Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Re/Member’ on Netflix, A Redundant Teen Time Loop Horror Flick

Who mentioned teen movies on Netflix had been solely like The Kissing Sales space or To All The Boys I’ve Beloved Earlier than? The streaming service is also house to the brand new authentic Re/Member, a horror flick featuring Japanese teenagers caught in a time loop sport. Adolescent bonding and lesson studying positive take a distinct tenor, although, whenever you’re being chased by an eyeless pink creature day-after-day till you possibly can remedy a thriller!

RE/MEMBER: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: What does the disappearance of a younger Russian lady within the Forties should do with a bunch of latest Japanese adolescents? The chilly opening of Re/Member might sound a bit discombobulated, nevertheless it units up the ghost story and homicide thriller on the coronary heart of the movie. Asuka (Kanna Hashimoto) sees the sufferer and learns that she should discover and reassemble the eight parts of her physique which are strewn throughout her college, all whereas evading the terrifying eyeless monster referred to as the Crimson Particular person. This sport of “Physique Search” just isn’t a solitary battle for Asuka, although, as 5 different classmates get trapped in a time loop together with her till they will remedy the puzzle by finding the physique components collectively. The sport brings out a cooperative spirit (to not point out some shocking pleasure) as all of them put together to get murdered day-after-day. However simply as they get near the end line, the foundations of the sport start to vary … throwing all the things into doubt.

What Films Will It Remind You Of?: It’s Closing Vacation spot meets Fringe of Tomorrow in a Japanese highschool.

Efficiency Price Watching: Kanna Hashimoto because the movie’s central character Asuka is certainly the standout of the ensemble forged. She actually does discover the stability between being a quiet, introverted character by nature with out turning into fully a recessive presence.

Memorable Dialogue: “May life get any higher than this?” one of many time loop members Rumiko exclaims in one in every of their transient moments of reverie between the video games. “If solely we didn’t should get murdered each night time,” the once-bullied Shota wryly replies.

Intercourse and Pores and skin: Maybe shocking provided that it’s a teen film, however Re/Member doesn’t contain any overt sexuality.

Our Take: Re/Member has a genuinely attention-grabbing and thrilling idea, to not point out a villain that’s straight out of your worst nightmares. (The creature design with no eyes within the sockets, chilling!) However this teen flick falters on the base degree of drama because it doesn’t give us practically sufficient time with the characters themselves. They don’t map neatly to teen archetypes in a method that offers us a simple shorthand to know them, nor have they got sufficient particular person characterization to make them compelling simply as individuals. There are sufficient spectacle and lighthearted moments on this manga adaptation to paper over a few of these weaknesses for an entertaining watch. When it comes time for the climactic showdown, nonetheless, that lack of funding on a private degree makes a distinction in how a lot (or little, somewhat) to lean ahead into the film.

Our Name: SKIP IT. Re/Member doesn’t convey something new to the time loop idea, nor does it notably fulfill as a teen film outdoors its plot gambit. The weather are there for one thing promising. However by sketching its characters so thinly, it limits simply how a lot an viewers can hook up with their race towards the clock.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance movie journalist. Along with Decider, his work has additionally appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and lots of different shops. Some day quickly, everybody will understand how proper he’s about Spring Breakers.

Watch Re/Member on Netflix