The Neighbour No. 13 explores the consequences of humiliation, abuse and torture among young teenagers and children. Juzo Murasaki arrives at a work construction area to take on his new job. Unfortunately for him, his supervisor turns out to be Akai, the one that has previously tortured him when both of them were only young teenagers. After years of repressed memories, Juzo develops a psychopathic alter ego that finally decides to seek revenge against Akai and his family, in a surrealistic journey that dissects the fears and enraged violence inside the human mind.Review The film is served in an exceptionally slow pace allowing the viewer to be submerged in the intriguing atmosphere in which a considerable number of disturbing scenes simply tend to pile up, notwithstanding no further clue of the upcoming events being expected. The violence in The Neighbour No. 13 is thoroughly presented throughout the movie, alternating with traces of humorous moments and apparently childish scenes. The scenes appear to be fairly well-orchestrated by the director, being presented in a particularly raw and cruel way, thus enhancing a feeling of repulsion since the type of violence and to whom it is addressed is indeed the most disturbing side of the violent behavior in this case.As the number of flashbacks tends to increase, Juzo is apparently sent into a downward spiral, leaving him desperate to gain control of his own mind. Surrealistic unorganized events, sometimes-incomprehensible perspective and grotesque animated scenes contribute to perfectly illustrate Juzo's disconnection from the reality. Nonetheless, towards the end of the movie however, the last scenes will eventually tie up any loose ends and a possible feeling of confusion that has been build up throughout the film.The physical characterization of Juzo and his revenge driven created alter ego is also of particular interest as Juzo appears as a delicate young man and No. 13 is better described as a disturbing disfigured emotionless creature. The scenes representing Juzo's mind were particularly well shot and quite bizarre in an interesting way. The remaining characters were for the most part attention-grabbers, even though rudeness and bullying can easily borderline annoyance, which was fortunately not the case in the movie. There is no particular character development for the most part excepting Juzo himself as the film represents his own journey, facing his own fears and demons and finding the necessary empowerment.Bottom line, The Neighbour No. 13 may be described as a dark character study wrapped in surrealistic contours of a vengeance quest, that as clearly something to say about standing up for yourself and fighting back against anybody or anything, allowing the viewer to explore the consequences and costs when repressed hatred and revenge become a part of anyone's reality.Asian-cineblog.blogspot.com

Jûzô Murasaki is a boy miscast in his classroom, being frequently abused, tortured, beaten and humiliated by the bully Tôru Akai and his gang of juvenile punks. After years of repression, rejection and fear without facing Akai, he develops a psychopathic dual personality with a violent alter-ego. While living in the apartment 13 of a tenement building, he becomes unable to control his violent dark personality, who plots an evil revenge against his upper floor neighbor Akai and his family.I am a great fan of Asian movies and I found "Rinjin 13-gô" a hidden gem, developing a dark, gruesome and surrealistic psychological thriller of repressed hatred and revenge combined with horror. The screenplay follows the usual patterns of Asian horror movies, with a plot point in the very end, and the viewer must use his or her brain to understand the whole plot. I believe this is the greatest quality of screenplay writers and directors of this genre in Asia. I note that people accustomed to watch blockbusters and American movies only seem to have difficulties to properly understand the intelligent Asian screenplays. In this film, all the adult situations only have happened in the mind of the young Jûzô Murasaki, and when he faces the bully Tôru Akai, he resolves all his inner problems and the time-line will never happen the way it is disclosed in the film. Therefore, the screenplay is absolutely original and I do not recall seeing any similar story. In addition, the movie is stylishly shot, with unusual angle of camera and a nice cinematography. The actors and actress have great performances and there is a cult cameo appearance of the director Takashi Miike in homage to the promising Yasuo Inoue. My advice to the movie lovers is to keep his name in the pocket, since his debut could not be better. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Ódio" ("Hate")

During his elementary school years Murasaki Juzo suffered the torments of a bully named Akai Juzo. If these torments had included only such things as having his money stolen or being given wedgies Murasaki might have been able to lead a normal life when he grew up. However, Murasaki was locked in a toilet and sprayed with water and forced to eat excrement, but these malicious acts are only the tip of the iceberg. One day two of Arai's friends hold Murasaki on the ground as their leader pours a bottle of acid on Murasaki's face.After the depiction of this flashback in a sequence that would please Clive Barker, a grown Murasaki snaps out of a pretty severe hallucination and as he makes his way to his construction job Murasaki notices that he has new neighbors moving into room number 23. Because construction work is an occupation that is often linked to the Japanese underworld, it is not surprising that the business is filled with unsavory characters. Besides the afro sporting Seki, the rest of the crew look as if they could just as easily start a gang war as construct a building. It is also at this locale that Murasaki meets Arai once again and, as if no time has passed at all, Murasaki soon becomes the target for Arai's cruelties. Arai continuously picks at Murasaki, smashes him in the leg with a piece of wood, and presents him from exiting the porta-pottie. However, with his anger overflowing, Murasaki kicks open the door sending Arai sprawling back. It is at this point that Murasaki's appearance seems a bit different. He sports a scraggly beard, he is blind in his left eye, and his face is horribly scarred. This being is Murasaki's other self. A repressed core of rage that Arai has unleashed that Murasaki is having more and more difficulty keeping under control.Arai continues to mock Murasaki, but he is unaware that the timid man lives in the same building as he and that Murasaki has quickly become an acquaintance of his wife and child.I am normally not one for thrillers or horror films being that I tend to watch dramas, but I did enjoy watching Neighbor Number 13. Oguri Shun, Murasaki, does a good job portraying a young man who has spent his entire life being bullied and Arai Hirofumi, Akai, definitely portrays a character who his deserving of the protagonist's hate. However, Nakamura Shido, Murasaki's alternate personality, really takes the cake. His rendering of a scarred, mentally deranged man is both incredible and terrifying. Also Yoshimura Yumi, of Puffy, does a decent job of portraying Akai's wife. Maybe at thirty she is trying to move away from her saccharine pop star image.While definitely not a great film, Neighbor Number 13 is a fun film to watch. I bet also that you will be rooting for the "bad guy" as well.

You know, I don't say this about any foreign movies, but I am going to say it here. This movie could be done well as a North American remake (ducks!), in the right hands of course.I absolutely adored the premise for this film. A child, tortured at school when he was young, develops multiple personalities from it. His dual personalities (one weak and kind, the other strong and sociopathic) are kept well hidden all of his life and don't affect anyone else until, some new neighbors move in. A very evil and cruel bully, who he also ends up working with at a construction site. The bully bullies him, and the stronger personality starts to emerge to protect the weaker one. And that's when the freaky stuff starts to happen.Good pacing by the director, showing the main character's struggle with his past and slow descent into madness. Great acting by everyone, especially the stronger personality. That guy was absolutely terrifying to watch on screen. He brought an unusual amount of tension to every scene. Well done.But in the end, I still thought the film was lacking. This movie should have been an easy 10/10, but I have to give it an 8, because more could have and should have been done to help flesh out the development of the main character. I still hope that all of you will go out there and give this film a chance, and hopefully some American producer will see its potential and try and get a remake made, because as good as it was...it could have been better.