Building upon his same-titled short released in 2021, Kenichi Ugana has created a full-length version of “Visitors”, incorporating two additional plotlines to the original narrative.

The “Visitors Complete Edition” review is a component of the “Submit Your Film” Initiative.

At first, Haruka, Nana, and Takanori pay a visit to Sota’s house as he has been out of touch for a while. The house appears to be in a state of disrepair with newspapers covering the windows. Sota himself appears disheveled and acts as if everything is normal. While serving them tea calmly, one of the girls accidentally steps into a green substance and undergoes a terrifying transformation into a bloodthirsty demon. The trio fear for their lives, but Haruka takes charge of the situation.

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Also, be sure to take a look at this interview.

In the second part of the story, a bar owner captures a random person and takes them to his bar. Eventually, the monsters also make an appearance. In the third part, it appears that humans and monsters are living together, but there are still enemies among them. Haruka, who has transformed into a chainsaw monster, takes on the role of protagonist once again.

As mentioned in the review for Kenichi Ugana’s short film, there are two main aspects at play. The first focuses on hikikomori, with Sota embodying the archetypical character, but in a comedic way. His disconnect from his surroundings adds to the humor, especially when Ugana uses it for jump-scares. The second aspect is the survival horror element, where the director creates a sense of terror through sound and gradually builds it up with both sound and visuals. The movie takes a bloody turn, but also incorporates absurdity and humor.

The trailer for Visitors-Complete Edition, created by Vandalism Co., Ltd., can be viewed on Vimeo.

The extra arcs bring in additional elements. The topic of immigration and the isolation of foreigners is often alluded to, with Ugana also delving into the concept of racism. Additionally, music plays a significant role, with the punk sounds of ILA MORF OEL and Keefar becoming integral to the story. This adds both humor and grotesqueness, but ultimately adds to the entertainment value of the film. In particular, the scenes that serve as music videos are sure to stick in viewers’ minds, thanks to the skillful editing by Masashi Komino, which contributes to the overall fast pace of the movie.

Miyuki Wakamatsu’s exceptional visual effects in the form of gory and comical scenes are prominently displayed throughout the film. The characters, inspired by films such as “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Walking Dead”, deserve special recognition as well. The Chainsaw girl, portrayed by Ugana, showcases her absurdity by performing mundane tasks like working in a field. Similarly, the mistress with two chained sumo wrestlers creates another unforgettable image in the film. Lastly, Shiho’s portrayal of Haruka is noteworthy as she seamlessly transitions between human and monster.

The movie “Visitors Complete Edition” may be disorganized and clearly made on a small budget, but it is also enjoyable and likely to attract fans of cult films.