizing the victims and ordering them to kill themselves. She contacts a known psychic named Kagenuma (Ryuhei Matsuda) to ask for help but he refuses. But when Kirishima puts herself at risk, Kagenuma must decide whether or not he will help her. Like most Asian horror films, this one is really difficult to follow. The line between dreams and reality is non-existent sometimes, and this contributes to much of the confusion. Also, the method through which themes are communicated is slightly more abstract in Japanese horror than it would be in an American-made movie. I wonder if this says something about the intelligence of each moviegoing audience or if it's just a cultural thing? In any case, this is tough to follow but the premise is really intriguing. It might take a second viewing to really get to the bottom of this one. I found it really weird that the title character is barely in the film and we must follow a real detective around instead. I suppose that's okay, but I would've liked to learn more about Kagenuma and his abilities. The scenes in which people are killed are amazingly bloody and gruesome, but this makes them great. Adding to the horror is the fact that you never really see what's killing them except for brief glimpses. Is it human? Is it a spirit? Is it the devil? Quick camera movements and good sound design add to the suspense to create a specific mood that has you on the edge of your seat. This movie reminded me about Freddy Krueger from Nightmare On Elm Street in a crapload of ways.

Watch It: If you're a fan of J-pop singer hitomi or of foreign horror films.

Skip It: If you prefer slasher films to be solely about blood spillage and devoid of any real thought.