I’m not really sure how this has happened as of late, but I have hit a stroke of luck and have been on Bloody Streaming Roulette fire! As I concluded in my last article, “I am unstoppable!”. My luck has turned around to the point where I am in the horror movie zone with finding, you the viewers at home, films that are enjoyable amidst all the rubbish that can be found on video streaming services. Surely there is bound to be a horror movie landmine I walk on forthcoming. But, last round I scored another win with The Last Days (2013), while not really a horror movie per say, the storyline and situation were truly horrific. Onto the next!
SPIN THAT SHIT!
Tag (2015)
This flick starts off with a huge bang. With a bizarre and horrific traffic accident, that would make any diehard Final Destination fan shout out with bloody glee. Only Mitsuko survives the crash. Disoriented, bloodied and in shock, she finds her way back to her high school where everyone is still alive. Was it all a dream? So, she now begins an odd journey that blurs the lines of dream and reality and of sanity and madness. What will happen to poor Mitsuko?
Marking his glorious return to Japanese gore horror, Tag is directed by Sion Sono (Suicide Club, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Hair Extensions). Sono brings the bizarre story of Mitsuko alive as she weaves in and out of different realities. In each new reality, she is a different person. Yet she still retains her memories of all the previous ones. She becomes Keiko the bride, as well as Izumi the marathon runner. Constantly testing her sanity and all the while, narrowly escaping the horrific deaths of everyone around her.
Tag is a fresh and creative horror movie. While some of the themes may be misunderstood culturally, this is still a very enjoyable film because the language of horror cinema is universal. Tag is also a multi-layered film, that looks at life and the surrealism of our realities. Asking the age-old question, what is the meaning of life? As a viewer, I spent almost the entire movie wondering what the fuck was going on. Until the third act, when you truly understand what is happening with the nice twist ending. Sono gives us a nice little ‘fuck you’ to the basic construct of normal horror films.
I am already considering this to be a cult film. Either you will like it or hate it. I lean towards the former. The film was parts Battle Royale and parts Final Destination. What I found interesting about the ending, was Sono alluding to the ‘game’ of life. As I am sitting here typing playing a sort of game as well, I cannot get Tag (2015) off my mind. It will not blow you away, but it will intrigue you as a viewer to come along for the horrific ride. Which for me, the destination was more than worth it.
…The Horror Force is strong with this one….
IMDb: 6.1/10
ZombiSurvivor: 7.6/10
Thanks for reading Syndicate and remember….
STAY SCARED!
-ZS
