Film ● Review: Re/Member: The Last Night
- Very Average Joe
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
English Title: Re/Member: The Last Night
Japanese Title: カラダ探し: The Last Night [lit. body search: The Last Night]
Director(s): Hasumi Eiichiro
Screenwriter(s): Doki Harumi
Studio: Ghost Gate Films, Robot Communications Inc.
Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 34m
Starring: Sakurai Kaito, Anzai Seira, Suzuki Fuku, Honda Marin, Yoshida Takeaki, Maeda Gordon, Hashimoto Kanna
My Verdict: Some things progress too quickly and too many conveniences, but still a moderately enjoyable sequel.
● Based on the manga of the same name written by Harumi Doki and Yuki Hara and illustrated by Murase Katsutoshi, this is a sequel to the 2022 film.
● The premise is essentially a Groundhog Day time loop in which the participants must search for the missing body parts of a murdered girl whilst being hunted down by said murdered girl. The loop does not end until all body parts are found.
● Please note that I have not read the manga so the review is purely of the film.
● As a sequel, this assumes one has seen the 2022 film and knows the ending, that Morisaki Asuka (Hashimoto Kanna) is now the “murdered girl”. So, a new body search begins at the amusement park in which another set of high school students are present for their field trip.
● To avoid repetition, the film is not merely about the new students doing the body search. Asuka and her childhood friend Takahiro (Maeda Gordon) feature in this story and, as the title suggests, Takahiro tries to save Asuka and end the cycle. So, this story delves a little bit into the mythology and background.
● In trying not to be repetitive, which is appreciated, some things progress too fast and/or too conveniently. For example, the students involved get along and develop their friendships too quickly.
● Another example is Rikuto (Sakurai Kaito) chasing after one of the girls who is not involved in the body search. Although he retains the memory of each loop, nobody outside of their party does, so that does not entirely explain how he and his crush could get along so well after a number of loops.
● Of course, Takahiro has been doing his research and has conveniently found some history regarding this body search. [Minor Spoiler] After some clumsy exposition, it turns out people have been doing rituals on some island. I am not sure if it is trying to be funny but it is amusing.
● The film wisely avoids merely increasing the action and gore. Although the intensity of the action and the blood have not been reduced, there is less action. This does not ruin the film, it arguably improves it by not taking the cheap-and-easy approach.
● Like the first film, there are tacky moments of friendship and fun, the tone of which is so different from the rest of the narrative that it is jarring.
● The young cast tries to sell it but it is difficult to totally buy it when the writing is somewhat lacking. Good actors and actresses cannot sell emotional resonance of a true friendship when the screentime isn’t there for it to develop.
● On a related note, it is good to see retired figure skater Honda Marin in her film debut. She is, as expected, a natural performer and is comfortable in front of the camera.
● The visual effects are mostly good enough. The lighting is well-managed, especially considering the amount of nighttime scenes. The camerawork and film editing are good too. It is what one expects given the genre without excessive stylization.
● If one likes the first film, then one will probably enjoy this one as well. It is shorter and tighter, which is appreciated, but there are too many conveniences.
● The first film, at least superficially, has the themes of friendship and loneliness. This sequel lacks a thematic focus, the story simply involves the friendship of the group and Takahiro’s desire to save Asuka.
● Whether intended or not, it is funny as horror can be but not in a bad way.
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