I Am a Hero (2015)

One day, after returning from work late in the evening, Hideo witnesses a traffic accident in which a car crashes into a nearby pedestrian, killing the victim instantly. However, despite ... See full summary »

Director:

Shinsuke Sato

Writers:

Kengo Hanazawa (manga), Akiko Nogi (screenplay)

Stars:

Masami Nagasawa, Kasumi Arimura, Yô Ôizumi

6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Masami Nagasawa	...	Tsugumi Oda
Kasumi Arimura	...	Hiromi
Yô Ôizumi	...	Hideo Suzuki
Yoshinori Okada	...	Sango
Miho Suzuki	...	Zombie - Tekko
Nana Katase	...	Tekko
Yu Tokui	...	Abe
Hisashi Yoshizawa	...	Iura
Tôru Kazama	...	Chikura
Makita Sports	...	Matsuo
Jin Katagiri	...	Korori Nakada
Muga Tsukaji	...	Mitani
Toshifumi Muramatsu
Kazunori Kaneko
Natsu Andô

Storyline

One day, after returning from work late in the evening, Hideo witnesses a traffic accident in which a car crashes into a nearby pedestrian, killing the victim instantly. However, despite severe injuries including a broken neck, the victim's body stands up and walks away. Hideo questions whether this is another one of his hallucinations, but strange events begin happening around him.

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Plot Keywords:

based on manga | zombie | undead | japanese girl | japanese schoolgirl | 

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Genres:

Action | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

23 April 2016 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Soy hèroe

Company Credits

Production Co:

Avex Pictures,Dentsu,East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Outlet Mall scene was filmed entirely at the mall in South Korea that went out of busisness few years ago. Due to the strict gun law of Japan, the goverment did not allow producers to use the gun for the movie.

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Soundtracks

Home on the Range
Music by Daniel E. Kelley and lyrics by Brewster M. Higley
Performed by Allie Goertz

User Reviews

The best Zombie film since 28 Weeks Later!

For the past few months, I have been hearing praises for "Train to Busan", South Korea's contribution to the zombie/undead genre. After watching it, I was left unimpressed, as it was a bit too tame for my personal tastes. I sought something more graphic, gory, and indicative of a more adult take on the genre. Fast forward to two hours ago, having finished I AM A HERO, and I am still giddy with excitement. The film is impressive in almost every conceivable way; As a film based on a well-respected manga, I did not expect much from the movie. Usually, movies made from manga reflect a very sophomoric take on the story, to appease more "sensitive" audiences. This film, however, goes all out with the blood and gore, and keeps all of the useless stuff (sex, romantic interests, comedy) to a minimum.

The directorial style is indicative of an understanding in how to perfectly translate manga to film, the cinematography is impressively nuanced and clear in its presentation, and the acting is superb all around. The real stand out, however, are the special effects. Every single instance of a head exploding, an arm being ripped off, and blood spewing from an open wound is handled with so much love and care, that even Hollywood films could learn a thing or two about being restrained with showcasing blood and gore, but when something is shown, it should be done with this much knowledge and skill in the craft.

I was thoroughly engrossed with how the story transpired, and I was happy with the lack of romantic interest in favor of creating a story about an ordinary guy thrust into a very extraordinary situation. For anyone with a more discerning horror/action/comedy palette, give this film a watch. I guarantee that it will satisfy even the most ardent of gore hound, while still appeasing the average movie fan. Overall, the best Japanese film (outside of anime) I have seen all year. I offer a very enthusiastic recommendation.