Puzzle (2014) Review: Revenge, Justice, and the Morality of Violence

 

Puzzle (Original Title: Pazuru) | 2014 | 1h 25m
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Country: Japan
Director: Eisuke Naitô
Writers: Yûsuke Yamada, Makoto Suzuki, Eisuke Naitô
Starring: Kaho, Shûhei Nomura, Kazuya Takahashi
IMDb: 5.5
My Rating: 7/10

Azusa jumps from the roof of her school, an incident that becomes the beginning of Shigeo's revenge game. A pregnant teacher is tortured, the principal is kidnapped, and three male students become victims of Shigeo's cruelty in retaliation for what happened to Azusa.

Content Warning

Violence, suicide, sexual content, nudity.

 

Synopsis

Azusa jumps from the roof of her school in front of her teacher and classmates. Fortunately, she survives, although she suffers a broken leg. No one knows what actually happened, except Shigeo, who feels the need to protect Azusa.

Some time later, terror begins to unfold at the school. Four masked students hold a pregnant teacher captive and torture her. The principal and another teacher are forced to solve a puzzle designed to save the pregnant teacher. However, the game ends tragically when the teacher loses her unborn child and the principal disappears.

The terror returns sometime later, this time involving the entire town. Two students are found wearing helmets that could explode at any moment. Azusa receives the final puzzle piece from Shigeo, but chooses to destroy it, making it impossible to save the two students.

Why does Shigeo carry out all these acts of terror, and what exactly is his connection to Azusa?

 

Review

When justice seems impossible to obtain, can a victim who chooses revenge really be judged for it? This is the question that lies at the heart of Puzzle (2014), a film that presents a series of revenge-driven acts of terror through elaborate games filled with riddles and violence.

The film opens with a mysterious, almost dreamlike scene. Shigeo is seen lying weakly on the ground while watching Azusa from a distance. This scene later becomes an important part of the ending. It is as if, from the very beginning, the audience is being shown the two people who stand at the center of everything that is about to happen.

The film uses a non-linear timeline, with clear time markers appearing on screen. This approach helps the audience follow the story while also giving greater depth to each event. We do not simply see what happens; we are also invited to understand how events from the past eventually lead these characters to the decisions and circumstances they face in the present.

The characters' backgrounds are not explored in great depth, but there is enough information for the audience to understand the feelings and personalities of the main characters. Shigeo's portrayal as a psychopath is particularly clever. He is not presented as someone cold and consumed by anger. Instead, he appears calm and even gentle, despite rarely speaking. The use of children's music and various childlike props only strengthens the tension and disturbing aura surrounding him. This contrast makes Shigeo even more unsettling to watch.

The use of symbolism is another interesting aspect of the film. One example is Shigeo's pet lizard. The large lizard seems to represent the power Shigeo possesses in controlling the game he has created. Its presence also receives considerable attention, particularly during the final scene when Azusa dances.

The main conflict comes primarily from revenge for the suffering Azusa has endured. Meanwhile, the internal conflict feels considerably weaker. This could have given Azusa's character much greater depth, particularly by showing how she processes the trauma and painful memories she has experienced. When those memories eventually surface and begin affecting her, the emotional connection with Azusa becomes much stronger. Unfortunately, this part of her character development comes rather late.

The ending is fairly satisfying because each character eventually faces the consequences of their actions. Even so, there is a sense of disappointment because some of the characters who committed crimes against Azusa are never truly shown feeling remorse for what they did. This actually makes the ending feel even more tragic when viewed from Azusa and Shigeo's perspectives. Ultimately, the film leaves us with a significant question about morality, justice, and the boundary between right and wrong when someone feels that they have been denied the justice they deserve.

Unfortunately, Puzzle is not without its weaknesses. What should be the film's main attraction—the games Shigeo designs as instruments of revenge—actually leaves behind several questions from a logical standpoint. The concept of using elaborate games as a means of revenge is certainly interesting and may remind viewers of films such as Saw. However, the way these games are prepared is not entirely convincing.

Shigeo working alone, or perhaps with only his mother helping him, makes it difficult to believe that he could prepare all these elaborate games without being noticed by the people around him. This becomes even harder to accept once the games begin involving the entire small town. Elements such as the two students on the emergency staircase, the bicycle bell, and the puzzle involving the car all seem to require considerable preparation. This creates a sense of awkwardness because the film never really explains how everything could have been prepared so freely and extensively.

Spoiler. Another disappointing moment comes when Azusa repeatedly stabs the detective with a weapon. The scene makes the audience expect the injuries to be quite severe. However, when the detective appears again later, the wounds that previously seemed so significant appear to have little lasting impact. This makes the tension created by that scene lose some of its meaning.

On the other hand, the final scene in which Azusa dances freely is one of the film's most iconic moments. Her bloodstained clothes, erratic movements, the lighting, and the atmosphere all seem to portray the chaos taking place inside her. Very little dialogue is needed because the visuals alone are enough to convey Azusa's emotions.

From a technical standpoint, the film has many elements worth appreciating. The cinematography feels carefully considered, particularly in the choice of perspectives used for certain scenes. The music is also distinctive and effectively strengthens the atmosphere the film is trying to create. All these visual and audio elements work together to establish the film's identity.

Ultimately, Puzzle leaves behind a rather complicated impression. The film has weaknesses in its story logic and the development of its internal conflicts, but at the same time, it succeeds in building an atmosphere, memorable characters, and moral questions that are not easy to answer. Revenge may never truly restore what has been lost, but the film makes us ask once again: when justice never comes, can someone still be considered wrong for choosing to seek it in their own way?

 

Memorable Scene

The restrained principal manages to free the chains binding his hands and the restraint covering his genitals by using a key hidden on the body of a masked female student deliberately placed in front of him. However, instead of recognizing his wrongdoing and putting an end to everything, he once again loses control and commits the same sin he previously committed against Azusa by sexually assaulting the student. After everything happens, regret seems to overwhelm him when he discovers that the girl is actually his own daughter.

Sexual violence is a form of abuse of power that leaves deep wounds on its victims, especially when it is committed by someone who is supposed to have a responsibility to protect them. In this case, the principal abuses his authority over his own student. What feels particularly tragic is how someone can have a daughter of his own and still commit the same violence against another woman. It is as though he forgets that every action has consequences, and that the wounds we inflict on others may one day find their way back to us.

 

Memorable Quote

"I'm sick of people who live happily in this small town."

 

Ending

Sad Ending

 

Recommendation

Worth Watching

—
Aluna Uwie