Film Review: The Box Man (2024) by Gakuryu Ishii

“Those who obsess over the box man, become the box man.”

Apart from his colleague Shinya Tsukamoto, director Gakuryu Ishii belongs to a certain set of filmmakers which constantly test the aesthetics of the modern era while at the same time making poignant observations about our relationship with urbanity and technology. Features such as “Crazy Thunder Road”, “Burst City” and “Isn’t Anyone Alive” have embraced elements of punk and the absurd, resulting in memorable visuals and scenes. “The Box Man”, an adaptation from the novel of the same title by author Kobo Abe, was a project Ishii originally started in 1997, but as the financial backing fell through, had to abandon it. 25 years later, he was finally able to finish what he started within a cultural landscape where the core metaphor of the story is much more relevant.

Myself (Masatoshi Nagase) is a photographer who witnesses something strange on his walks through Tokyo. A man who is seemingly living in a cardboard box observes the people around him through a small hole, and the photographer cannot help but follow him and become obsessed with him. Eventually, he decides to become a “box man” himself, taking pictures of his environment as well as recording his observations in a small notebook he keeps with him all the time. Over time, he learns to appreciate the new perspective living in the box provides, even though he is also well aware of people now closely watching him.

Among those is a fake doctor (Tadanobu Asano), who, with the help of Yoko, a nurse (Ayana Shiramoto), and a general (Koichi Sato), aims to document the life of the box man. His study has become more of an obsession as he reenacts scenes he has observed in his home, wanting to be the “box man” himself. Because he thinks there is some vital piece missing in him becoming the next “box man”, he wants to get his hand on the notebook. However, he is not the only pursuer of Myself, as there is a mysterious killer chasing after him.

Check the interview with the director

While the concept of the box man may seem similar to a peeping tom, in the novel and the film adaptation it becomes much more than that. As we are introduced to the way the central character perceives the world in the beginning, with his focus being on the various women who pass him by, we feel our understanding of this person is confirmed. However, with the support of the voice-over and Masatoshi Nagase’s committed performance, the box man turns into a commentator of the events of the outside world, from people’s behavior to relationships, which at times brings him closer to an online troll or hater. Given the absurd developments within the story, with characters from all strands of society becoming obsessed with the box man and the kind of freedom he enjoys, Ishii (as well as Abe) have come up with a poignant and quite funny portrayal not just of the phenomenon of the online troll, but also why the concept is so attractive to people.

Indeed, “The Box Man” is social satire at its core, with some of the funniest scenes in Ishii’s filmography. This is also due to a, as mentioned before, a committed central performance by Nagase, as well as by the other members of the cast, such as Tadanobu Asano, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Ayana Shiramoto and Koichi Sato, to name just a few. Each one of them becomes obsessed with the idea of the box man, the freedom, the anonymity and independence granted by it. When Asano’s fake doctor attempts to re-create some of these moments, accompanied by the laconic remarks of Shiramoto’s nurse Yoko, this is comedy gold. At the same time, it seems to suggest how we are tempted by the “box man”, as it enables something deep within ourselves, a desire that we cannot experience within society, unless we hide in a box and cannot be recognized any more.

“The Box Man” is a comedy and social satire on society’s obsession with commenting on everything, and how stating an opinion (no matter how inappropriate and false) has become more important than worthwhile interaction. Gakuryu Ishii manages to tell a story which is both throught-provoking and entertaining, supported by a great cast and good grip on the source material, and how it is relevant in today’s world.