DEATH NOTE is an "international phenomenon", but it's one that I have absolutely no familiarity with. It all began with a manga series and the concept has since served as the basis of novels, animes, video games, and multiple live action adaptations. I have not seen or read a single one of these things. And honestly, the upcoming live action American adaptation would not have my attention if it had been made by just any random filmmaker. But it wasn't. It was directed by Adam Wingard (THE GUEST, YOU'RE NEXT, BLAIR WITCH), with Jason Eisener (HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN) directing second unit and being allowed to "do some crazy stuff". So I have to watch this movie.
We have about five months to wait before Wingard's DEATH NOTE is released through the Netflix streaming service, but today Netflix was kind enough to put a trailer online to give us a glimpse at what the director has done with the material.
Starring Nat Wolff, Margaret Qualley, Paul Nakauchi, Shea Wigham, Lakeith Stanfield, and Willem Dafoe, this take on DEATH NOTE tells the story ofÂ
a high school student who comes across a supernatural notebook, realizing it holds within it a great power; if the owner inscribes someone's name into it while picturing their face, he or she will die. Intoxicated with his new godlike abilities, the young man begins to kill those he deems unworthy of life.
The basic idea is really the only information the trailer provides, but surrounding that information are some very cool visuals, and it's not even the sight of people falling or almost falling from heights that are the most impressive to me, but rather the colorful lighting choices made in some of the scenes.
I'm going to find out what this DEATH NOTE stuff is all about when Wingard's adaptation hits Netflix on August 25th.