Perhaps there can be too much of a good thing. Especially when it comes to the zombie genre. However in this case it's less about the zombies and more about the film making process.
Now it's going to be a little difficult to explain how and why exactly without spoiling the film but I will try. Let's just say that there are still film makers around who can do something original and creative with a genre that has been done to death now. One Cut of the Dead does something pretty unique. It gives us a glimpse of the many stages of film making that are required to make a genre film like this. We are exposed to the ins and outs and other elements like for example the quirks of star actors behind the scenes. That of course is not that original. However One Cut of the Dead takes it a step further. And this totally caught me off guard. What this step is I won't be able to describe without spoiling so I am not going to. What I can say is that this did warm my heart as a film fan and inspired me greatly.
At first glance you might think that the acting is horribly until you realize that this was deliberate. You then get to see the real acting and all I can say it's quite phenomenal. I honestly didn't know any of the cast. It very well could be that they were featured in films I might have seen but I didn't recognize them. But it's a good thing that these are relative unknown actors since that emphasizes the low budget / home made movie vibe. Takayuki Hamatsu as Director Higurashi demonstrates he has quite the range. Harumi Shuhama as Nao also made an impression as she also managed to make me laugh with her antics like overacting and getting immersed too much. She actually points out how ridiculous method acting can be when taken too far.
Overall One Cut of the Dead is a must watch for the horror fan. But also could and should appeal to everyone who call themselves cinephiles.
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