MUBI

Audition

Genre – Foreign (Japan), Drama, Horror, Mystery.

MPAA Rating – UR.

Year – 1999.

Running Time – 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Director – Takashi Miike.

Stars – Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, and Jun Kunimura.

Story Breakdown – A widower takes an offer to screen girls at an audition, searching for a new wife. The girl he fancies from the audition isn’t as she appears, though.

Star Rating – ***1/2 (3 1/2 out of 4).

Short Review – Highly suspenseful, disturbing horror-drama strongly builds on character and ideas before wrapping up with one of the most cringe-inducing, unforgettable scenes in horror movie history. Ishibashi and Shiina are both great, but director Miike is the true star, crafting the film in a way that grips and toys with the audience from start to finish. Not for those who just want blood and gore (but also not for the squemish), this is a balanced, detailed piece of art that works as both a mesmerizing drama and horror film. A near-masterpiece that only loses some footing right before the end, allowing too much murkiness to flow into its narrative. This has gained a large cult following over the years, and rightfully so.

The version I watched online had hilariously botched subtitles (“Be a tomorrow star like Audrey Hurpin!” “She must has good skills.”), so that definitely made the experience laughable, rather than shocking or horrific. I kept waiting for that moment of unparalleled climatic fear, but it never quite happened. Maybe it’s because it had been hyped up so much to me by people I know. Yes, I was a bit disgusted and disturbed, but it never quite hit me the way I hoped it would. I was just kind of left with an empty, dirty, sick feeling but without any merit or feeling of that what I saw was worthwhile, you know? The stupidity of the characters and their motivations and the general incomprehensibility (although I usually have no problem with that) of it all kind of overshadowed the moments of genuine brilliance. Still, I’m willing to give this movie a second chance on DVD (with accurate subtitles of course!) so that I can hopefully see what everyone else seems to be raving about. I’m interested in reading the book but I don’t think it’s ever been translated to English.