
New Religion is a 2022 Japanese surrealist horror, written and directed by Keishi Kondo in his feature-length debut. Kenshi is also known as the writer/director/cinematographer behind the drama short See You Again (2020).
“After her daughter’s death, divorced Miyabi works as a call-girl. One day, she meets a strange customer who wants to photograph her spine. Then, at another assignation, her feet. She soon realizes that whenever she allows her body to be photographed, her daughter’s spirit gets closer. Soon only her eyes remain to be captured, leading to the collapse of society.” – FrightFest
Featuring an unhampered descent into madness, New Religion’s story has an undoubted liquid design. Effortlessly sleek in its delivery, scenes flow from one to the next in an effortlessly fluid display as distinct undertones of metamorphosis flood every scene. The protagonist’s divorce, her change in profession, and undergoing significant psychological changes all lend to strengthening this metamorphic metaphor – some more obvious than others. However, the story relies strongly on insinuation, as several points lack any annunciation of fact. Instead, the humanistic displays of the cast as well as ambient storytelling, organically relay these intended details to the audience.
Additionally, compounding this idiosyncratic narrative is an impeccable use of cinematography. Highly eloquent in its design, the implementation of unorthodox camera angles and pans, such as the Dutch angle, upside-down shots along with static slow zooms deliver an astounding grade of aptitude in visually conveying Miyabi’s declining mental stability. Furthermore, New Religion features an expressive use of color, drenching scenes in luscious shades of deep reds and blues throughout its runtime. Although these effects are conveyed with limited application, these vibrant shades exacerbate a scene’s intended tone dramatically without losing their power through overuse.
Consequently, New Religion’s visuals would not be as powerful without an extraordinarily dominating soundtrack to boot. Written by Akihiko Matsumoto, the score features a cacophony of low rumbling groans, digital interference, and unsettling picked strings creating a crescendo of simultaneous rising and falling notes—the score along with the visuals delivers unparalleled tension throughout. Similarly, the animatronic voice of the antagonist, who uses an Electrolarynx, provides an overtly chilling connotation to their performance. Several octaves deeper and chaperoned by digital static, this unnatural aspect certainly leads to an uneasy apprehension when he is delivering dialogue.
A masterclass in rising tension, this gripping tale of the degradation of society is visually delectable from beginning to end. With an amazing performance from the minuscule cast, gorgeous cinematography, and unexpectedly explosive ending; New Religion blew all my expectations to rubble in a refreshingly remarkable way. Writer/director Keishi Kondo’s exhibition of skill and knowledge on his first feature-length feature is a near-on expert realization of this atypical story with such innovative visual and audio flair. As such, New Religion is best experienced in a cinema, availing oneself with the ability to truly experience the sights and sounds on offer.
We Watched New Religion at FrightFest 2022. The films is available to purchase from Third Window Films from March 10.
Past Festival Coverage
When I saw the poster for Agnes, I was really hoping it was going to be a Nunspolitation film, because man, those need to make a comeback. Spoiler, it isn’t… Seagull (2019) is an oddball revenge story centred on family drama, secrets, and spite. After 8 years of eking out survival on a beach, Rose returns home and the full… Many look to the upper echelons of society with a peculiar sense of awe, lives where money is no longer a concern is something that has drawn people into these… The Internet Age has transformed us in so many ways, even down to the way we tell stories to keep pace with advancing technology. Our fledgling fixation on screens has… Romi is a 2023 Canadian sci-fi horror, written by Susie Moloney, and directed by Robert Cuffley. Susie is most notable as a writer on the TV shows Blackstone (2015), and… The exorcism subgenre can be a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s so easy to rely on cheap makeup effects and jump scares to quickly turn a profit, which is…Agnes (2021) Film Review – A Journey of Faith
Seagull (2019) Film Review – Time For Extraordinary Revenge
Dead and Beautiful (2021) Film Review – The Decadent Undead
The Collingswood Story (2002) Film Review – A Pioneering Screenlife Film
Romi (2023) Film Review – Ghost in the Machine [Blood in the Snow Film Festival]
The Exorcism of God (2021) Film Review – Tough Questions Require an Exorcist

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.