Review of Audition (2000) by Patryk C — 02 Nov 2012

One of the finest and most successful blends of promising romance and hard-hitting horror. Audition builds up its seemingly straightforward story about love between two people and - when the right time comes - attacks the audiences with some of the most shocking images of sheer torture.

Takashi Miike created an uncontested masterpiece, making Audition an indisputably unnerving psychological thriller that astounds with its enormous attention to details not only in its romance-filled sensations, but - unfortunately for the squeamish viewers - also in the gruesome scenes of physical and emotional torment.

While the blood-infested sequences last for only a couple of minutes, the most distressing part comes from the close-ups of Asami Yamazaki's pleasure-driven doings. In the most ingenious and agitating way Audition shows how tremendously deceitful first appearances might actually be.

While the film will always remain as controversial as it's been on the day of it's worldwide premiere, it still proves to be a truly stylish and compelling work that is as close to true art as no horror has probably never been.