Cold fish review

Cold fish review

Japan has in recent years led the way in pushing the boundaries in the suspense/horror genre, and it’s good to see that it’s continuing with the new thriller Cold Fish. This quirky little movie is chock full of eccentric and interesting characters and nothing is ever what it seems.

Nobuyuki Shamoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) is a fish store owner who is stuck in a very deep rut along with his disgruntled spouse Taeko (Megumi Kagurazaka). His teenage daughter Mitsuko goes out of her way to cause as many problems and be as rebellious as possible, and deeply resents her dad for marrying again so soon after her mother’s death.

Nobuyuki’s humdrum existence gets an unexpected jolt when Mitsuko is caught shoplifting from a drug store. Luckily, a genial old man called Yukio, who is in the store at the time, convinces the owner of the store not to involve the police. Naturally, this old guy isn’t as genial as he first seems, and it turns out that Yukio and his wife Aiko own a much bigger fish shop than Nobuyuki.

They convince him to let Mitsuko come and work for them, and live on the premises in the dorm which houses his army of young female sales assistants. Nobuyuki soon discovers that Yukio is far from the honourable old man he thought he was and he discovers he had a distinctly shady side. What can the mild mannered Nobuyuki do about it, especially with his beloved daughter in the old man’s clutches?

This unconventional yet brilliant fare is the work of the writer/director Shion Sono, and those already familiar with his work will know to expect the unexpected. At 2 ½ hour long, this movie is not for the fainthearted and the perverse sexuality may make some feel uncomfortable. While Sono’s distinct and offbeat style doesn’t appeal to everyone but you can’t ignore his artistry, and this movie will certainly make an impression.

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