“Cloud”
Yoshii, a young man who resells goods online, finds himself at the center of a series of mysterious events that put his life at risk.
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, “Cloud” follows Ryosuke Yoshii (Masaki Suda), a factory worker who embellishes his income by reselling items online. Shortly into the film, he quits his job to focus on reselling full-time, leading to a series of events with life-threatening outcomes.
Kurosawa is a director I’m not too familiar with. “Pulse” is the only film I’ve viewed, but “Cure” has been on my to-watch list forever. I found it hard to connect with this movie. The lead characters were inherently sketchy and unlikable—I think a dislike of the reseller industry is pretty universal. Kudos to the cast, however, for playing their roles well.
The festival rep who introduced the film called this an action movie. This movie did not give me that impression at all. If anything, I’d qualify this one as a thriller. It’s a slow build to an explosive final act, ending with a more subdued shoot-out than most movies give us these days. The action is flat and grounded, unlike the over-the-top flamboyancy of many modern films.
While “Cloud” has a lot of merits, I found it a little hard to follow at times. Seemingly minor characters come back at the end long after you’ve forgotten their existence. Maybe folks with a better memory than mine will enjoy this more. It also didn’t do this film any favors being introduced as an action flick. Reactions to Kurosawa’s works vary wildly from talking to other festival goers.
“Cloud” recently had its US Premiere on September 19th at Fantastic Fest 2024
“Ghost Killer”
After being possessed by the ghost of vengeful hitman Kudo, college student Fumika Matsuoka agrees to help him finish his quest for vengeance from beyond the grave.
“Ghost Killer” is a movie that’s more my speed. It’s a comedic action film about a college student, Fumika (Askari Takaishi), who finds herself possessed by a recently deceased hitman, Kudo (Masanori Mimoto), after picking up a bullet shell on her walk home. To allow his spirit to move on, she agrees to help him avenge his death.
This one, directed by Kensuke Sonomura, does not take itself seriously. Fumika’s reactions to Kudo are over the top and played up for comedic effect, while Kudo’s hitman plays things more straight. These opposite characteristics play off each other well, and Takaishi and Mimoto form a good pairing.
Sonomura directs the fight scenes with kinetic energy. The fight choreography is slick and effective—and frequently interrupted by shocked outbursts from Fumika as she laments what Kudo is making her do. I felt like this movie touched on some heavy topics, using a little too much comedy to glaze over them, detracting from the film.
While most of the film is played for laughs, some dramatic elements exist. These don’t entirely mesh with the rest of what’s happening. In these moments, the movie gives off made-for-TV vibes that drag the production down.
“Ghost Killer” overstays its welcome to a degree, indicating that things are soon to conclude long before they actually do. However, it is worth a watch for the performances of its leads and its excellent fight sequences.
“Ghost Killer” recently had its Regional Premiere on September 19th at Fantastic Fest 2024
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