"Red Room" is a low-budget, shot-on-video movie that is a "Guinea Pig" for the late-nineties. Despite a slow start, the film soon enters familiar territory as we see four players of the ultimate reality game show carry out acts of depravity, physical humiliation, violence and rape on one another in an attempt to win 10 million Japanese Yen (around $85,000).
While most of the unpleasantness will be nothing new to regular viewers of J-Horror, it's the plot of this straight-to-video production that makes the difference. A psychological exercise as well as a graphic one, "Red Room" actually manages to deliver a well-aimed punch to the viewer's senses.
Some people will hate this film due to its slow pace and lack of gore. The film has a slow-burn delivery of its content and it rewards the patient viewer.
Somehow, this politically incorrect film manages to titillate and appall at the same time. It's not to all tastes but is a tentative recommendation to fans of the "Guinea Pig" films and transgressive horror in general.
Curiously, while the unsavoury delights unfold on the screen, an up-beat, porn soundtrack is used. On top of this, the audio during scenes of intimacy is superbly vile, with over-the-top slurping noises used to great effect.
On the strength of this little film, I'll be checking out further Daisuke Yamanouchi movies in the future.
7 out of 10.
