Kokuhaku: Confession is an excellent, tense thriller with elements of horror.

 

It's been a while since I've covered an Ikuta Toma movie and since it's been cold lately, stumbling across Kokuhaku: Confession couldn't have come at a more convenient time. It's an interesting and engaging horror-like thriller, adapting the manga written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. I loved it. It won't be for everyone, no movie is, but for thriller fans, it's a real treat. 

The movies follows the tale of two men. Keisuke Asai and Ryu Ji Yong are good friends, having been in the same university mountain climbing club. Their friendship remains strong after graduation as they annually hike up the same mountain to honour their mutual friend, Sayuri Nishida, a fellow member of the aforementioned club who tragically died in what seemed to be an accident during some mountain climbing. 

Unfortunately, things take a bad turn when Ryu Ji Yong badly injures his leg during a blizzard in which they get lost. Thinking that this is the end, Ji Yong confesses to Asai, something that he has kept hidden for years. He confesses to having murdered Sayuri via strangulation. Despite his guilty conscience causing him to spill out his confession, a moment of sheer luck sees Asai spotting an old cabin to use for safety and shelter. Within the confines of the cabin walls, the tension mounts as the confession hangs in the air between the pair. 

Nobuhiro Yamashita is a veteran director and his experience really shows with Kokuhaku: Confession. Working in tandem with a tight script, Yamashita carefully crafted a compelling tale. The way each interaction between Asai and Ji Yong unfolds and is shot is flooded with suspense and tension, leaving viewers hooked on the uncertainty of the once close bond between friends. Sprinkling in some horror elements such as  Ji Yong disappearing and reappearing in a different location seemingly at will as well as apparitions of Sayuri, viewers get a visual representation of the damaged, tortured psyches of both central characters. 

Also adding to the tense atmosphere is the claustrophobic setting. The dilapidated walls of the cabin feel almost suffocating with very little space for either man to hide from the other. The camerawork also lends itself well to the isolation, with the dynamic way it jerks and creeps around the location. 

The soundtrack also rackets up the tension, being very reminiscent of sounds found in horror movies and is used to great effort, never overstaying it's welcome. 

It all adds up to deliver a truly captivating thriller about two friends whose bond and trust has been broken by a confession. The pair becoming extremely wary of each other, their minds decaying whilst they fall back on survival instincts. Their humanity is all but gone, replaced by overwhelming negative emotions such as fear and a kill or be killed mentality. 

Key to the movie's success is the performance of it's lead actors. Ikuta Toma and Yang Ik-June. Both men went all in, being fully committed and it makes the movie work so well. For me personally, Yang stole the show in his portrayal of Ji Yong. His spiralling descent was masterfully portrayed and at times I felt sorry for him, with him being a weeping mess. Other times he was extremely scary like a slasher villain with his empty husks of smiles and frantic, angry outbursts of violence. He truly is a man on the brink of insanity and Yang portrayed it expertly. Ikuta Toma also put in a very seasoned performance as Asai. He convincingly portrayed a man that had been mourning his lost love for years and a man that is forced to come to terms with the fact that his good friend may have killed her. Both men have impairments, neither being at full capacity, with Ji Yong's badly injured and possibly broken leg, as well as Asai suffering from altitude sickness that almost blinds him, making it difficult for him to see clearly. These impairments add to the tension in a unique way, allowing some more creative chase sequences and violence. 

Without question, I would highly recommend Kokuhaku: Confession to fans of thriller movies with little sprinkles of horror and horror elements. It might be one of my favourite movies released in 2024.