← Back to results
RE:BORN
2016 101 min Japan
★6.4
Action, Crime
Director: Yûji Shimomura
Trailers
Description
A former special forces operative struggling to contain the destructive impulses of his past goes on a rampage against a squad of ruthless assassins.
Starring
Tak Sakaguchi
Actor
Yura Kondo
Actor
Takumi Saitô
Actor
Key opinion
RE:BORN is a low-budget Japanese action film that prioritizes stylized, relentless combat choreography over narrative depth or realistic staging. While fans of the genre appreciate the committed physical performance of Tak Sakaguchi and the unique focus on knife-based combat, critics point to the shaky camera work and implausible action sequences as significant drawbacks.
| Acting | Tak Sakaguchi provides a compelling, physically committed performance as a silent, relentless ex-operative. | |
| Direction | The film focuses on a distinct and engaging style of close-quarters knife combat that separates it from standard gun-heavy action movies. | |
| Screenplay | The plot follows a predictable, trope-heavy narrative structure that relies on well-worn archetypes of the mysterious ex-soldier. | |
| Direction | Opinions on the action choreography are divided; some praise the stylized, anime-inspired intensity, while others criticize the movements for being wildly unrealistic. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is inconsistent, with chaotic, shaky camera work in the forest sequences obscuring the combat, while other scenes are filmed with adequate clarity. |