Japanese genre auteur Takashi Miike is notorious for taking his cinema to extreme limits, whether that’s in terms of violence or sexual depravity. And over a career that spans three decades, he’s directed some classics: “Audition,” “Ichi The Killer,” the “Dead Or Alive” trilogy, and “Hara-Kiri,” just to name a few. Now the prolific director has another film on the way, and it sounds like a perfect fit for him. How’s that? Well, “Lumberjack The Monster” pits a remorseless psychopath against a vicious serial killer in a game of cat and mouse.
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023
Based on Mayusuke Kurai‘s novel “Kaibutsu no Kikori,” “Lumberjack The Monster” stars Kazuya Kamenashi as a lawyer who gets attacked by a masked assailant, but wants to track down the killer on his own terms before the police find them find. Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, Shota Sometani, and Shido Nakamura also star.
Here’s a synopsis for “Lumberjack The Monster,” courtesy of Warner Bros.:
Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a “monster mask.” Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murder occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies. While police conduct an intensive investigation, Ninomiya seeks revenge against the assaulter. Who will uncover the truth first?!
Miike directs a script that adapts Kurai’s novel by Hiroyoshi Koiwai. “Lumberjack The Monster” hits Japanese theaters this December, but it’s still without an official US release date. But rest easy, Miike fans: expect the director’s latest to hit theaters or streaming shortly after it releases in Japan, much like Miike’s most recent TV series, “Connect.”
Take a look at the trailer and new posters for “Lumberback The Monster” below. And stay tuned for theatrical release date for the movie in US theaters.
