
The strength of the Japanese independent cinema has often rested on its ability to embrace absurdity and bring it together in a distinct yet cohesive manner. Consequently, the intuitive approach to micro-budgeted madness has launched such titles as Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus into international acclaim. Comparative to the breakout action flick, director Yugo Sakamoto embraces the same spirit and the DIY aesthetic of the cult classic with his tale of a religious cannibal cult in Yellow Dragon’s Village. A true crowd pleaser, the North American debut at Fantastic Fest (along with his film Baby Assassins) marks Sakamoto as a future name to watch out for.
Opening up under the guise of a horror film, where a group of unlucky 20-somethings fall into the trap of a cannibal cult, the production makes a sharp transition into action-revenge flick. Spoiler-lite, this switch is utter hilarity in the way a large group dies amongst a flurry of stupid panic – there is one death in particular that is hysterically inept. This leads to a perfect misdirect as the audience is left to wonder ‘who is left’ before a few side-note characters emerge as an elite squad of killers who have trained their whole life for this moment – sweet revenge for past victims of the backwoods religious sect.
The transition into martial arts film, though sudden, is not in the least bit jarring as the entire film rests in an absurd world that can only succeed in Japanese cinema. Notably, the fights are expertly choreographed for the miniscule budget that was available, it awes in the same way that Versus did on release. Furthermore, the film builds character from each fighting style and mannerism as locked into combat with cartoonish baddies – an easy way to interject personality, but an effective one nevertheless. As a result, it is easy to get drawn into each fight, especially when consistently punctuated by the odd silly finishing move.
Yellow Dragon’s Village may be bite-sized, just over an hour long, but this makes it an ideal film for revisiting time and time again. It may not reach the cult status of Kitamura’s Versus, given how more common these types of productions have become since the floodgates opened and brought Japanese cinema to the West, but resonates the same indie spirit – utterly endearing and ‘oh so much fun’. Undeniably, the lack of a greater narrative might dissuade the serious movie goer, but for those looking to just indulge and share some laughs with a crowd, you would be hard pressed to find a more riotous experience than what Yellow Dragon’s Village offers.
The production value here is undoubtedly rough, at times feeling like a film a friend shot on the fly during a long weekend. In addition, the cast is so large that they get lost within the film’s short existence (I just watched it and could not tell you anything about anyone). However, none of these shortcomings matter, as Yellow Dragon’s Village is a perfect blend of action, comedy and cannibalism. Check it out, and mark my word! In a few years time, Yugo Sakamoto will become an indie darling for fans of Japanese cinema, so get ahead of the curb and check this one out ASAP!
We Watched Yellow Dragon’s Village as part of Fantastic Fest 2021
More Festival Coverage
The Righteous Film Review: Fantasia Festival 2021
George Carlin has a great routine about the nature of prayer. It can’t be done justice here, though it does arrive at the conclusion that God must have an awful…
Disappear Completely (2022) Film Review – The Horror of Losing Oneself
Santiago Mendoza (Harold Torres) is a successful tabloid crime photographer in Mexico City, who has developed a hard exterior in order to deal with the extreme violence he photographs. One…
Unnamed Footage Festival 666 (2023) Short Films Collection- A Short, Sharp Shock to the System
Bringing you more found footage and POV horror than you can shake a stick at, Unnamed Footage Festival is back at it once again with an incredible lineup for 2023….
Ghost Killer (2024) Film Review – Revenge with a Twist [Fantastic Fest]
Ghost Killer is a 2024 Japanese action crime film written by Yugo Sakamoto and directed by Kensuke Sonomura. Sonomura is mostly known for his work as a stuntman, stunt coordinator,…
There’s Something in The Barn (2023) Film Review – If You Give an Elf a Lutefisk [Fantastic Fest[
Every year horror fans are inundated with a slew of holiday-themed horror, with a select few becoming instant classics. Even at Fantastic Fest, where we caught There’s Something in The…
Wesens (2020) Film Review – A Subversive Mystery From The Afrikaans Sky
In 1967, four South African Republican Intelligence Agents respond to a mysterious object crash landing on a farm, playing out to offer South Africa’s first found footage horror movie. They…