Sagasu

A fine Japanese drama/thriller about a teenage girl searching for her father. When she spoke to him last, he claimed he saw a serial killer with a bounty on his head. She suspects he might've set out to find the said killer, especially now that he's drowning in debt.

To say more would be to spoil a complex narrative structured in an atypical way. It's a multi-character story featuring time shifts and unexpected twists. But what I loved the most was the amount of human depth in a dark, sometimes gruesome context. This is, in heart, a story about people grappling with grief, loneliness and despair. They're trying to reconnect with other people but can't help themselves and so end up stuck in the mud, so to speak.

Often juxtaposing emotional outbursts with bizarre horror-like situations, director Shinzo Katayama proves adept at blending genres without hurting the narrative. In that regard he reminds me of the likes of Lee Sang-il (Ikari) or Keisuke Yoshida (Himeanole), daring filmmakers who impress with their abilities to defy simple expectations. The actors here are really convincing too, especially Jiro Sato and Aoi Ito as father and daughter in a strained relationship. Technical specs are fine, often artfully capturing key scenes as they play out.

In short, this was a winner for me. A dramatic thriller that successfully builds a compelling story without compromising its unique vision. The last scene alone is worthy of a watch.