Demon City review
Netflix dropped a new revenge/action/thriller that we’re going to talk about on a horror movie website.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Demon City
Directed by Senji Tanaka
Screenplay by Senji Tanaka
Starring Toma Ikuta, Masahiro Higashide, Miou Tanaka, Ami Toma, Taro Suruga, Mai Kiryu, Naoto Takenaka and Takuma Otoo
Demon City Review
Some time ago, on an episode of Scare Value Podcast, I quipped to my cohost Pete that John Wick was a reverse horror movie. Which is…a movie that isn’t attempting to be scary to the viewer…but is terrifying for the mob characters that are being mowed down for two hours. Horror, like everything else, is a matter of perspective and motivation. John Wick doesn’t present like a horror film…because it isn’t one. If you happen to be in that mob, however…your view is no different than a camp counselor at Crystal Lake. An unstoppable killing machine is coming for you. They even refer to him as the boogeyman.
The genres themselves have more in common than playing with viewpoints you aren’t meant to see through. Both action and horror lead the way in utilizing blood and gore. On a basic level they’re both trying to excite you…although in different ways. Too often…the middling or bad entries in their midst require you to turn your brain off for maximum enjoyment. You don’t need to turn your brain off to enjoy Demon City. But you may have to look past its obvious influences.
Demon City is based on a manga. How closely it adapts that material…I have no idea. I also don’t know how many of the story beats lifted from the most popular revenge action films of our time were included in the original text. What I can tell you is that there are a lot of them. A famous hitman tries to retire and concentrate on his personal life with his family. John Wick. The bad guys eliminate that option in bloody fashion…leaving him for dead. Kill Bill. He returns to seek revenge…now seemingly impervious to pain. The Crow.
Once you get past the unoriginal ideas that Demon City uses as building blocks…there’s an enjoyable movie here. It’s not like there are an infinite number of things to avenge anyway. There’s also a lot of demon talk…but no actual demons. No, I didn’t choose to review Demon City because I thought it would be about demons. This isn’t a Project Wolf Hunting situation where I sat around waiting for a werewolf to show up. I chose to review this movie so that I could write that bit about reverse horror movies.
Sakata (Toma Ikuta) plays the hitman who attempts to get away from his contract killer lifestyle. A group of powerful men in demon masks don’t agree with his choice and make him pay for it. His wife and daughter are gunned down…and he’s shot in the head. They arrange to scene to look like a murder suicide and the story should end there at a very unsatisfying 15 minutes or so. Sakata survives, however. The story jumps forward a dozen years…with Sakata still unable to move or speak. When he’s attacked by someone who he injured in the past…we learn that he also can’t feel pain.
A lot has changed in the dozen years since Sakata’s life was destroyed. Shinjo City has seen a rebirth. The powerful men that targeted Sakata are thriving along with it. Another assassination attempt is made at the hospital…and it brings Sakata back to life. He immediately embarks on a mission of revenge against the powerful people who took everything from him.
Demon City, as mentioned, is a fun action flick. There’s plenty of fun action sequences both large and small. It builds to a satisfying conclusion. It slows down a bit more often than, say, John Wick…but its momentum is always driving forward. Demon City throws a curve ball at its determined main character about halfway through the story. If you’ve seen the Kill Bill movies…you’ll recognize it as another “burrowed” piece from an action revenge classic.
Like I said…you’ll have to forgive how many story beats are lifted from other movies. The entire setup feels like a smorgasbord of greatest hits. That doesn’t mean that Demon City isn’t worth your time. It’s a quality picture with some fine performances, fun action and moments worthy of investing in. If you’re a Netflix subscriber…Demon City is a fine use of your time. Even if its not about the kinds of demons that we’d usually discuss on a horror website.
Scare Value
Demon City may be based on a manga, but it wears its film influences firmly on its sleeve. A dash of The Crow, a pinch of John Wick, a teaspoon of Kill Bill…Demon City will feel familiar to fans of the revenge/action genre. In a good way. Actually, it’s probably the movie that 2024’s remake of The Crow should have been. It’s certainly worth a watch if you’re already a Netflix subscriber.
3/5
Demon City Link
Streaming on Netflix
