2013 ‘バイロケーション’ Directed by Mari Asato
Shinobu Takamura is an aspiring painter. One day, she is accused of using counterfeit money. Shinobu is confused by the allegation, because she never did such a thing and was at home when the crime occurred. Police Officer Kanou then appears and takes her to a place. When they get there, a group of people are already gathered. All of the people there are concerned over a doppelganger like existence that looks just like them and acts like them. They call that existence "bilocation".
バイロケーション 裏, バイロケーション 表, Bairokêshon, 바이로케이션, Билокация, 二重身, 雙生靈
Japan
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Japan
This is why "Us - 2019" never appealed to me much.
When Jordan Peele was doing the press tour for his movie "Us - 2019," he mentioned his fear of doppelgangers quite a number of times but never really expanded on that thought. Sure, I get it; he doesn't have to. But I was hoping to see something more than just what he was talking about in the movie, something that goes beyond fear.
Now, let's take a bit of a detour and talk about our existence on an individual level, just as humans. Each and every one of us can agree on one thing: we would not like it if someone impersonated us, did something bad, and vanished into…
Talk about a film that elicited a wide variety of emotions in me, from intrigue to stress to fascination, and ultimately left me in tears. This is a film with ambitious themes that are mostly executed effectively, including the fear that comes with realizing that a part of you is living its own existence and could pose a threat to your present predicament and way of being in the world. The horror moments are often effective. The acting is great overall, but it is Asami's brilliant performance in the final scene that really makes an impact.
All in all, an interesting mix of sci-fi and thriller with good performances that unfortunately loses some steam due to its redundancy and towards the end ends up becoming tremendously convoluted.
TODAY SCHEDULE
Strange Impersonation
The Bamboo Blonde
Confessions
Bilocation
Bilocation: Another self that appears in your proximity. A.K.A., simultaneously existing incarnations.
I'm me. I'm also you. You can't be me. We are the same, but we aren't…not really. Maybe I want your life. Maybe you don't know I exist. Maybe I want you dead. But I need you. But we can't coexist.
Imagine the essence of Villeneuve's Enemy with far less ambiguity, far richer lore, a Japanese context, and a mystery-thriller that slightly leans into horror elements. That's Bilocation in a nutshell.
I legitimately paused less than an hour into my first watch to purchase the blu ray. That should tell you how soon and how intensely this enthralled me in a way few other movies ever have. That…
Definitely not a horror movie by any means, that the awesome twisted doll on the cover would have you think otherwise.
Maybe a dark fantasy drama?
It's pretty much the duality of self, one yearns for independence and success while the other yearns for connection and love. How does that balance when there's an internal conflict that causes a person to split into two and a bilocation is born becoming the thing you needed with all your memories while you struggle to focus on your own personal gains and sacrifices.
It was slightly confusing when it was being swapped around between the true person and the bilocation. I don't wanna mention spoilers but colors play a part in determining which is which.
This is not a spoiler BUT when the credits first role, stick with it, it's not over.
"Only one thing's true. I love you."
Check yourself in the mirror at the door. The bilocations are said to take what's dearest to their originals, yet the magnitude of debilitation stemming from the little said originals have is cause for much concern. Their emergence seems to hinge upon the onset of existential unrest: the perilous crossroad of rationale and the irrational made flesh if only to enact your fears and fantasies, the real threat inherent of another you remaining contingent upon nature of these and those affected. Less about respective doppelgangers struggling for dominance than it is the impossibility of coexistence, the idea that who's who would invariably go about their business with zero knowledge of their bilocation colliding…
The eerie promise embedded in the visage of the creepy doll pair on the poster transcends the mere anticipation of a conventional scare. Undeniably, the aftermath is rather somber and gloomy, an emotional residue that stubbornly clings to the recesses of my psyche since the screening last night. "Bilocation" achieves lasting resonance not through the conventional merits of jump scares, but rather through its thematic exploration of the horror embedded in the dual nature of contemplating distinct thinking spaces within a singular body and soul. It leaves an indelible imprint on one's existence, creating a vacuum within the emotional realm that prompts profound contemplation, transcending mere rationalization.
The film delves into the intricate bonds that intertwine our reality with illusions,…
I pray that you don't become like me
That poster drew me in, but doesn't do this movie justice. This ain't a horror movie. Probably more of a mysteriously twisted thriller.
Anywho, interesting concept; what if there was a version of you that ran completely on emotion and they were causing a stir in your community? Not like an identical twin, but more like your repressed self unleashed. 🤷🤷
Bilocation (a term that's repeated several times throughout the film; just in case you forget the title) tackles the concept with a group of people who have unhinged versions of themselves running amok without any real explanation.
Had me hooked for the first 2 acts and kind of imploded in on…
PSA: Y’all need to stop sleeping on Mari Asato. She’s going to revolutionize J-horror one of these days. You won’t know what hit you until it’s too late. Do yourself a favor and stan this queen already.
Bilocations are entities that assume the appearance and characteristics of living, breathing humans. Their rationale is unclear but it’s assumed they want to take the place of the original.
For the first five minutes or so, this seemed to be playing out à la Invasion of the Body Snatchers but it soon eschews the mass-conspiracy angle. The doppelgangers don’t appear to be working together, they’re approach is very much focused on their particular real-world counterpart.
Shinobu (Asami Mizukawa) is a single woman living off her savings. She’s working on a piece of art that she wants to enter for competition, in the hope it’ll provide her with a new career. So focused is she on making the most of this…
52 Filme von (52) Frauen – 2020 №39.a/52
Bilocation ist ein (nicht vom Cover täuschen lassen) sehr bodenständiges und ordentliches Doppelgänger-Horror-Drama, das anfangs zwar etwas unter seinem B-Charme leidet (ein paar over-the-top Anime-Charaktere, Videospiel/Horrorfilm-Logik und qualitativ doch sehr schwankende Computer-Effekte), aber ohne Jumpscares oder Gore und mit der fiesen Prämisse vom sich aus dem Nichts manifestierenden Ebenbild auch Mal gut die Pumpe in Schwung bringt. (Und darüber hinaus - ohne etwas zu spoilern - zum Ende hin richtig düster wird und ein Rewatch/Rückspülen schmackhaft macht.)
B*-Snatchers goes J**-Horror (*Body+Budget; **janky+japanese)
uff.. i sure made a good choice for my first female directed japanese horror film, which i actually think is my first japanese horror period.
bilocation oozes with atmosphere right from the first frame, asami mizukawa painting her view from her gloomy appartment. the atmosphere throughout the film kind of reminded me of adam wingards death note. (which hopefully wont lead you to stop reading here!) the story then jumps ahead a good bit, and we're quickly initiated in what's going on. she has a bilocation, a fake copy of her which exists in close vicinity to her and may or may not have bad intentions.. and hers isn't the only one.
theres a few little holes you can poke into…
What is it with Mari Asato's films and those horribly (wonderfully?) trashy posters? I always scroll past her films, then watch them on a whim and am astounded how much they clash with that cheap first impression. I've enjoyed everything i've seen by her, and this was no exception. Maybe even her best one. Something about her style that i like.
For a while i was getting a bit angry at the characters consistently refusing to use their fucking ghost-revealing mirrors, but calmed down after i was once again exposed as an oblivious idiot that can never figure these kinda movies out until the very end when everything is spelled out for me five times over. Really though, i enjoyed how it wrapped everything up a lot. Very satisfying.
