One Cut of the Dead (Movie Review)

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

PLOT: Actors and filmmakers making a zombie movie in an abandoned warehouse get the shock of a lifetime when actual zombies show up.

REVIEW:What starts off as the cheesiest zombie movie you ever saw eventually reveals itself to be a very charming ode to the art of filmmaking (especially guerilla filmmaking) in ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, Ueda Shin'ichirô's terrific debut feature. If this is his debut, I really can't wait to see what he has in store for us down the road, because the director has knocked it out of the park with this zany horror-comedy, which definitely leans more on comedy than horror, which you won't mind at all when basking in the movie's unpredictable narrative.

What I had been told about ONE CUT OF THE DEAD prior to seeing it was to know nothing about it. Inevitably, I learned that it was, ostensibly, a zombie film shot in one-take, and that's really all I knew when I sat down to watch it. That's probably all you should know too; and since it's impossible to thoroughly review the film without spoiling its surprises, I'll keep things as vague as possible. Here's the very basic summary of how it kicks off: a zombie movie being helmed by an intense, maniacal director gets invaded by real zombies. The actors and crew all scramble to survive while the director giddily films everything that's happening. It's all covered in one impressive take, as the camera bobs and weaves and frantically attempts to get everything in. 

Sounds straight-forward enough. But there's something odd about all this; it's kind of goofy and weirdly-structured. The acting appears almost intentionally stilted, and some of the people do not react how you would assume they would in such a situation. Even the zombies behave rather strangely. While it's definitely entertaining, we have no clue why any of this is happening the way it is. About 37 minutes in, we start getting some answers. I'll stop right there and let you discover for yourself the secrets behind the weirdness, but rest assured the film does not let us down, ultimately delivering a third act that is simply ingenious. ONE CUT OF THE DEAD is one of those rare movies you not only want to watch immediately again, but feel like you have to.

The performances match the overall charm of the production, with Hamatsu Takayuki and Syuhama Harumi being stand-outs as the director and the film's "make-up lady", respectively, but everyone is really enjoyable to watch, especially as their personalities and roles in this strange world become clearer. On a technical level, it's superb, and if you don't always think so in the early going you will as the film reveals some of its tricks. The second act is the weakest (although it's not weak), but that's only because the first and third acts are so breathlessly entertaining. Already a cult classic thanks to its success in Japan and on the festival circuit, ONE CUT OF THE DEAD has an opportunity to become an genuine classic, in both the horror and comedy genres. This is a movie I cannot imagine anyone disliking, so do yourselves a favor and seek it out as soon as you get the opportunity.

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD opens in NY and LA on September 13th and will have one-night-only screenings throughout the country on September 17th. It will then be streaming on Shudder.