Audition – Review

Based on a novel, Audition is famous in the horror circle and for good cause. What is this reason? Well, sometimes you just need to go deeper, deeper, and ultimately you will have to watch it to find out. But hey, at least we can whet the appetite here on this slow-moving, small cast terror show.

Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryô Ishibashi) is having a rough go of things. His wife Ryoko has just tragically passed away, and he must now be strong for his young son. As he gets used to his life as a widower, seven years pass. Eventually, he decides he wants to look for love again as his son Shigehiko (Sawaki) is now older and takes less focus.

As he hangs out with his film industry buddy Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Kunimura), the men hatch a sleazy scheme to interest some pretty girls and potentially catch a match for Shigeharu. The plan? Hold a fake audition for a role in a movie. What better way to get accomplished attractive women to come to you? Maybe they’ll even find someone with a skill, like playing the piano, or ballet dancing. Wow, imagine the possibilities.

Shigeharu sees this as not making a mistake at his older age. How noble, and he really is not asking for too much here, right? The men go to work and draw in young women eager to prove themselves and that they are next to be famous and desired. All will totally go well.

Audition is awesome, creepy on multiple levels, mysterious, unsettling, disturbing and insane. It builds with steady momentum while offering a few ‘what the fuck’ moments and peeks into what is to headed to your eyes in the climax. A good setup leads to some tense nuttiness and a finale that you will forever remember. There are nice subtleties, psychological hints and nuanced moments as the plot builds which really pushes this one into expertly crafted territory.

The film definitely runs at a slower pace, which for me really enhances the impact of the ending, and it is best to stick with this film through to the last moments. There are scenes where Audition has a lot to say about morals, behavior, ethics, relationships, trauma, abuse, and life, but then it will also wallop you with some fierce horror as well. Acting is top notch, especially by Shigeharu and Asami Yamazaki (Shiina), the two main characters. This was also quite important as their balanced chemistry was touch to accomplish.

The film is quite well constructed and at times is masterful with what it accomplishes, while giving a lot to ponder. Sometimes it is nice to watch a movie without knowing the absolute madness that is coming. For those that have yet to experience Audition, go in eagerly and let its slow pace take you on a ride. Trust the system, the shocks are coming.

“Have you seen a film by Tarkovsky?”