Plot: When Mizuki arrives as a transfer student at her new school, she is relentlessly bullied by her classmates. She handles it pretty well, but things get tougher when the bullies involve Kirie, another girl in her class. Kirie and Mizuki get along well, what nobody knows is that Mizuki harbors special powers.
Watches
January 14, 2025
The more films I see from Hisayasu Satô, the more I'm convinced he's one of the hidden gems of Japanese horror/fantasy cinema. Hana-Dama is not the cleanest, most refined film, but it is certifiably bonkers and there are more than a handful of memorable moments that are bound to live in my brain for some time to come.
The setup is simple, the first half of the film could've been a bit tighter too, but once the flower pops up the film goes completely off the rails. It's one of those films that is impossible to explain afterward, all I know is that I had a pretty good time watching. Not Sato's best, but great fun if you love wacky Japanese movies.