← Back to results
As the Gods Will
神さまの言うとおり
2014 117 min Japan R 18+
★6.4
Thriller, Horror, Comedy
Director: Takashi Miike
💬 Based on the comic
«As the Gods Will»
byMuneyuki Kaneshiro
Trailers
Description
High school student Shun Takahata is bored. Bored with the day-to-day monotony of school and life, he prays for change, for something exciting. Suddenly, he and his classmates are forced to play deadly children's games and facing terrifying creatures from a talking Daruma doll to a sharp-clawed lucky cat.
Starring
Sôta Fukushi
Actor
Hirona Yamazaki
Actor
Ryûnosuke Kamiki
Actor
Awards
1 win total
Key opinion
As the Gods Will is a polarizing survival-thriller that balances surrealist humor with visceral, stylized violence. While fans appreciate its bold, absurd creativity and unique aesthetic, critics often point to thin character development, a disjointed plot, and an unsatisfying, open-ended conclusion.
| Originality | The film effectively uses folklore-inspired toys and dolls as antagonist figures to create a uniquely surreal and unsettling atmosphere. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative relies heavily on visual spectacle and stylized gore rather than providing internal logic, leaving many plot points and the nature of the 'gods' entirely unexplained. | |
| Acting | Performances are frequently described as wooden, over-the-top, or 'anime-style,' which prevents viewers from forming a genuine emotional connection with the teenage protagonists. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the pacing and structure are divided: some viewers find the rapid-fire, nonsensical trials engagingly chaotic, while others feel the tension evaporates early on due to incoherent storytelling. | |
| Ending | The ending is widely viewed as unsatisfying, as it relies on an abrupt cliffhanger that offers no closure to the established survival narrative. |