Ryo Nakajima

The first minutes of Suicchi o Osu Toki are reminiscent of Battle Royale, only a lot darker in tone. Forty kids are taken from their parents and are locked up in a medical facility by decree of the Japanese government. The plan is to try and figure out why suicide rates are on the rise among youngster, so they give each kid a suicide button and monitor them to find out what triggers their suicides. Most kids die within the first year, but a group of 6 manages to survive for 7 years in a row. Until a new warden is assigned to keep an eye on them.

The first half of the film has a strong, dark and brooding atmosphere. The film looks good, support a strong soundtrack and manages to intrigue. Halfway through Nakajima switches gears though, as he lets the plot take the upper hand. Even though a lot is happening, I would've preferred a slower, more pensive approach to the themes Nakajima unearths here. He does fight back with a strong finale, but by then I had somewhat lost interest in what happened to the group. It's a shame, because there is still a lot to like in Suicchio Osu Toki and overall Nakajima delivers a very interesting film. It's an easy recommendation, but sometimes a plot just gets in the way of a potential masterpiece.