Private detective
Akechi Kogoro (Kota Kusano) accepts a surveillance case for client Naoko
Kuroki (Yuki Mamiya). She is rich and influential, the daughter of a family
that owns a hospital in Tokyo. Through her upcoming marriage, fiancé
Doctor Yukio Endo (Yasushi Fuchikami) is set to become the hospital's
new CEO. However, Naoko has serious misgivings over their compatibility,
especially because of their disastrous sex-life [he is unable to have
an orgasm]. She wants Detective Kogoro to investigate the possibility
of him having an affair. As it turns out, fiancé Endo is being
unfaithful, deeply involved in a brutal S&M/sex with medical student
Teruko Ouchi (Noriko Kijima). Shortly after the client is given the disturbing
details, Dr Endo is found dead in his apartment, seeming the victim of
a Morphine suicide. But Detective Kogoro believes he may have been murdered...
possibly by his client.
Based on the original
murder/mystery by legendary writer Edogawa Rampo, this film plays homage
to the Nikkatsu WATCHER
IN THE ATTIC while managing to use the familiar elements of that
film without compromising the intricate murder mystery at the heart of
the story. Essentially, this is Rampo's story, finally brought to the
screen as a truly satisfying who-dun-it. The Japanese critics called
it one of the best films of 2016. And it certainly is. Perhaps this shouldn't
be a surprise. Director Kubota - a student of Edogawa Rampo - has spent
the past ten years developing Rampo's world and fine-tuning its characteristics.
He has made other movies with Detective Akechi Kogoro, including Lost
Love Murder and Murder on D Street.
Noriko Kijima (playing
masochist Teruko here) became an overnight sensation after her performance
as Yoshie in 2008's MACHINE
GIRL. Prior to this movie, she thrilled her fans with the outrageous
IRON
MAIDEN: FEMALE ACADEMY TORTURE CLUB (2015).
A
Japanese film with optional English subtitles; original widescreen format,
a bit of minor fogging (see bellow, right) totally uncut at 112 minutes,
ALL REGION NTSC,
playable on any American machine; extras include theatrical trailer
Violence/Nudity/S&M/Sexual
Brutality/Drugs:
for Mature Audiences only
