I had KAISHAKU put on my radar by a friend of mine who loves horror films. He said I had to see the film and that it was one of the rare films that disturbed him. That was high praise which KAISHAKU more than lived up to.
The plot concerns Iris a woman who is struggling with a son who is constantly getting into trouble, her own demons and her fa,mily’s financial issues. Things become complicated when a friend asks her to witness her committing suicide. Her friend said that she has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and wants to end her life sooner than later. Iris walks away but realizes she needs the money she would be paid so she agrees. The trouble is everything goes sideways and Iris is left feeling disturbed. Worse she begins to be haunted by visions.
I’m trying to sort out why this film isn’t being talked about as being one of the best horror films of the last few years. I know the film has just played Dances with Films New York, but I know it had other screenings and I cannot figure out why people aren’t talking it up. Either not enough people have seen it, or the film was too disturbing that people just don’t want to talk about it.
I’m guessing it’s just too disturbing.
KAISHAKU is a low-key film that slowly builds mood and feeling rather than having huge jump scares. Everything is played close to real with many scenes playing out like a regular drama as opposed to something you’d see in a genre film. The images are dark and oppressive, daytime scenes all seem to be taking place on a rainy day. Discussions are downbeat. Nothing is hopeful, or if it is it is wrapped in something dark- the financial windfall came at terrible cost. Times of light are short lived. Watching the film is like being trapped in the most troubling times of your life. Never mind the weird things that happen, the film is life at its most troubling. Then once you add in the weirdness the film becomes almost unbearable.
Truthfully, I never want to see the film again- and I never want to talk about it again. I never want to go into the headspace ever again. it’s not the “horror” that bothers you but the soul crushing shift in that we are in Iris‘ headspace and can’t leave it. It invades your brain and won’t leave. I couldn’t sleep after seeing it and I had to watch a hour of mindless fluff to be able to purge my head.
As horror films that truly horrify you this is at the top of the pile and as such should be seen, but at the same time you need to know there is no escape at the end. There is not cathartic release just painful realistic dread that envelopes you and puts you in a black cloud that may never leave you
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