#Manhole

A particularly welcome surprise at this year’s Berlinale is its embracing of broader genres. While the Panorama section opened its gates to female-driven horror with Perpetrator, the Specials category, in particular, demonstrated that it has all the makings to become the equivalent to TIFF’s legend-birthing Midnight Madness. Alongside screenings of Infinity Pool, Mad Fate and Talk to Me is Japanese single-location thriller #Manhole – a prime example of this new seam that is finally being tapped, and premiering at the festival this week.

Falling into a deep, unoccupied manhole in the middle of the night, it seems Kawamura (Yuto Nakajima) had a little too much to drink during his bachelor party. Desperate to escape the claustrophobic space in time for his wedding the following day and unable to get through to his friends, the young man creates a social media profile to enlist the help of the Internet’s collective intelligence. When he finally reaches a real-life acquaintance, Kawamura realises that there might be more to his predicament.

From the imperishable battery in Kawamura’s smartphone down to the third act’s screeching twists and turns that seem to prompt more plot holes than they explain, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s latest feature is downright ridiculous – and so much fun to watch! 

The arcane cinematography makes the most out of the tight space the camera is given to operate in. Especially supplemented with the footage taken from the cellphone, the imagery is key in creating the feature’s suspenseful atmosphere.

As the impenetrable lead, Nakajima proves once and for all that his talents go beyond modelling and singing. Even though occasionally a touch on the melodramatic side, his playful performance keeps audiences invested and engaged in the character’s fate.

Best enjoyed with expectations of realistic storytelling left in the cloakroom, #Manhole is a ferocious excursion into the dark abyss of Internet sensations and may be the next Asian production to inspire a Hollywood remake for the US-American market.

Selina Sondermann

#Manhole does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for #Manhole here: