Available to stream in the UK and Ireland digital platforms on 6 April from Blue Finch Film Releasing.
Synopsis
After being possessed by the ghost of vengeful hit man Kudo, college student Fumika Matsuoka agrees to help him finish his quest for vengeance from beyond the grave.
Review
There are many ways to make an action film, but the goal of action itself seems to be, primarily, catharsis. Watching justified violence play out on screen scratches an itch somewhere deep in our lizard brains that’s often inaccessible to other forms of entertainment.
There’s a significant serotonin release at watching a good guy pummel some of the most despicable people humanity has to offer, because it’s the sort of thing we could never do ourselves in the real world.
The massively popular John Wick franchise harnessed our desire for this type of cinematic violence to great effect. The premise of the first film was very simple: gangsters kill a lonely man’s dog (despicable), but the lonely man turns out to be a legendary hitman and seeks revenge (cathartic).
The only problem with this, for me, was that the catharsis on its own wasn’t enough. I needed drama as well. And for drama to exist, there has to be risk. But when the protagonist of an action film is a legendary hitman – practically godlike in his abilities – you never quite believe he’s at risk.
That brings us to the focus of this review: Ghost Killer – the story of a college girl, Fumika, who is possessed by the spirit of a vengeful hitman, Kudo, and must defeat his killers in order to excise him from her body.
One of the reasons I opened with a short opinion-piece on John Wick is because, from a Western perspective, there are going to be a lot of similarities between that beloved series and Ghost Killer.
A secret organisation of distinguished hitmen? Check. Action that’s almost balletic in its choreography? Check. All of the above wrapped up in a revenge story? Yeah, you get the idea. These types of films exist to scratch that itch for catharsis, and they’re not going anywhere any time soon.
But what Ghost Killer seemed to have going for it that John Wick – arguably – didn’t, was rooted at the core of its main premise: a vulnerable protagonist.
The concept of Ghost Killer is inherently dramatic because the protagonist is set up to be the obstacle in her own story – more specifically, Kudo’s obstacle.
If the goal is for Kudo to get his revenge, then this would be fairly easy to achieve with his original body. But with that body gone, he now has to make do with one much less accustomed to violence.
This sets up a lot of interesting questions. How will Fumika feel about putting herself in danger, and why should she want to? How will Kudo apply his skills and training to a body that is – quite simply – built different? How will both characters use their unique strengths to achieve their goal as a team, and how will they both change in the process?
These are questions that are largely forgotten in favour of some beautifully choreographed, excellently performed action sequences. Mileage will vary on how much that’s going to affect your enjoyment of Ghost Killer, but in the interest of saving you time, I’ll tell you it affected mine a little bit.
There’s a lot to like about director Kensuke Sonomura’s revenge flick. It’s paced brilliantly, is frequently funny and boasts some impressive action scenes. Clever blocking and dynamic camera movement ensure that visual gags land consistently and hand-to-hand combat feels quick-fire but never confusing.
Both action and conversation flow with a graceful confidence that can only come from meticulous storyboarding. It’s a joy to behold. This is in no small part due to lead actress Akari Takaishi, who’s portrayal of two people sharing one body is at once compelling and amusing.
Fumika works well as a lead, because Takaishi brings both a strength of will and self-doubt to the character that makes her instantly likeable.
Masanori Mimoto also delivers a solid performance as Hideo Kudo, the vengeful hitman haunting Fumika’s body. Performing all his own stunts, he brings an undeniable physicality to the role, effortlessly selling himself as a practiced killer.
The issues the film has revolve almost entirely around the script. While all the characters are fully brought to life by the talented cast, they’re not written into or out of scenarios in a way that leads them to develop in a satisfying manner.
Kudo’s transition from villain to hero doesn’t hit as hard as it could, because he starts the film being already a relatively decent guy. Though it’s addressed that he’s done immoral things in the past, we’re never really shown any of those things, so our only experiences of him as a person are the fairly polite interactions he has with Fumika.
Even the reason for his death paints him in a generally positive light. So, because Kudo begins the film from a position of relative morality, anything he learns from Fumika over the course of the film about being a good person lacks the emotional wallop it could deliver if he’d been just a bit more of a bastard in the first place.
Likewise, Fumika’s character arc is rooted in her finding the confidence to stand up to people who abuse and take advantage of the weak, but that arc essentially peaks just a third of the way into the film as she discovers her confidence, with the help of Kudo.
From that point on, the path she’ll decide to take is obvious, because there’s no longer a fear to hide from or an ideology to resist.
The emotional development of our two main characters peaks so early that we’re deprived of an essential component of the drama. The only dramatic question we have left is: will Kudo be able to defeat a small army of professional hitmen in the body of a 5’3 student?
…here’s the thing about that.
Giving the protagonist access to the skills of a fighter but the physical form of your average college girl opens the door for some very interesting action scenes. Suddenly, a talented killer, used to a much sturdier, practiced body, has to fight men who are now much larger and stronger than him.
This should put a narratively engaging handicap on our protagonists, forcing them to make more creative decisions in combat to overcome their physical disadvantage.
Maybe they could implement stealth into their strategy? Or make tools to give them an edge? Hell, they could even develop a whole new martial arts style.
But, despite earlier bits of dialogue that address this idea, Fumika ends up fighting exactly as Kudo would normally, without any regard for injury or special tactics.
The result of this is that we end up with a third act fight scene that, while admittedly excellently choreographed, wouldn’t have changed one bit if it were just Kudo fighting with his original body – and this is a shame.
Being forced to share a body should present tangible challenges for both characters, especially as they stop being presented with ideological challenges less than half way through the film. Without these obstacles, the core concept feels more like a marketing gimmick than a story begging to be told.
There are several points later in the film where the director makes the decision to just have Mimoto do the big fight scenes, and let the audience interpret this as Fumika’s body being visually represented by Kudo’s ghost.
Now, this makes sense from a filmmaker’s perspective. Mimoto does his own stunts, so it’s easier to just keep the camera on him while he performs his martial arts, and give the editor less work to do in post.
But the drama doesn’t come from watching a trained martial artist slap thugs around – it comes from watching a 5’3 girl in a bobble hat try to do that and avoid getting slapped around. That was the promise of the premise. That’s where the stakes are.
Ghost Killer starts off delivering on this premise, but it doesn’t give Fumika and Kudo anything substantial to learn from each other, either emotionally or strategically, so the film is quickly reduced to spectacle alone.
As I said, mileage may vary here. There’s a good chance you just want to watch a cool martial arts film with some fun moments and solid performances, and you’re not too fussed about character development one way or the other.
If that’s the case, Ghost Killer is highly recommended. But if you were hoping for something a bit more character driven, just know that that’s not really what you’re in for.
Verdict
Ghost Killer boasts some satisfying fights, creative camerawork and a handful of laughs from a talented cast. While it doesn’t fully capitalise on the potential of its premise, it’s still an easy recommendation for those seeking elegantly choreographed action and some good ol’, cathartic revenge.
⭐⭐⭐
