Synopsis
Though the title strikes as a Japanese remake of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, NHCE, a screen version of Tatsuhiko Takimoto's same-titled novel, is about youth and growing. The timid Yusuke loses his zest for life and becomes withdrawn after his friend's death. One night, he spots Eri, a girl fighting with a giant of a man holding an electric chain saw who literally zips across the sky towards the moon every time he is inflicted with a fatal wound by the instrument, while Eri engages in the same fight with the same guy who comes back alive, challenging her night after night. OK, what's the point? The point: Connecting and bonding, aka love and healing. An exquisite mixture of Takimoto's literary genius and Kitamura's refreshing film artistry. (HUH Ji Woong)