One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Director: Shin’ichirou Ueda
Starring: Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Kazuaki Nagaya, Harumi Syuhama
Primary genre: Comedy
Secondary genre: Zombie
One of the most original and smart productions of the last decade, “One Cut of the Dead” subverts zombie genre expectations with incredible panache, energy and gusto similarly to what master Mo lei tau comedian Stephen Chow did in his kung fu outputs.
Best viewed without any prior knowledge, “One Cut of the Dead” works on several meta levels: we are watching a movie crew that is filming actors getting attack by zombies….until they are attacked by real zombies. It is every man and woman for themselves while the camera is still rolling and thus, capturing quite…unique reactions to all this sudden erupted chaos. The film yet, finds room in its straightforward plot to offer plenty of sophisticated laughs and sharp commentary on the status of modern television and the pressure of delivering a “product” on time no matter what peculiar circumstances someone might encounter along the way.
Elaborating even further though would spoil several hidden surprises in the film’s structure and content but we can safely say that screenwriter and director Shin’inchiro Ueda splits the story into three distinct acts; the last one is guaranteed to leave you gasping (and occasionally laughing uncontrollably) due to its intelligence and Japanese sensibility presentation which would not make sense from a West perspective but can be relatable for someone who works in the movie industry.
Honest acting give the proceedings more heart than a dozen melodramatic Hollywood productions and try hard “adult” comedies while a sweet innocence rests amidst all this zombie (and low budget) mayhem in its clearly defined, lovable and goofy characters whom we want to succeed and of course survive for their own and for their live streaming (I guess?) sake.
Its sub-genre (“zombie”) might not be appealing for mainstream audiences but make no mistake; the film is more than blood, guts and OTT performances. “One Cut of the Dead” attempts and wholeheartedly succeeds by telling a small and intricate story in novel ways in its execution, style and direction oozing tremendous energy; the final shot is certain to bring a huge smile on your face once you have all the necessary information to process what is happening. Watch this now.
One of the smartest and honest films of the decade
+Sensationally smart
+Sweet acting
+Excellent twists and turns
+Superb meta commentary
+Panache, energy, gusto
+Impeccably funny and comic timing
+Multi-layered direction
+Well-earned pay off