Berlinale 2023: Japanese thriller '#Manhole' has stunning twists

The horror subgenre stuck in one place is full of clever concepts and places to get stuck (from the coffin to the sailboat). #Manhole is the latest entry in this subgenre and it really is one of those movies where no matter what anyone thinks is happening before they watch, no one will never guess what the real twist is until it happens. The film is the latest feature film by Japanese genre director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (also of Hole in the Sky, Green Mind Metal Bats, Freesia: Bullet Over Tears, Magic, Blazing Famiglia, Sketches of Kaitan City, Summer's End, My Man, Mukoku) and it opened in Japan just weeks before its premiere at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival. makes sense once the movie kicks off and the social media subplot kicks in. This quick festival review will be spoiler-free, because I'd rather everyone go watch this movie without knowing anything else before jumping in. It's not a spoiler to say there are twists, because of course that's obvious and expected for a horror movie like this.

A movie called #Manhole about a guy who falls into a manhole and can't get out is bound to have a few twists - and I'm sure the trailer ( eventual) will probably have a few shots hinting at them anyway. Knowing that this has a twist or two doesn't hurt it's just part of the concept, although I'll do my best not to even hint at what the twists are because it's better to watch it all unfold in the movie . Most of what happens in #Manhole takes place inside this dark and grimy manhole. From a screenplay written by Michitaka Okada, #Manhole stars Yûto Nakajima as Shunsuke Kawamura, a young Japanese man who finds himself trapped at the bottom of an open manhole - he can still see the sky if he looks up. The film opens with a quick edit of him celebrating and drinking with friends the night before, but as he walks home he knows he's passed out and wakes up there. I'm always up for these kinds of thrillers, always hoping they aren't too boring, and I'm relieved to say that this one caught my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat. I mostly wonder: what's going on with him, where exactly is he and why he can't get out?

One of the impressive aspects of this thriller is the graininess and realism of this manhole setting. Many genre films opt for low-budget decisions that eliminate precision and reality entirely, which can sometimes work, but not always. In #Manhole, director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri and his team built a very disgusting set that looks realistic - which I say I've never been trapped in the bottom of a Japanese manhole myself. . But from the moment he wakes up, all the usual is with him: dead animals, insects, disgusting sewage, foul water, dust, dirt and other objects to which you don't even want to think. It's an important part of the film's horror aesthetic – a realism that's needed in the imagery and in the story to make this a seriously gripping and unsettling experience for audiences to watch. Of course, the script ends up going through all the motions of freaking out and then trying to get out when it gets stuck. His phone still has a signal (and battery power) that allows him to connect to the outside world - but only a few friends seem to want to help him, and the police try to find him but GPS the location he sends them is wrong, then he creates an account on social networks.

As expected, #Manhole isn't just a movie about finding and getting this guy out of the hole. There's a bit more going on, including identity-related themes common to many Japanese films these days. Once there are twists - damn shit. Let's talk more once everyone has a chance to watch. In the meantime, let this movie play genre festivals the rest of the year and become a cult hit. All anyone needs to hear is the "you'll never figure it out!!" throw and they're in. Of course, there's a lot to debate and discuss afterwards. Did everything work? Does all this make sense? Does he even answer all the questions he raises...? Not exactly, but that's part of the rude charm. It relies on gritty realism but also takes some leaps and bounds - although not all land safely on...