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Homunculus

Original title: Homunkurusu
  • 2021
  • TV-MA
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
4K
YOUR RATING
Homunculus (2021)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:01
1 Video
17 Photos
DramaFantasyMysteryThriller

Truth and illusion blurs when a homeless amnesiac awakens from an experimental medical procedure with the ability to see people's innermost traumas.Truth and illusion blurs when a homeless amnesiac awakens from an experimental medical procedure with the ability to see people's innermost traumas.Truth and illusion blurs when a homeless amnesiac awakens from an experimental medical procedure with the ability to see people's innermost traumas.

  • Director
    • Takashi Shimizu
  • Writers
    • Hideo Yamamoto
    • Eisuke Naitô
    • Naruki Matsuhisa
  • Stars
    • Gô Ayano
    • Edward Bosco
    • Amber Lee Connors
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Takashi Shimizu
    • Writers
      • Hideo Yamamoto
      • Eisuke Naitô
      • Naruki Matsuhisa
    • Stars
      • Gô Ayano
      • Edward Bosco
      • Amber Lee Connors
    • 48User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:01
    Official Trailer

    Photos17

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    Top cast18

    Edit
    Gô Ayano
    Gô Ayano
    • Susumu Nokoshi
    Edward Bosco
      Amber Lee Connors
      Amber Lee Connors
        Lucien Dodge
        Lucien Dodge
        • Manabu Ito
        • (English version)
        • (voice)
        Doug Erholtz
        Doug Erholtz
        • Susumu Nokoshi
        • (English version)
        • (voice)
        Kellen Goff
        Kellen Goff
        • Ryo
        • (English version)
        • (voice)
        Kyle Hebert
        Kyle Hebert
          Rachelle Heger
          Rachelle Heger
            Anna Ishii
            • Female high school student
            Yukino Kishii
            • Mysterious woman
            Aaron Meza
              Ryo Narita
              Ryo Narita
              • Manabu Ito
              • (as Ryô Narita)
              Bill Rogers
              Bill Rogers
                Tara Sands
                Tara Sands
                  Paul St. Peter
                  Paul St. Peter
                    Laura Megan Stahl
                    Laura Megan Stahl
                    • Nanako
                    • (English version)
                    • (voice)
                    • (as Laura Stahl)
                    Seiyô Uchino
                    Seiyô Uchino
                    • Kumicho
                    Marika Yamakawa
                    Marika Yamakawa
                    • Homunculus
                    • Director
                      • Takashi Shimizu
                    • Writers
                      • Hideo Yamamoto
                      • Eisuke Naitô
                      • Naruki Matsuhisa
                    • All cast & crew
                    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

                    User reviews48

                    5.54K
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                    Featured reviews

                    8gab-67599

                    A Unique Movie

                    I enjoyed this movie, it was definitely different to say the least. I never got why everyone kept drilling into each others brain. But I did enjoy the story. It felt a bit drawn out at times I wish it could have been faster. I recommend seeing it and passing your own judgement. Cannot wait to see Ito in another movie, I loved his character the most. Even crazy he was still very much on the attractive side.
                    5Movi3DO

                    Boring second half

                    Warning: this is not the cortical homunculus with big hand and lip.

                    A new Japanese movie on Netflix that adapted from the manga with the same name. A homeless amnesiac got his forehead drilled, which allowed him to use his brain more and see into people's inner trauma.

                    I didn't know about the manga, so the review is based solely on what I saw. The first half was very interesting, as the main character explored his newly discovered ability. That one scene with the high school girl was so weird and mind-boggling. This first half got me invested to see how far the main character would take his ability.

                    The second half made a sudden change in tone, and became mystery and drama. I had major issue with this story because things did not have explanations, the buildup did not address the character's background, and the story itself didn't even make that much sense. This second half might improve a little bit of there was more impactful background music. Honestly the second half story wasn't that intriguing.

                    Also, the premise that if one drills a hole into the brain, and somehow this makes more space for the brain to be used more, was just stupid. This reminded my of Lucy, a movie with Scarlett Johansson where the main character got injected some weird blue stuff and was able to use more than 10% of her brain. At least that makes more sense than the premise of this movie. And the 10% brain usage is a stupid myth.

                    Overall, an interesting story about guilt and trauma, but the second half became convoluted and messy. 5/10.
                    4melkornight

                    Bad adaptation

                    Well starting from the Manga, it is way a hard piece to adapt, mostly because of his complexity and exploration of the human psyque, in this movie all the interesting charts between the charachters are just empty and as I said before that complexity is lost with this movie. It is not as deep as it should, but good try.
                    8pecksrinne

                    Very interesting movie, but I wouldn´t recommend it to people who wan´t an easy movie to watch.

                    Those who are interesting in psychology and theories about trauma and such are most likely going to like this movie, and of course you have to be ready for a little Japanese trippy stuff.

                    I haven´t read the manga so can´t really compare the two but I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.
                    5siderite

                    Weird manga adaptation about a guy seeing the traumas of others

                    Something must have been lost in translation, surely, as most of the characters in this film react in a way that is inconsistent to what people would do in a Western culture. You have a homeless person who acts all high and mighty when someone proposes shifty things for money, a medical student who is so annoying and arrogant yet no one kicks his ass, two women who just submit themselves when faced with minimal physical restraining and all kinds of extreme reactions to simple words uttered randomly by other people. One girl is practically raped as therapy (now you understand where the term comes from), then wound sucking and blood kissing followed.

                    The story itself combines the concept of homunculus with Jungian psychology, dodgy medical experiments that make no sense and parapsychology, but doesn't go anywhere.

                    There some interesting things in the plot, though. The idea that one particular trauma, that we probably don't (or won't) even remember defines so much of our persona that just nibbling away at it would unravel a person. They could have gone with that a lot, but instead the film wastes too much on exposition, then hurries over the interesting part, then ends in a convoluted and pointless ending. I understand it's an adaptation from a manga, but there is no rule that forces following it exactly.

                    Bottom line: a weird concept with some interesting details, but a poor cinematic implementation and I can only assume some bad translation as well.

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                    Storyline

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                    Did you know

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                    • Trivia
                      The "Homunculus" movie is based on a manga with the same name.

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                    Details

                    Edit
                    • Release date
                      • April 2, 2021 (Japan)
                    • Country of origin
                      • Japan
                    • Language
                      • Japanese
                    • Also known as
                      • Гомункул
                    • Production companies
                      • Avex Pictures
                      • Booster Project
                      • Peek a Boo Films
                    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

                    Tech specs

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                    • Runtime
                      • 1h 55m(115 min)
                    • Color
                      • Color
                    • Aspect ratio
                      • 1.85 : 1

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