Blue Demon (2014) Review: An Interesting Horror Concept Undermined by Weak Execution

 

Blue Demon (Original Title: Ao Oni) | 2014 | 1h 10m
Genre: Supernatural Horror / Horror / Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Director: Daisuke Kobayashi
Writers: Kenji Kuroda, Kozuru, Noprops
Starring: Anna Iriyama, Kenta Suga, Shô Jinnai
IMDb: 3.9
My Rating: 4/10

Anna follows Shun and his friends to an abandoned building deep in the forest. They soon find themselves trapped inside when all the exits become locked, while the terror of a horrifying creature begins to threaten their lives.

Content Warning

Violence, drug use.

 
Synopsis

Shun shows Anna a game he has created—a puzzle game in which its characters become trapped inside a house and must find a way out. Everything seems to be going well until Takuro approaches Shun and begins to harass him after Anna leaves.

Shun follows Takuro after seeing him carry a large box to an abandoned house in the middle of the forest. Takuro brings his friends, Mika and Takeshi, with him and unexpectedly encounters Hiroshi, who is already at the location. They enter the old house without realizing that Anna has followed them.

Their only purpose is to hide the contents of the large box, which remains a mystery. However, strange things soon begin to happen. Locked doors and the appearance of a horrifying creature threaten their lives. Shun then realizes that what they are experiencing is identical to the game he has been creating.

Will they manage to escape the place alive?

 

Review

When we feel trapped inside a room while a dangerous threat waits outside, we are faced with a choice: remain hidden or try to confront it. Every choice, of course, comes with its own consequences. This is the central idea I felt in Blue Demon (2014), a horror film that not only attempts to frighten its audience but also tries to explore the issue of bullying within its story.

At its core, the film has a fairly interesting concept and opens with a sequence that promises genuine horror. Unfortunately, the weaknesses in its execution make the film rather difficult to enjoy. Fortunately, the twist introduced in the final third gives the story a slight new appeal, although it is still not enough to significantly improve the film as a whole.

The story's foundation is one of its biggest weaknesses. The characters' backgrounds are not explored in much depth, nor is the background behind the events that form the basis of the story. Early in the film, there is already a rumor surrounding the death of Anna's younger sister, who is believed to have died by suicide as a result of bullying. Shun is also later revealed to be someone who has experienced bullying.

Unfortunately, all of these elements are presented only briefly without being given enough room to develop. This is particularly disappointing because bullying is one of the important themes the film appears to want to explore. If the bullying had been portrayed in greater depth, the relationships between the characters could have felt much stronger. The roles of the protagonists and antagonists would also have become clearer. On top of that, the monster's origins are never properly explained, making the foundation of the story feel even weaker.

In terms of conflict, the film actually attempts to present several layers at once. There is the terror created by the monster's appearances, Takuro's darker side as he is gradually revealed to be an antagonist, and Anna's dilemma after she discovers certain facts. Unfortunately, these conflicts never develop as effectively as they could because the story's foundation is already too weak from the beginning.

This becomes even more apparent through several character decisions that are difficult to find convincing. Some scenes are filled with dialogue that contributes little to the story's development, inefficient actions, and decisions that are difficult to understand in situations that should be filled with pressure. As a result, the tension that should have been building is repeatedly interrupted by the characters' own actions.

Fortunately, once the film enters its final third, the twist makes the story somewhat more interesting. It even makes several character actions that previously seemed strange, such as Takeshi's behavior, feel more understandable. However, the twist also raises new questions because it still fails to provide a truly clear explanation of what actually happened.

The ending also leaves behind a fairly significant question mark. Were all the events simply an illusion, a game, or something that actually happened? The film seems to deliberately leave everything open to interpretation. Perhaps this approach was intended to give the audience room to form their own interpretations, but within a film that has already struggled to establish a strong foundation, the ambiguity instead feels like an unanswered question.

The film's main weakness lies not only in its storytelling, but also in the performances. A simple story can still be engaging when it is carried by convincing performances. Unfortunately, Blue Demon struggles to deliver both at the same time.

The acting feels rather stiff, including that of the protagonist, Anna. The dialogue delivery and facial expressions often feel flat, particularly in situations that should be filled with tension. Takeshi, in contrast, is actually more convincing when portraying fear, making several of his scenes feel more believable than those involving the protagonist.

From a technical standpoint, the film also has several areas that could have been improved. The layout of the location can sometimes be confusing, the camera movement is not always effective, and the monster itself does not feel particularly convincing. Nevertheless, the choice of music and sound effects does help create the horror atmosphere the film is trying to establish.

Overall, Blue Demon has considerable potential in terms of its basic concept. Unfortunately, that potential never develops into a strong story because of the lack of thematic depth, an underdeveloped script and dialogue, and casting choices that do not always succeed in carrying the emotional weight of the story. The film may have an interesting concept, but it needs much stronger character development, conflict, and world-building for that idea to truly leave an impression.

 
Memorable Scene

None.

 

Memorable Quote

None.

 

Ending

Twist Ending

 

Recommendation

Not Really Worth Watching

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Aluna Uwie

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