It’s a dangerous business walking out one’s door. Slippery sidewalks, inattentive texting pedestrians and poorly maintained shrubbery are all out there waiting to snarl, trip up or plow right into anyone who dares cross their path. A momentary lapse in attention can easily lead to one’s literal downfall due to the most mundane of situational circumstances. This is the set-up for Japanese director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s new film, #MANHOLE, which just made its Canadian premiere at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival.
The film stars Yuto Nakajima of J-pop band Hey! Say! JUMP fame as Shunsuke Kawamura. Shunsuke, a rising star at the real estate firm where he works, seemingly has everything going for him. Not only is work going well, he is engaged to the CEO’s daughter and expecting a child with her. He even has a group of wonderful friends who throw him a surprise party the night before his wedding. After the party wraps up, Shunsuke tipsily strolls down the street, basking in his happiness. Next thing he knows, he awakens to discover he has fallen down an uncovered manhole.
A simple but delightfully tense scenario, the sheer mundanity of Shunsuke’s situation immediately captivates. Without wasting any time, Kumakiri effectively sets the stage for everything to come by quickly addressing all of the tools and obstacles Shunsuke has to work with. The ladder leading the way out is rusted, broken and unusable. On the way down, it deeply lacerated Shunsuke’s upper thigh giving him an immediate physical disadvantage. Luckily, Shunsuke’s cell phone is fully charged and intact, with his briefcase filled with ordinary office supplies. However, not everything is quite as simple as it seems.
Shunsuke’s situation begins to give off a whiff of foul play when he finds his call history inexplicably erased. Neither his fiancée nor any of his friends answer his desperate calls. In fact, the only one who does call him back is an old, jilted ex-girlfriend he treated more than poorly. After finding his phone’s GPS is giving off an incorrect location, things begin to spiral. Desperate for help, he turns to a fictional pseudo-Twitter and creates an account as “Manhole Girl” (cause, you know, folks are more likely to help a damsel in distress than some dumb dude). It is here where #MANHOLE begins to reveal that it is tense, yes, but also full of wonderfully wild twists and turns (which will not be spoiled here).
Stylishly shot by cinematographer Yuma Tsukinaga, the film effectively captures the gritty, claustrophobic nightmare of Shunsuke’s surroundings while seamlessly fusing it with youthful, kinetic social media energy. As the plight of Manhole Girl begins to trend, the mystery surrounding Shunsuke’s situation increases along with his paranoia. Comments and theories rapidly scroll across the screen, giving us an intimate peek into Shunsuke’s deteriorating headspace. He makes rash decisions that toy with audience expectations, inevitably resulting in frustrated screams of, “Don’t do that!” But that is precisely where the film wants you.
Written by Michitaka Okada, #MANHOLE is filled with more surprising and improbable plot twists than a soap opera. While these will most certainly turn some viewers off, they will most certainly evoke chuckles and smiles from others. Highly self-aware, there is a cheeky attitude running throughout the entire film that pops it’s playful head up when you’re least expecting it, just to make sure you’re still watching. Despite this making things feel highly absurd at times, Nakajima’s intense energy and Takuma Watanabe’s pulsing, heart-pounding score sell these more fantastical narrative elements.
Beneath the unexpectedly wild swings that #MANHOLE makes, a serious and interesting conversation is being had. In one way or another, we are all living a manipulated reality. Whether it is the narrative we write daily in our heads or the curated life we present to others on social media, the lines blurring false narratives and harsh truths can sometimes be hard to distinguish. For better or for worse, it sometimes takes hitting rock bottom and those who know us best to gain clarity. For better… or for worse.
Tags: Fantasia, Fantasia Film Festival 2023, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Michitaka Okada, Rachel Reeves, Takuma Watanabe, Thrillers, Yuma Tsukinaga, Yuto Nakajima
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