Miss Zombie (2013)
Genre: Horror
Duration: 85 minuten
Country:
Japan
Directed by: SABU
Stars: Ayaka Komatsu, Makoto Togashi and Toru Tezuka
IMDb score:
6,2 (827)
Releasedate: 14 September 2013
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Miss Zombie plot
One day a large package is delivered to Teramoto's household. It contains a woman named Sara, a gun and a note that reads: "don't give meat!" Sara's eyes are soulless and she has many scratches and wounds. She is a zombie, cannot speak and is oblivious to other people. However, she does not attack people and that is why Teramoto keeps her as a maid. He, his wife Shizuko and their son Kenichi treat her well, but while Teramoto is at work, the other villagers mistreat Sara. After a tragic incident, Sara slowly becomes more human, while the people around her become more inhuman.
Reviews & comments
Woland
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- 4796 messages
- 3815 votes
Another tip from John Milton, who urged me to go into it blind - especially not to read anything about it, not even his review. Well, who am I to refuse that? Miss Zombie is set in a Japan that apparently once had a zombie outbreak; at least, zombies exist, and in fact, the film's central family adopts a zombie as a sort of pet. And there is also a warning: vegetables, rice, all fine, but no matter how friendly and human-like the zombie still seems, do not feed her meat! Indeed, it looks like Gremlins.But then the film turns out completely differently than you might think at the time. We slowly see the poor zombie being bullied by all kinds of villagers, you actually feel sorry for it. And after half an hour there is some more action, but again not in the way you would expect. It is not so much the zombie, although she also goes wild between the neutral and good things she does, but it is the lady of the house who goes completely postal out of jealousy and misunderstanding.
It is indeed a slow film; not too long at 80 minutes and a bit, and that in itself is a good thing because it is certainly difficult in the beginning due to the slow narrative pace and the limited dialogues. The film is largely shot in black and white, and in terms of story, originality and acting I have little to complain about. Still, despite all that and the fact that it was simply an interesting quality work, I'm still stuck at 3.5* for the time being because I had quite a bit of trouble with the excruciatingly slow pace. But the director still wants more.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Halcyon
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- 9952 messages
- 0 votes
Horror as a genre designation seems a bit misleading here, despite the obligatory blood splatter and a decomposing body. I have also read black humor several times, and even that feels rather out of place despite the sometimes absurd undertone. Personally, I would put Miss Zombie in the category of arthouse drama, not that that is so important, but you still want to avoid going into a film like this with the wrong expectations.
Did I like the movie? Of course! First of all, because it is an original zombie variant, with influences from the voodoo and vampire cults. Over the last decade, developments within the zombie genre have been quite laughable, even painful (who on earth would think of running, let alone watching, 10 seasons of The Walking Dead), and we are always looking forward to fresh ideas. Miss Zombie definitely meets that requirement. Moreover, there is an oppressive atmosphere about the events, which unfold through several twists and turns to a dramatic denouement. The combination of drama and horror is something that Japanese cinema generally excels at and this time is no different: it often feels more sincere than its American counterpart.
At least as important as the original angle is the cinematography. The choice to shoot this film in black and white was a complete success thanks to the excellent lighting. You notice that every single shot has been carefully thought out and that naturally increases the viewing pleasure. The score is rather sparse, but effective; the most noticeable is the monotonous scrubbing sound that eventually gets on the nerves, probably a conscious effect.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Threeohthree
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- 5557 messages
- 2931 votes
Phew.
This is quite a unique video. I was expecting a bit of an up-tempo stylish revenge/horror flick, but it's actually the exact opposite. It is almost Béla Tarrian slow cinema of the highest order. It is really exceptionally effective and therefore gives the film an increasingly melancholy. The melancholy really drips from the screen and the beautifully edited soundscapes ensure that this black and white picture is much, much more than the sum of its parts.
It took a while due to availability, but I am very happy that I finally got to see it. Definitely not what I expected, but perhaps that is why the film managed to make such an impression. Initially it is a matter of guessing where the film wants to go, but once it is clear there is no turning back.
Spoiler edit: Initially you think that nothing matters to Miss Zombie and that she is lifeless, but in the end it turns out that there is indeed emotion in it, which makes the throwing of stones and stabbings even more tragic.
4.5*
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