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Under Your Bed
High-Tension Movie Project 2
Japan 2019
produced by Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, Yasushi Minatoya, Yoshihiro Nagata, Daiji Horiuchi (executive), Satoshi Matsui (executive), Katsuya Kamo (planner), Takaharu Kanai (planner) for Happinet, Kadokawa Shoten
directed by Mari Asato
starring Kengo Kora, Kanako Nishikawa, Kenichi Abe, Yugo Mikawa, Ryosuke Miyake
screenplay by Mari Asato, based on the novel by Kei Oishi, music by Teje
review by Mike Haberfelner
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All of his life, Mitsui (Kengo Kora) was ignored by virtually everyone,
to the point where nobody, not even his parents, noticed that he wasn't on
the class photo back in school. But also back in school, there was one
girl, Chihiro (Kanako Nishikawa), who called him by name and had coffee
with him - and she showed interest in his hobby, breeding guppies. But
that was 11 years ago, he has lost track of her since - until he hired a
private eye to find her again, then rented a place within eyesight of her
house, and while running an aquarium store downstairs he spies on Chihiro,
who has since married and has a baby daughter. And with not a lot going on
in the store, Mitsui has a lot of time on his hands to spy on her in a
stalker kind of way. Then one day she stops by his aquarium store and,
without recognizing him from all the years back, expresses an interest in
raising guppies - upon which he offers her an aquarium for free if only
she buys fish food from his store, and upon delivering the aquarium, he
steals one of Chihiro's keys. From here on, he sneaks into her house ever
so often when she's not home, takes care of the guppies for her (without
her knowledge of course), and eventually installs hidden microphones in
the house. And listening in on her life, he learns that her husband
(Kenichi Abe) is a relentless tyrant who enjoys beating her black and blue
for any reason or no reason at all and degrading her. Now this is the
point where Mitsui starts actually hiding out in her house when she and
her husband are home, often lying under their bed for hours, also when
they're having sex. But the husband's violence becomes more and more
unbearable, not only to Chihiro of course but also to Mitsui - but what to
do without giving himself away? Above all else, Under Your
Bed is one disturbing movie, especially since it doesn't give any
simple answers and doesn't judge, instead makes the audience accomplice in
its protagonist's rather despicable acts of heavy duty stalking, and gives
the stalker a character ark and some (subjective) justification even that
makes his acts if not excusable then relatable, as well as granting him a
shot at heroism in the finale - but all of this is done without actually
vindicating Mitsui. But what makes this approach work is that it's done
without spectacle and keeping its pace relaxed, to give its characters
time and space to unfold, with the action picking up only gradually. All
of which adds up to a film you might enjoy - but (and I repeat myself) in
a disturbing way.
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