Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Seven years after the death of his wife, widower Shigeharu seeks advice on how to find a new wife from a colleague. Taking advantage of their position as a film company, they stage an audition. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu is enchanted by the quiet Asami. But soon things take a twisted turn as Asami isn’t what she seems to be.
Takashi Miike's Audition is a landmark of slow-burn horror that earns its cult status through extraordinary craft. The film's first half operates as a tender romantic drama before methodically dismantling that comfort — a genuinely rare tonal feat. Cinematography is exceptional: Miike uses restrained, classical framing in the early reels then subtly warps space and light as dread accumulates, culminating in the sack scene and finale's visceral shock. Novelty is very high — the film's deceptive structure, feminist subtext, and the way it weaponizes genre expectation against the audience make it one of the most distinctive horror films of its era. The ending (the torture sequence and Asami's final line) is iconic and deeply unsettling, earning a top mark. Acting is solid — Eihi Shiina's performance as Asami is memorably eerie, though the male lead is more functional than remarkable. The plot's romance-to-horror pivot is effective but the mid-section pacing can drag, keeping it from a top mark.