Aru yasashiki satsujinsha no kiroku

A RECORD OF SWEET MURDER is a found footage horror film which tells the story of a journalist duo who are invited into an abandoned apartment in order to do an exclusive interview with an apparently mentally disturbed serial murderer who had escaped from psychiatric custody . Once there, he tells them that God told him to kill 27 people to bring back a dead childhood friend, that his count is 25, and and that he wants them to record his final two killings of a loving couple which will soon appear.

The film is very unusual for the found footage genre and takes a number of unexpected twists and turns while maintaining a good tension based on the audience not knowing whether the murderer is insane or whether there is genuinely some supernatural stuff going on, very much in the spirit of M. Night Shyamalan's KNOCK AT THE CABIN (2023).

Some of the twists and turns are more successful than others, but even the less successful ones can be enjoyed as a sort of dark satire, especially since some of the characters are reminiscent of the weird characters in Takashi Miike's satirical horror movies (I was especially reminded of the antagonists in ICHI THE KILLER (2001)).

One aspect I wonder about is whether the fact that some of the characters are Korean and others are Japanese is meant as an oblique commentary on the dark history between the two countries. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea as a colony and severely subjugated and oppressed the local population, something for which Japan has not properly apologized to this day.

Be that as it may, I like movies with highly original stories, I found it entertaining, and it ended in a way I did not predict, so overall I rate this as a good movie.

So, I went in thinking this was going to be a "found footage" style movie were someone is recording the actions of another person, and largely, it is. The cameraman was tasked with recording everything that transpires. It's a basic setup, with a sparse location and a pretty small cast (for much of the film, only 2 people are actually seen, ending in about 4-5 depending on how far along you are in the movie). It's a very simple setup for film, and for the most part it works. You have an insane killer who has asked his childhood journalist friend to document his actions, becasue his actions are going to herald something great. "God" told him it would.

The movie is basically him jumping into the deep end, ranting and raving about how his actions will lead to an event that will change history. Like I said, the rantings of a Loon? Or are they....?

Then, something happens. I'm not going to spoil it, but the movie was definitely more than I expected. It actually gave me goosebumps towards the end, and it's very rare for a film to illicit that kind of reaction from me. I actually started to care about the characters at one point, although you aren't really sure if you should be rooting for any of them.

Overall. This movie was definitely in the unexpected category of films, as I had no clue it was going to end the way it did. In a way, I am happy it ended the way it did. It made what transpired throughout the movie that much more interesting.

Although I really enjoyed this film, I deducted several stars simply due to the Japanese actors. Who told him to ham it up that much? I understand that Japanese actors can be a bit...animated, there is no excuse for that dude being so damn extra. It was like watching a man figure out how to emote in an improv class. Totally unnecessary and actually detracted from the movie.

Overall, if you like a film that has lot more going on than it lets on, give this one a watch.

This film is so awful. The premise is so good which is what makes it all the more disappointing. The main antagonist is so annoying and insufferable. They had many chances to stand up to him but did not. The pacing felt very off and repetitive. The ending was actually the worst part, and everything became even more unbearable. I just couldn't wait for it to end. If you are a lover of found footage and were looking for something here, you will not find it. It'll be added to the long list of found footage films you've seen but would never watch again. I wasted my time trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. Save yourself.

The genre is a bit overused, but this is a good one with an interesting twist. Some crazy things (reminding Sono's movies) in there, a bit over-the-top sometimes, but very recommendable.

Maintaining the appearance of being a single, unbroken shot, A Record of Sweet murder is almost like a very bloody stage play. The real-time device brings to mind Hitchcock's Rope, with some cleverly hidden edits and sparing, but effective, special effects shots. The bulk of the movie really seems to happen all at once, drawing the viewer in to it's compelling and unusual story.

A Korean reporter brings a Japanese cameraman to meet a serial killer, who also happens to have once been a childhood friend. The killer traps them and, nervously wielding a knife, begins to explain that he needs them in order to enact some grander plan, an insane-sounding conspiracy theory. He explains that he needs them to wait for two other characters to show up, and when by some miracle they do, things start getting really crazy.

A Record of Sweet Murder has some fine performances, leaning into an odd, slightly surreal tone as it maintains its hyper real structure. This was something writer/director did very well in his horror classic Noroi: The Curse. While Sweet Murder is smaller in scope, it has a thematic energy, creates an interesting dialogue about fate and madness and the struggle between good and evil.

Found footage movies have a tendency to end abruptly or fall apart in the end and, thankfully, Sweet Murder brings it all back together and sticks the landing. A treat for foreign found footage fans and a thoughtful horror art film.