Ekusute (2007)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Shion Sono

Writers:

Shion Sono (screenplay) &
Masaki Adachi (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 February 2007 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

What lovely hair you have...

Plot:

About hair extensions that attack the women that wear them.

Plot Keywords:

Hair | Hair Extension | Hair Salon | Hair Stylist | Japanese Horror Film

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Chiaki Kuriyama	...	Yûko Mizushima
Megumi Satô	...	Yuki Morita
Tsugumi	...	Kiyomi Mizushima
Eri Machimoto	...	Sachi Kôda
Miku Satô	...	Mami
Yûna Natsuo	...	Kondô
Ken Mitsuishi	...	Tatsuo Sugawara
Hiroshi Yamamoto	...	Jirô Tamura
Tetsushi Tanaka	...	Yaguchi
Hikari Mitsushima	...	Yuriko Shiina
Ayaka Onoue	...	Nana Katô (as Aya Onoue)
Ryôsuke Nagata	...	Yûta Sakurai
Erika Mine	...	Sarina Tanaka
Mari Hayashida	...	Yukari Suzuki
Yôji Tanaka	...	Takashima

Also Known As:

Exte: Hair Extensions (Japan: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent and disturbing content, some terror and language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Central Arts

Soundtrack:

Haruka

Vigorously barmy and highly entertaining J-horror comedy

Although its been a while since I last saw director Sion Sono's noted earlier work Suicide Club I had a good enough memory of it to be glad to get hold of this later outing, which is a strange beast indeed and a thoroughly entertaining viewing experience. It begins with a dead girl discovered in a shipment of hair. A mad hair fetishist coroner discovers that her hair keeps on growing after death and the events that follow intersect with an ambitious young hair stylist who also has to deal with her young niece and her abusive sister. The film takes the material for an alternately comedic and dramatic ride, with Ren Osugi's turn as coroner Yamazaki providing the bulk of the comedy and Chiaki Kuriyama's young heroine and her niece making for drama. Osugi gives a colorful, macabre and sometimes very funny performance, a highlight of the film whilst Kuriyama is greatly charming, moving deftly from hard edges to sweetness and carrying the film superbly. There are a few moments of creepiness but generally the horror is used for weirdness and leftfield shock sequences as well as assisting with the humour. It helps that the effects, while mostly CGI are pretty great and their quality combined with the loopy imagination on display makes for potently entertaining watching. The film could be tighter and perhaps could have gelled its elements together better to make for more of an overall impact but I still enjoyed it immensely. It may well divide even generalised Asian strangeness fans with its attitude, but I found it to be most rewarding of my time. Good stuff for sure and recommended.