“#Manhole” (2023) [Fantasia]

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s the Japanese thriller #Manhole, directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri and written by Michitaka Okada.

Synopsis

The night before his wedding begins, Shunsuke (Yuto Nakajima) attends a surprise party where the alcohol flows freely. After leaving and heading home, however, things take a sudden downward turn. Quite literally — Shunsuke has tumbled into a deep, dirty, concrete manhole, with a broken ladder and no passersby to hear him yelp for rescue.

The Good

Joseph: You know those movies set in a single location that don’t do much with it, and the films where smartphone signals don’t work or the battery runs out? Well, #Manhole is absolutely not one of those! As a matter of fact, Shunsuke must have the most powerful phone battery ever produced, and that is part of the fun in this thriller that boasts no small amount of dark comedy. This film is entertaining throughout, and if absolutely bonkers third acts with jaw-dropping reveals are your thing — and they certainly are mine — you need to put this film on your must-see-ASAP list. Nakajima is on screen for the majority of the running time, and he nails everything asked of him. Okada’s razor-sharp script keeps the tension cranking upward while delivering some scathing commentary on trending social media, and Kumakiri does a masterful job at the helm.

Mike: The success or failure of a “confined space” movie relies on a solid script and the ability of the actor to draw us in totally and completely so we have no choice but to root for them while at the same time giving a performance that compensates for the lack of anyone else to shoulder some of the weight. There are exceptions, depending on how you want to define this type of film (does Saw count? What about Phone Booth?), but I’m zeroing in on stuff like Buried, Gerald’s Game, and so on - one person who has to get out of their predicament.

In #Manhole we have Shunsuke, played to the nines by Yûto Nakajima who finds himself down the titular hole with one of the film’s biggest strengths being its ability to offer up familiar situations and then deliver an unexpected outcome as Michitaka Okada’s script creatively reinforces Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote 'It’s the not the destination, It's the journey' (but man, what an eventual destination!)

The Bad

Joseph: Not much to say here. #Manhole is one of those rare films where I don’t want to think back on possible plot holes and the like because I had so much fun watching it and don’t feel the need to nitpick.

Mike: There are a few decisions that seem to be made not out of any logical thought process but more of a script-dictated choice that result in some fairly hard-to-accept outcomes, but honestly some of these end up being so goofy you can’t help but admire that the film pulled it off.

The Verdict

Joseph: Often goopy, gloppy, and gory, #Manhole comes highly recommended for fans of horror movies, thrillers, and dark comedies. Learn as little as possible before diving into this one and you’re sure to have a blast.

Mike: While not full of tension or feelings of claustrophobia, #Manhole still manages to keep you glued to the screen (even through it’s slower moments), thanks in equal parts to Yûto Nakajima’s performance, Michitaka Okada’s script, and Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s directorial decisions. Juking when you expect a jive, and jiving when you expect a juke, #Manhole saves its biggest swerve for its short (yet powerful) final act.

If films like Buried are your thing, or you just like a good surprise or two, this is certainly worth a shot.

#Manhole, from Gaga Corporation, screened as part of Fantasia, which took place in Montreal, Canada from July 20–August 9, 2023.

#Manhole