This begins so well - fabulous photography and cool horror, measured and mysterious. Many elements of Japanese school and teenage life are introduced, including sophisticated methods of cheating at exams, teacher harassment of girls and boys and bullying. Indeed for most of the film we are intrigued and fascinated and even appalled as matters progress. It is just that instead of all this leading up to some revelatory or vengeful denouement we get 30/40 minutes constant and irrational slaughter in which we have no interest or involvement in at all. Perhaps the film should have run backwards and the early scenes be seen as explanatory but presented in the manner before us it appears sterile and uninteresting however colourful and violent.
Review of Lesson of the Evil
