It’s literally impossible to write much about ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, a 2017 Japanese zombie horror film. There’s something extremely meta, and yet, extremely clever about the film, a revelation that is best left for each viewer to discover on their own.
The film opens on what appears to be a small, independent film crew making a film about a zombie attack. The action is being tracked by one handheld camera. When the in the front of the camera action takes a break, the other camera keeps rolling, capturing the frustrations of the cast and crew. At least, that’s what appears to be happening. The print I watched last night had no English sub-titles, so I wasn’t 100% sure of what was going on. But a few minutes into the film, that lack of information really doesn’t matter.
Because you see, a REAL zombie attack takes place and what follows is a relentless chase (filmed in one long continuous shot) between the remaining normal humans and their infected friends and co-workers. It’s pretty visceral stuff. At one point, a zombie is killed and the blood spray winds up on the camera lens. We even see the camera operator wipe the blood off, which lends to the realism of what we’re seeing. There’s only one survivor, a plucky teen-age girl who, though still alive, must surely be teetering on the brink of madness.
That’s it. But hey, doesn’t this whole thing seem kinda short for a feature length film? I mean, it was a wild ride, but it sure came to an end pretty fast.
Or has it come to an end? To say anything else would be to ruin the nice little narrative surprise awaiting the viewer. The only thing I can say is, it’s an extremely clever reveal which shows what low budget films can be with the right material and, more importantly, the skills and talents of a hard-working crew to pull off the magic trick.
Recommended especially for those of you who like zombie films. Even if you’re not a horror film aficionado, you should check it out just for the twist.
If you do watch it, please don’t spoil it. The surprise of ONE CUT OF THE DEAD is best savored completely unexpectedly.
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