Anoraks Assemble

One Cut of the Dead is a 2017 Japanese horror comedy, written and directed by Shin’ichiro Ueda, and based on the stage play, “Ghost in the Box!” by Ryoichi Wada.

The film is broken down into three distinct parts. In part one, we join a film crew on location at an abandoned water filtration plant, as they are making what is clearly a low-budget zombie flick. The film is overseen by Director Higurashi, who is becoming increasingly frustrated by his poor actors.

During the shoot the cast and crew are attacked by real zombies, but Higurashi insists they carry on filming. (The Japanese title literally means, ‘Don’t Stop the Camera’)

In the second part of the film we flash back to before the shoot began, where we learn more about the personal lives of the cast and crew.

But is everything quite as it seems?

Well of course it isn’t!

I am not going to spoil part three, suffice to say it is quite hilarious and one of the most ingenious pieces of filmmaking I have ever seen.

There are so many moments which pay off beautifully in the last act, and as soon as you finish watching it you will want to go back and see it again.

The acting is wonderful right across the board, but special mention must go to Takayuki Hamatsu as the put-upon Director Higurashi.

One Cut of the Dead is utterly hilarious and, weirdly, very uplifting, so if you haven’t seen it before, go watch immediately. And if you have seen it, well, you just know it’s about time you watched it again.

Very bloody, very sweary and very, very funny, this is a film simply not to be missed.