River's Edge is a dark movie. It showcases the lives of outcast teenagers, as they try to figure out what life is, what love is and what friendship is. Although it was unnecessary graphic at some point, and the events that happened were too much, the movie had a simple but strong plot. The performances, actually, were the key to success for this movie. All the actors and actresses of the movie were exceptional and helped the movie a lot. The ending, finally, suited the story overall. So, six out of ten.
5 Reviews
River's Edge
Tweekums8 December 2022
This Japanese film is centred on a group of students who attend a high school next to a polluted river. They include Ichiro Yamada, an in-the-closet gay boy who is frequently bullied; Haruna Wakakusa, a girl he takes to see a dead body after she helps him one day; Kannonzaki, her boyfriend who was the one bullying Yamada; Kanna, Yamada's 'girlfriend' and Kozue Yoshikawa, a bulimic model who believes she is ugly despite her profession.
This is a rather strange film. There is little plot to speak of. We just see the characters interacting and experiencing a series of events. There violence which is rarely extreme but has a brutally realistic feel. Similarly sex scenes aren't erotic but instead have a crude animalistic feel, clearly a deliberate choice. The characters aren't particularly sympathetic; again this is clearly deliberate. The film has a bleak look; something that is emphasised by its 4:3 picture ratio. All this may make this seem like a film to avoid but it strangely works; I was drawn into the characters' stories and thanks to solid low-key acting believed in them. The themes mean this certainly won't be for everybody. Despite its school age settings it is certainly not suitably for younger viewers; it more than earned its UK-18 certificate. Overall I'd recommend it to older viewers looking for something different.
These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
This is a rather strange film. There is little plot to speak of. We just see the characters interacting and experiencing a series of events. There violence which is rarely extreme but has a brutally realistic feel. Similarly sex scenes aren't erotic but instead have a crude animalistic feel, clearly a deliberate choice. The characters aren't particularly sympathetic; again this is clearly deliberate. The film has a bleak look; something that is emphasised by its 4:3 picture ratio. All this may make this seem like a film to avoid but it strangely works; I was drawn into the characters' stories and thanks to solid low-key acting believed in them. The themes mean this certainly won't be for everybody. Despite its school age settings it is certainly not suitably for younger viewers; it more than earned its UK-18 certificate. Overall I'd recommend it to older viewers looking for something different.
These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
Void requires a deep approach.
highjin15 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Talking about the emptiness of youth who have lost their meaning in life has become a boring subject these days. The reason why this film could maintain a tight tension is that the bottom of each weird character gradually revealed in various events. However, as a result, it seems that there was no depth in the character itself. In particular, there are too many unexplained parts of Yamada's character, the male protagonist who is gay. Cuz Yamada is the most powerful psychopath in this film. He feels no pain to violence but reacts violently to the feelings of a broken heart. He kills his cat impulsively and makes a strange smile at his lover's suicide. This one can realize the meaning of life only by looking at a dead body...things has gone beyond excessive. Gone Too far. Nevertheless, the bottom of the spirit is roughly finished without interpretation. This show the obvious limitations of this film.There are Only unknown lines between emptiness of the empty characters. It is regretful to the audience who were expecting a different result.I think it would have been a better movie if it went down more to the bottom of the characters. It should have been.
Cold Fish: Teenage Version
soeprijo193 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is brutal in every way it can. No sugar coating at all. Just plain dark. What dark side of the life would you like to see? Prostitution check. Hikikomori check. Bullying check. Drugs check. Sugar daddy check. Murder check. Necrophilia check. Bullimia check. You can add other things that I missed to mention in this movie later.
Set in a small town Japan in the late 90s, I'm sure the teenagers that became the center of the story here surely studied in a high school that later was opted in Battle Royale (2000) game. Their behaviour fits the situation perfectly.
Okay 7/10.
Set in a small town Japan in the late 90s, I'm sure the teenagers that became the center of the story here surely studied in a high school that later was opted in Battle Royale (2000) game. Their behaviour fits the situation perfectly.
Okay 7/10.
A weird, quiet, but interesting Japanese film
EasternZZ3 November 2020
This movie is one of those weird, very quiet, but intriguing films. There isn't really a plot to begin with, there are just characters and they just go through the motions. It is interesting enough if you like these type of very dark, very quiet, slow, but intriguing films. Every character has their own thing going on, for example one guy gets beaten up a lot, one dude likes to have sex all the time, one girl likes to eat food and vomit it out, and another character is "normal."
I do like this film and it has some graphic sex in here.
Another good Japanese movie that most Westerners will probably not like, but if you are into Japanese anime, manga, ultra dark and disturbing Japanese stuff, this is a movie for you.
8/10
I do like this film and it has some graphic sex in here.
Another good Japanese movie that most Westerners will probably not like, but if you are into Japanese anime, manga, ultra dark and disturbing Japanese stuff, this is a movie for you.
8/10
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