Lesson of the Evil
2012 · Directed by Takashi Miike
Original language: Japanese
- thriller
- horror
The story
Seiji Hasumi is a popular English teacher in a private high school. He is also a violent and sociopathic killer who concocts an extreme plan to deal with the rise of bullying and bad behavior among the student body.
What it’s like
Bright, immaculate school interiors in flat daylight, with white walls, polished corridors and sunlit classrooms, give this film a glossy, almost advertising-clean surface that keeps cutting against what happens inside it. The camera stays composed and fairly controlled, so the cruelty arrives as a cold shock rather than a rush, and cheerful, bouncy music often plays over scenes that have turned monstrous. The mood is sardonic, clinical and quietly dread-filled, a sun-bleached unease that tightens steadily as one teacher's cheerful public manner reveals its hollowness. Pacing builds in long stretches of ordinary school life before suddenly lurching into sustained, brutal violence, including a school shooting and several graphic killings, with gore shown directly and sadism played for disturbing effect. It is not gentle and never plays as comfort viewing. This suits a late night alone, with a strong stomach and an appetite for transgressive cinema. It is for viewers who want an unflinching, provocative thriller about a charming monster in a respectable setting, and for admirers of Takashi Miike's willingness to push past every line.
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