YOO HIMIZU, BLUE, FOREST AND THIS 🔥
is such great convo of the day i didn't expect that actually but at least the devil is gone. But come on we should have the thing called explanation why hiroya character became like that killing someone because they want to was a lame excuse but DAMN 🔥🔥 I LOVEE IT
best psychological thrill ever japan have for now haha

YOO HIMIZU, BLUE, FOREST AND THIS 🔥
is such great convo of the day i didn't expect that actually but at least the devil is gone. But come on we should have the thing called explanation why hiroya character became like that killing someone because they want to was a lame excuse but DAMN 🔥🔥 I LOVEE IT
best psychological thrill ever japan have for now haha

Don’t really remember

Don’t really remember

You can clearly see how Shinzo Katayama has been influenced by Bong Joon-Ho, having previously worked as his assistant director. For his commercial feature debut, he delivers a rather compelling drama-thriller, one that carries the familiar traits we often see in Japanese and South Korean cinema of this genre.

With Jirō Satō and Hiroya Shimizu in the cast, I already knew the performances would be strong — and I wasn’t wrong. Both are excellent. But the real surprise is Aoi Itō, whom I hadn’t seen act in a leading role before. She gives an intensely powerful performance which anchors the film's emotional weight and provides so much substance to the story.

Katayama was inspired by the infamous 2017 "Twitter Killer" case — which was committed by an individual executed earlier this year (2025). That alone should give you an idea of just how dark and emotionally charged this story is. What I love most is the way Katayama narrates the events through the characters’ perspectives, allowing the horror to creep in gradually, with devastating effect. And that ending… it broke me.

You can clearly see how Shinzo Katayama has been influenced by Bong Joon-Ho, having previously worked as his assistant director. For his commercial feature debut, he delivers a rather compelling drama-thriller, one that carries the familiar traits we often see in Japanese and South Korean cinema of this genre.

With Jirō Satō and Hiroya Shimizu in the cast, I already knew the performances would be strong — and I wasn’t wrong. Both are excellent. But the real surprise is Aoi Itō, whom I hadn’t seen act in a leading role before. She gives an intensely powerful performance which anchors the film's emotional weight and provides so much substance to the story.

Katayama was inspired by the infamous 2017 "Twitter Killer" case — which was committed by an individual executed earlier this year (2025). That alone should give you an idea of just how dark and emotionally charged this story is. What I love most is the way Katayama narrates the events through the characters’ perspectives, allowing the horror to creep in gradually, with devastating effect. And that ending… it broke me.

crazy...

crazy...

Jiro Sato is pretty incredible in Missing, but I found it to be relentlessly bleak, and not in an interesting way. There are character moments that don't work for me (especially the daughter/boyfriend stuff), and the serial killer character felt a bit edgy for the sake of it. In addition to some over-written dialogue, I just felt like this film really wants to feel more twisted and clever than it actually ends up being. I felt a bit letdown.

Fantastic Fest 2022

Jiro Sato is pretty incredible in Missing, but I found it to be relentlessly bleak, and not in an interesting way. There are character moments that don't work for me (especially the daughter/boyfriend stuff), and the serial killer character felt a bit edgy for the sake of it. In addition to some over-written dialogue, I just felt like this film really wants to feel more twisted and clever than it actually ends up being. I felt a bit letdown.

Fantastic Fest 2022