Dead Sushi is a 2012 Japanese splatter horror-comedy film, written and directed by Noboru Iguchi, with additional writing by Makiko Iguchi and Jun Tsugita. Known for his over-the-top blend of gore and comedy, Iguchi is the director behind such classics as The Machine Girl (2008), Robo-Geisha (2009), and Hentai Samurai (2015).
Keiko, the daughter of a legendary sushi chef, runs away from home when his Karate-style regimen becomes too severe. Finding work at a rural hot springs inn, she is ridiculed by the eccentric staff and guests.
From the outset, Dead Sushi fully embraces its absurd narrative concept. Loaded to the brim with slapstick comedy, the film espouses Iguchi’s intrepid lack of seriousness with a straight face—hardly ever acknowledging its campy basis. Though the film’s comedy can be wacky at best and gross-out at worst, this serious approach strengthens its delivery and overall impact. The outlandish scenarios and over-the-top gore, while excessive, deliver a distinct and memorable narrative that few films have been able to surpass.
However, one of Dead Sushi’s key strengths lies in its impressive practical effects work. From razor-sharp teeth-sprouting sushi rolls taking chunks out of people, to extreme examples of death and mutilation, Iguchi’s special effects go above and beyond to deliver brutality and comedy in equal measure. The monster design for each type of sushi is fantastic, imparting some incredibly inventive characterisation to inanimate objects—giving each a fairly defined personality. However, the film does also feature numerous examples of CGI effects throughout. From supplementing practical bloodwork to hordes of sushi flying through the air looking for their next victim, the effects look dated even for 2012.
Featuring adequately outlandish acting for such an eccentric narrative, the performances in Dead Sushi are the glue that holds the whole production together. While playing into the absurdity of the narrative, there is never any self-awareness behind the characters or their actions. And while each actor gives a fantastic rendition, the most notable performance comes from Rina Takeda as the protagonist Keiko. Being both a renowned actress and a black belt in Ryukyu Shorin-ryu Karate, her acting and martial arts skills are perfect for the role.
Positives aside, Dead Sushi isn’t without its faults. Suffering from pacing issues at times, certain scenes can drag on too long, such as the infamous raw egg scene, which slows the film’s momentum significantly. With a runtime of 91 minutes, such a thinly plotted narrative should have really been under 80 minutes to keep the pace more consistent.
A delightfully intrepid splatter horror that could only come from Japan, Dead Sushi certainly delivers on its intended insanity. With its preposterous premise, unbridled special effects, and ardent performances, the film is sure to be alluring to anyone who enjoys over-the-top splatter horror and weird Japanese cinema.
More Film Reviews
Sometimes, Netflix comes out with an unexpected horror film that reinvigorates my hopes for the platform in terms of horror content. For the past few days, it was the Fear… Caged Heat is a 1974 American women-in-prison exploitation film, written and directed by Jonathan Demme and released under Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. Though the film would be his directorial… Extreme horror is an interesting subset within the wider genre of scary movies as a whole. For some, it is a wholly unapproachable category to be whispered of but avoided…. Here at the Grimoire of Horror, we’ve reviewed both Jorge Torres-Torres’s Fat Tuesday and Sisters of the Plague, commented on him being one of the most underrated independent filmmakers working… Something deadly has begun in the woods as an infectious spore mutates from ‘Patient Zero’ to begin an alarming spread. People are its food source as well as reproduction method,… Burial is a 2022 English World War two thriller, written and directed by Ben Parker. Making his debut in 2011 with the action horror short Shifter, Ben produced his first…
A Classic Horror Story Film Review – A New Horror of Netflix
Caged Heat (1974) Film review – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Brutal (2017) Film Review – A Love Story Told in a Symphony of Gore
FTW (2010) Movie Review
The Spore Film Review (2021) – An Apocalyptic Infectious Outbreak
Burial (2022) Film Review – Who Else But Hitler
Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.