great cinematography but no actual substance

If you wanted to just look at the directing and cinematography in Lesson of the Evil, it was really well-done. I've never watched a film by Takashi Miike before but this definitely makes me want to check more of his stuff purely for his stylistic direction choices alone. There are some very gorgeous shots consistently throughout out the film and along with the lovely colour-grading the cinematography was definitely high-quality.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the casting choices too - Hideaki Ito did a great job in his main role, being able to seamlessly switch from being a seemingly charming teacher to deeply unsettlingly. The supporting cast was well-chosen too, with everyone delivering solid and believable performances. The good acting along with the cinematography and directing choices helped build up the overall "creepy" atmosphere throughout the film.

However, all of that aside, it was ultimately just unpleasant to watch. Even it comes to horror, there is usually a certain threshold of tolerance a person has. This surpassed that threshold for the vast majority of people, myself included. You're basically just watching a teacher slaughter an entire class of his students; - by the end of the film you are just watching a prolonged massacre.

All that said, the fatal flaw for this is film really lies in the fact that there was nothing either remotely likeable or substantial about in the story itself. Hasumi the teacher certainly isn't likeable, and all of the students are either unlikeable or very stupid. And the plot itself was flimsy at best. The beginning had a slow-build up and by the end of the film there were numerous gaping plot-holes. If there wasn't going to be anything likeable about any of the characters, you would at least hope the plot would be more substantial with plot twists or some type of depth. But you don't get any of that, instead it just fully delivers at its face value (aka the goriest of gore).

You can't latch onto any of the element of the story because ultimately, this film was made for the sake of delivering the goriest of gore and shock-factor. It's pretty apparent there is no other substance behind it. I ultimately couldn't find anything to like in this film and I am not surprised that a lot of other people didn't either.

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An Introspective Character-Centred Film

If you want a typical, romantic comedy, this film probably isn't for you. If you even want a film with romance in it, this film probably also isn't for you. This is a story about almost exclusively the protagonist and her journey.

The genre that Tremble All You Want sits in is certainly very interesting, with what I'd say is a chic flick mixed in with a large dose of self-awareness and realism. It's quirky and light-hearted, and yet it still manages to deliver an emotional punch - a rather commendable accomplishment.


Mayu Matsuoka is truly the centre of this. She pours her heart into acting this role and making the protagonist (Yoshika )truly come to life. And as of such, rather than there being a solidified "plot", the film is centred around the character development of Yoshika. And it works: you quickly find yourself invested in this character, there's just something so endearing about her. I'm not surprised it won the audience award at a film festival.


The journey Yoshika goes through in this film heartwarming, yet still raw. It's about growing up and moving on, and learning to gradually find comfort in another person. Unique and surprisingly heartfelt, it is certainly worth your time to sit down and watch one evening.

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