With over 80 productions in the stunt department (either as an actor, coordinator, rigger, or director) under his belt, Kensuke Sonomura is a filmmaker we can fully rely on to deliver fabulous action scenes. In Ghost Killer, his third film as director, he delivers exactly that through an inventive concept.
Fumika Matsuoka (Akari Takaishi) is a frustrated college student who still doesn’t know what to make of her life and struggles to put up with obnoxious men while trying to network for future job opportunities. But her life changes when she finds a bullet in the street, which leads her to be haunted by the ghost (victim of the bullet) of a skilled assassin named Kudo (Masanori Mimoto).
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Kudo was killed by the criminal organization he worked for, so the best way to exorcise him is to get revenge. Although at first Fumiko is not interested, she soon learns that her supernatural situation has its advantages: when she touches Kudo’s hand, he gains full control of her body and can, therefore, unleash his full fighting ability. Fumiko decides to help Kudo and, in the process, put an end to the criminals who are facilitating the assault on young women in the area.
Ghost Killer is written by Yugo Sakamoto, director of the Baby Assassins franchise. This collaboration is no coincidence, as Sonomura worked as an action director in all three films and here he relies on his leading lady Akari Takaishi to bring Fumika to life.
The chemistry and harmony in the team are clear, as there are definite Baby Assassins vibes in this project: there’s action, a light tone, and a mix of comedy and coming-of-age. However, in this film, Sonomura employs some dramatic overtones to address a simple moral theme around conscience and how certain acts or people can change your life and your ways. The film’s unique concept lends freshness to this aspect, but there is nothing earth-shattering in its message, which suffers during the second third of the film due to pacing issues.
Between Baby Assassins, Single8, and now Ghost Killer, Akari Takaishi is becoming a master of coming-of-age and action. The young actress boasts a portentous expressive and explosive ability that allows her to easily convey emotions to the audience and transition between comedy and seriousness with complete ease. The latter makes her the ideal actress for Ghost Killer, as she excels in her dual portrayal of a frightened young girl and, when possessed, a cold killer.
While Takaishi handles the comedy, Masanori Momoto does a fine job handling the dramatic nuances of the story: his bodily expressiveness conveys the regret of his actions as a killer, as well as his desire to protect this young girl who represents his change of conscience. Alongside him, we have a quietly charismatic Mario Kuroba as a mysterious colleague of Kudo who helps ground the story’s message of morality.
But the real reason to watch Ghost Killer is the action. Sonomura is a master of fight choreography and here he delivers one of the best hand-to-hand combat sequences you’ll see this year. Every breath, punch, kick, block, and even the movement of clothes is enhanced by a ferocious sound design that made my entire theater shake; Sonomura’s action direction is like a dance that mesmerizes you with its satisfying spectacularity.
The relationship between Kudo and Fumika, so important to the plot, isn’t just in its dialogue. Sonomura uses it during the action scenes to give them an extra touch of drama or intrigue: Kudo, for example, comes out of possession to warn Fumika where an enemy is and possesses her again at just the right moment to confront him. However, this dynamic could have been exploited a bit more to give variety to other action scenes.
With Ghost Killer, Kensuke Sonomura continues to establish himself as an action film ace, and Akari Takaishi as a rising acting powerhouse. The film is an entertaining and occasionally charming experience that features mouth-watering action and makes good use of its high-level concept despite some bumps in its script.
“Ghost Killer” had its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024.
Rating 7.5/10
