Re/member (2023)
18/04/2023
Tropes in film stem from the repeated use of a singular idea.
Groundhogs day created the trope of time looping, and now, Eiichirô Hasumi’s Re/Member builds upon this idea by mixing the dramatical elements that being stuck in a loop has on its characters with the thriller aspects of the horror genre.
The story itself starts off with strong momentum as the audience watches the brutal murder of a young girl (The Red Person), it then cuts to a group of high school students who end up trapped in a time loop with a horrific ghost. Their only means of escape are to find the pieces of the girl (the aforementioned character) and place her remains in the coffin or be forced to repeat the same murderous night where they are each hunted and killed by a mysterious entity.
Re/Member does a great job setting up the first night. The scenery adds a unique element to the Mise En Scene, especially the placement of the coffin, being the only prop being lit, the scaffolding towers confining the space, making it appear claustrophobic, in addition to narrowing audience's view and, finally, having a Wooden Cross hanging above at an unusual angle.
The Red Person is a perfect mix of horror and ambiguity.
The way her body twists and contorts is extremely unsettling, made even more unsettling when the characters try to strike the enemy to no avail.
The film had a clear plan for its opening and its twist ending, paving the way for future instalments. Unfortunately, it is through its middle portion that the film has a hard time trying to connect the two.
With most time loop films, a good of time is spent with the character trying to understand that they are in a loop and finding ways to break or circumvent it.
It is through this segment that the film loses itself as the time jumps acts more as a plot device to delve into the slice of life genre. It is understandable that the writers are trying to get the audience to create an emotional connection with the film’s characters, which is why we have the beach scene, or the characters explaining their two-dimensional personality during lunch.
The problem with these scenes however is the way in which they are structured.
By splicing these death scenes with an upbeat, j-pop style soundtrack that, along with the shot choices and editing, eliminates the films intention of remaining to a horror genre, instead making it seem eerily similar to an episode of Scooby Doo.
Whilst this choice of comedy has been done in others, such as Happy Death Day, by deviating from the chosen genre but not “fully”deviating, the film makes a desultory attempt at lightening the mood of a film that need not be lightened.
Had the film stuck with its horror elements and not try to add unnecessary tropes to make it more appealing, Re/member eliminates the intention of it being an unsettling horror film
