Suicide Club (aka Suicide Circle) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: After 54 schoolgirls jump in front of a train, committing suicide, detectives discover a mysterious subculture with a strange connection to a pop group.

Review: This is an extremely tough film to review, because there's so much material to cover combined with the fact you must interpret a lot of what is being depicted. While the unusual, if not bizarre, story can be confusing, I will try my best to provide a more concise understanding of what's happening with the disclaimer that I could be way off. With that, I want to say this is a wonderfully compelling and intriguing tale that nails the atmosphere flawlessly. You find yourself helplessly immersed in the mystery wanting to uncover the answers yourself as each new twist provides minor clues. There is a strong degree of introspection that may be lost in translation, as it pertains more to the Japanese audience and culture, but it leaves the viewer left thinking about the story long after the credits have finished rolling with universal themes. The only aspect this film is truly lacking in would be the random and unclear ending. I can't entirely fault the film for not delivering on the answers, as the audience is meant to figure them out, but not providing full closure does detract from the final experience.

The premise is that 54 schoolgirls (no, anything but the schoolgirls!) commit suicide by happily jumping in front of a train. Shortly thereafter, some nurses also commit suicide (nurses and schoolgirls?! nooooo) with detectives discovering large rolls of human flesh at both crime scenes. The giant rolls of flesh are formed from smaller chunks of skin sown together from hundreds of different individuals in which some belong to those who have committed suicide. Later, someone called "The Bat" contacts the detectives informing them that there is a mysterious website that does nothing but display colored dots in accordance with the suicides; the red and white dots refer to the amount of males and females that killed themselves. The detectives obviously believe there is a connection, but the higher ups see it as just the typical bullshit to expect from a crazy society, do not want to cause a panic, and/or are in denial. Over the next couple days numerous other suicides occur almost exclusively involving the youth as it appears trendy. Due to this, the media spreads the idea that there is a "suicide club" and the detectives, quietly, suspect as much too. At the same time, the detectives come across a girl named Mitsuko, who they believe knows more than she's telling about a possible suicide club as, we, the audience, realize there is a strange connection with a pop group called "Dessert." A little boy calls the detectives and warns there will be more suicides where the first group of girls died while hinting at a connection to what is going on. The detectives are led on a wild goose chase as more suicides occur elsewhere including the main detective's family. The little boy then calls again and explains, in the most vague way imaginable, why people are committing suicide; the detective then kills himself as a result. "The Bat" is then captured by '80s rock rejects led by a nutcase calling himself Genesis. Genesis proclaims himself to be the leader of the alleged suicide club and allows himself to be arrested by the police putting many, including the detectives, at ease that everything is over. Mitsuko goes to her boyfriend's house, who had also committed suicide, and notices a strange pattern and hidden message that was uncovered within the merchandise of Dessert. This leads Mitsuko to the backstage of a concert for Dessert where she is confronted by a group of little children who question her value as a human being and her understanding of herself. Pleased with her response, she is led to a bondage-looking guy who shaves off a slab of skin exactly like the pieces from the flesh rolls. When the detectives come across the next roll of skin, one of the detectives notices Mitsuko's piece due to her distinguishable tattoo. The detective tracks down Mistuko, believing she is going to commit suicide, and she gives him a strange look wondering why he would think she would commit suicide. The film then ends with Dessert disbanding and putting on one final performance.

Okay, so that's quite a bit to take in. Keep in mind these are my interpretations, but let me start with what is the suicide club itself. I see the club as cult-like and actually being anti-suicide, comprised of the little kids, Dessert, and whatever flunkies they assemble like bondage-man. The cult wants people to understand the true value of life, the connections all humans have with one another, and how we should interact with others personally. In essence, people are losing their connections to each other as well as themselves, due to stuff like the internet and more selfish thinking, and the cult is attempting to counter by spreading a message to stop this through Dessert, their songs, and the rolls of flesh. Either that, or they are emerging to simply bring to light the disconnected nature of modern humans and leave it in the hands of the individual to solve the problem. Dessert's songs have a message opposing the suicide culture and perhaps have brainwashing aspects not fully touched on. It's interesting to contrast the message presented in Dessert's songs compared to Genesis' song. The rolls of flesh are self-explanatory, but they represent how everyone is connected physically and spiritually and the circular nature shows this even more so; the English release would have fit the themes better with the alternate title: Suicide Circle.

So, if the cult represents the opposite of what the media proposes, why the suicides then? Well, it is perhaps a little bit of the trendy nature of it all combined with individuals realizing their lives have no meaning once they run into the suicide club. We are shown pieces of skin do belong to those who end up committing suicide anyway, so it is not simply discovering the cult that means you have reached some level of enlightenment. The cult helps guide you, but can't save you as the choice is fundamentally up to you. The one detective killing himself also points to this idea that once realizing you have lost your connection with your fellow man, you feel compelled to kill yourself. However, I can't fully make sense of why so many appear happy when killing themselves unless it is to point to the facade individuals maintain. I do wonder if there is some kind of supernatural force at work because this cult could not be organized by kids one way or another. The hypnotic nature of the songs, the sheer creation of an elaborate cult consisting of kids, and a few random shots here and there (like the kids looking at the flesh roll under a beam of light) do lend credence to the notion that there is something more at work, but this is just my opinion; some may think a supernatural force cheapens the impact of the film. Dessert's hidden message and the fact that they even exist further demonstrates my belief this thing could not be organized by kids alone. And adults running the show does not fit considering we see the kids doing everything themselves...so how could this come into existence?

As for everything else, Genesis and his crew were a red herring and to further emphasize the trendy nature of the suicide club phenomenon. Mitsuko realized self-actualization and would not kill herself so she was kind of a character to take us to the final conclusion while demonstrating the police did not have a clue. "The Bat," while appearing to have a greater connection to the plot, was more of a contrivance and a plot device. The website is another distraction, maybe even controlled by Genesis since I can't remember if they fully explain it. The random bullshit like the kids hanging out in some playroom with baby chicks is up to the individual viewer to figure out what that shit means. I'm sure a few plot elements and visual choices were deliberately meant to add layers of depth that could not possibly be fathomed outside of the film's crew. Finally, aspects to the film aren't meant to be understood in a traditional sense as this is a movie meant to shed insight on Japan's real suicide epidemic. It's a complicated problem and this film touches on a certain understanding of the situation.

Overall, this is a fantastic film, but it may not be for everyone. You are left without a lot of answers unless you try to figure them out on your own; I'd totally understand if people thought this film bordered on pretentious. There are also a few inconsistencies and story flaws that could have been improved upon or more thought out. But, for me, there are too many great elements at work that make this film so memorable and enjoyable. There is that grainy film quality I've discussed before, and it refines the tone and look they were striving for perfectly. The music is great especially the catchy little Dessert songs, the intrigue and atmosphere are so powerful, and the acting is believable and well done especially from horror alum, Ryo Ishibashi. "Suicide Club" is definitely one of the best thrillers Japan has to offer while simultaneously straddling the horror line. This is one of those movies you really have to see for yourself so I highly recommend tracking it down and giving it a chance.

Notable Moment: I think it's kind of obvious, but the opening scene when the girls all jump in front of the train. It's such a shocking notion and sucks you into the story fairly quickly.

Final Rating: 7.5/10