Underplayed Gems

Audition (1999)

Audition poster
Original title
オーディション
Directed by
Takashi Miike
Genre
drama film, horror film, psychological horror fiction, thriller film
Country
Japan
Runtime
1h 55m
Rated
R
Rating
7.1 of 10 from 1,795 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A widower stages a fake film audition with a friend's help to find a new wife. He chooses a quiet young woman who has a hidden and violent past.

unnervingslow-burndisturbingtensecoldmenacingsuspensefulbleak

What happens

Audition (オーディション, Ōdishon) is a 1999 Japanese psychological horror film directed by Takashi Miike and written by Daisuke Tengan, who adapted it from Ryu Murakami's 1997 novel of the same name. It follows a middle-aged widower (Ryo Ishibashi) who enlists the help of his film producer friend (Jun Kunimura) to stage fake auditions in order to meet a new girlfriend, only to find that the young woman he chooses (Eihi Shiina) has a dark past. The film was originally a project of the Japanese company Omega Project, who wanted to make another horror film after the financial success of Ring (1998). The company purchased the rights to Murakami's book and sought Miike and Tengan for an adaptation. The cast and crew consisted primarily of previous Miike collaborators, with the exception of Shiina, who had worked as a model prior to making her acting debut in Audition. The film was shot in Tokyo over a three-week period. Audition premiered with a few other Japanese horror films at the Vancouver International Film Festival, but received increased attention when screened at the 2000 Rotterdam International Film Festival, where it received the FIPRESCI Prize and the KNF Award. Following a theatrical release in Japan, the film continued to play at festivals and had theatrical releases in the United States and United Kingdom, followed by several home media releases. It grossed $131,296 at the U.S. box office. The film was received positively by Western film critics, with many singling out the intense climactic scene and commenting on its stark contrast to the scenes that preceded it. The film has appeared on several lists of the best horror films ever made and has had an influence on other horror directors, including Eli Roth and the Soska sisters. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.