Unlike the human pyramid at the center of New Group, the foundations of the film are much less stable. Bringing us J-Horror in the vein of Junji Ito, and more accurately the works of Sion Sono, director Yuta Shimotsu’s sophomore endeavor says goodbye to the moody atmosphere cultivated in Best Wishes To All in favor of a bombastic mix of sci-fi with horror underpinnings and comedy all over.
Like Best Wishes, they’re both horror films that explore human nature and the inequities of society, amplifying our worst traits to a supernatural level, with all the discomfort that should entail. But unlike Best Wishes, what New Group’s cinematography builds around that core idea feels like a house of cards rather than a powerful structure.
Ai is a high schooler drifting through life in a dreamlike state. Her home life feels like a parody. Her day in and day out going to school is monotonous. But when a human pyramid forming in the school courtyard begins to spiral out of control, that monotony is shattered and replaced with oddity. As her classmates are commanded by the teachers to join it, an odd display becomes an unrelenting killer force that Ai finds herself unable to escape.
What is New Group About? Trust Me, It Will Let You Know
This is one of the many flashes of brilliance the film has on offer: the idea of people being pulled by an alien force to form a human pyramid, completely entranced and acting bizarre, is a jumping off point that could have gone in any number of directions. The very idea of a cosmic horror coming of age story should have had me hooked from start to finish. But every time the film dazzles you with a genuinely fun concept, or a scene where the students make a newer, stranger formation than the last, you’re subsequently clubbed with the film’s ham-fisted writing.
If you were worried the film would be esoteric in any way, worry no more. From start to finish, the film reminds you in plain terms that it is about the modern structures of society and the state crushing individualism, and our need to fight back. The main characters discuss it, the talking heads on the news discuss it, and even the film’s villains have a truly off-the-wall sequence explaining it to the protagonists (in, what I admit, is the best scene of the film).
But it never goes anywhere with that train of thought, rather running on the same track over and over; our politicians don’t care about us, we’re taught to conform or die, and cruelty is easy in groups. The consolation prize is a movie that is funny and bizarre when it pulls off its dark humor, but not funny and bizarre enough to distract from the feet of clay the script stands on.
Great Performances, Weighed Down by Script and Score
There’s debate to be had on whether this is a comedy first and sci-fi horror second, but if it is, the score and script were not informed of that.
New Group doesn’t suffer from a lack of sincerity; the film gets unusually heavy at points, particularly with one reveal about Ai’s home life and the bullying at the school. The actors are quite good at portraying these moments, specifically our lead Anna Yamada, whose palpable physical reactions to the insanity unfolding around her are very compelling. And while these performances do contribute to the horror, it just ends up clashing with the situation presented; it should be sharp, but the film is a blunt edge, forcing the strange and funny scenario up against the emotional and unsettling facets of the story.
When the actors aren’t weighed down by the script, the film is most prominently undercut by its score and audio mixing. The levels are oppressive, and the composition is overbearing, choking out any organic creepiness that could have been generated. While the soundtrack itself is high quality, it doesn’t mesh with what’s being shown on screen; instead, it tries to lead the audience into a certain feeling. There are multiple scenes where no music would have been preferable, not because it was bad, but because it just didn’t click together.
Hard to Beat Directing From Yuta Shimotsu
The saving grace of this horror film is Shimotsu’s directing. For a film about the existential dread of existing in a society that sees you as a cog rather than a whole machine, the key is contrasting mundanity with insanity, and Shimotsu knows how to shoot scenes to evoke that juxtaposition perfectly.
The camera envelopes Ai and her love interest Yu as the whole world feels like it’s closing in around them, at first figuratively and then literally. The sense of everything being slightly off is captured wonderfully, as Shimotsu uses the blocking and camera angles to communicate the isolation of our characters.
In theory, New Group is a film with a lot to love, but in practice, it loses steam quickly. While both of Shimotsu’s films thus far have proven him an exceptional director, it’s clear that all of his and his actors’ strengths are not enough to push a film through on concept alone. New Group is entertaining, but in the complex gymnastics of filmmaking, one person can’t keep the whole structure standing.
