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Death Note (2006)

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Someone is killing Japan’s most notorious criminals: murderers, drug dealers, corrupt politicians, each one collapsing of a fatal heart attack with no clue as to the identity of the killer, or his methods. A cult springs up: to some, the mysterious executioner is an avenging angel, to others a brutal vigilante. He is, in fact, law student Light Yagami, whose possession of the mysterious ‘Death Note’ allows him to kill anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Adapted from a popular Japanese TV series (itself inspired by a long running manga), ‘Death Note’ carries a lot of narrative baggage, populated with enigmatic characters and sporting random subplots seemingly unconnected to the main narrative.

But such a history also lends the film weight and confidence, its complex mythology convincingly mapped out. The first half moves at a breakneck pace as Light’s killing spree gathers momentum. But towards the end things grow darker and more complex, leading to a satisfyingly emotive and unresolved finale and leaving the door wide for the inevitable and welcome sequel.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 1966 April 24-30, 2008

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User reviews of this film

Robert Thornton said...

Posted on Aug 04 2011 08:43 Tedious and certainly not horrific. Once the initial killings were done it didn't seem to know where to go and became silly. Hardly a cult film. I can only assume all the previous reviews are from teenagers who can identify with the cast.

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catherine said...

Posted on Feb 02 2010 03:13 i couldn't blink my eyes while watching it...

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John said...

Posted on Apr 26 2008 17:55 One of the best Japanese films I have seen....Can't wait for the follow up!

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yduric said...

Posted on Apr 24 2008 12:31 I do perfectly well understand why this film belong's to Timeout's critics' choice: it is extremely well crafted and once again shows a very good characteristic gaining more and more ground in contemporary japanese cinema: a great originality, mixed with what I would call a 'refreshing clever and healthy' madness. This film is really fascinating. By the way, I can inform you that the sequel was actually released in Japan only a couple of months ater the first film, and I am eagerly waiting for its release in Europe.

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