Action cinema is a vista stuffed with all method of skills each in entrance of and behind the digital camera, delivering an unlimited array of delights starting from fights and gun battles to vehicular carnage and epic stunts. There’s one thing for everyone, and for individuals who like exquisitely crafted fights in in any other case small, genre-fluid movies, there’s stunt performer turned choreographer turned director Kensuke Sonomura. If you’ve learn my motion protection lately then you definately’ve already seen me praising each his directorial efforts (Hydra, 2019; Bad City, 2022) and his work as motion director for movies like Nowhere Girl (2015), John Woo’s Manhunt (2017), the Baby Assassins trilogy (2021-2024), and extra. And now you’re gonna see me rejoice his newest function, Ghost Killer.
A struggle erupts in an in any other case empty alleyway as one man is attacked by many. Kudo (Masanori Mimoto) handles the a number of, knife-wielding attackers with bursts of precision, pace, and energy, however when it’s over he’s felled by a bullet from behind. College scholar Fumika (Akari Takaishi) is aware of nothing of this when she finds a discarded shell casing on the bottom, however the discovery connects her to the now lifeless murderer by forcing his ghost to remain inside fifteen ft of her. Scared, incredulous, indignant — Fumika runs an emotional gamut earlier than lastly agreeing to the one factor the undead killer desires. She’s going to assist him get revenge.
Ghost Killer sees Sonomura as soon as once more shifting up his story and sub-genre aspirations — Hydra is a tiny story of an ex-assassin, Bad City is extra about world-building and celebrating Japan’s V-cinema releases — by delivering an motion/comedy this time round. It’s a tone that matches him nicely, thanks particularly to Takaishi’s playful skills with bodily comedy, and it makes for a enjoyable, low-key time. Of course, simply as with these different two movies, it’s additionally punctuated with some actually stellar struggle sequences.
Kudo is a ghost, unable to have an effect on the dwelling world, however when he and Fumika “touch” he’s in a position to inhabit and management her physique. Think Carl Reiner’s All of Me (1984), however with blistering, superbly choreographed and executed fights. Takaishi doesn’t attain Steve Martin’s mastery of bodily hijinks, however she nonetheless delivers huge laughs shifting between personalities and management. Her comedic beats are considerably toned down right here in comparison with the Baby Assassins movies, and she or he strikes a very good steadiness between a flesh and blood character worrying about life and romance and an sometimes possessed badass. Similarly, whereas her personal struggle prowess has steadily improved throughout three Baby Assassins movies, Sonomura is aware of when to tag her out for Mimoto.
Watching Mimoto struggle is a very chic expertise as, very similar to Saori Izawa within the Baby Assassins movies, he’s an ideal muse for Sonumura’s rapid-fire, consistently evolving choreography. Hits and kicks unload at a ridiculous fee with dodges and grapples equally ubiquitous, and all of feels as spontaneous because it does exactly focused. If you respect nice struggle choreography, then it’s important to love this mix of skills. Related, Hydra followers, specifically, ought to be stoked for this struggle reunion between Mimoto and the at all times spectacular Naohiro Kawamoto.
Those acquainted with Sonomura’s two earlier directorial efforts know that his method to downtime between motion scenes is simply that, downtime. Rather than use these scenes for narrative momentum or exposition dumps, Ghost Killer and screenwriter Yugo Sakamoto take the chance for character beats and musings on life, loss of life, and the circumstances which have led to this second. Observations on honor, loyalty, and the way assassins are simply canines following their masters’ orders share headspace with conversations about how shitty males will be, and all of it comes with equal doses of humor and sincerity. The method is greater than a little bit of an anathema to Hollywood fare, and as such it’d go away some viewers clamoring for one thing totally different. It’s their loss, although, as these moments maintain interactions each heat and humorous for these with an grownup’s consideration span.
The guidelines of the possession are a bit versatile, and the unfolding plot is fairly easy, however Takaishi and Mimoto are an undeniably enjoyable pair guaranteeing that we’re alongside for the trip no matter what’s occurring on display screen. Ghost Killer is a small movie, extra Hydra than Bad City, nevertheless it’s a very good time punctuated with motion brilliance. Here’s hoping this group of extraordinarily proficient mates and co-creators proceed their action-forward journey for a very long time to return. I’d say to double function it with Ninja III: The Domination (1984), one other movie a couple of lifeless killer inhabiting a younger lady’s physique, however I do not know which ought to be watched first — the goofy, over-the-top bombast of the Cannon movie, or the extra intimate however endlessly spectacular struggle mastery of Ghost Killer? Honestly, you possibly can’t go fallacious both manner.
Ghost Killer had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024.
