Nightmare Detective 2

Nightmare Detective 2
Directed by	Shinya Tsukamoto
Written by	Shinya Tsukamoto Hisakatsu Kuroki
Starring	Ryuhei Matsuda Yui Miura Hatsune Matsushima
Music by	Chu Ishikawa Shin-Ichi Kawahara
Cinematography	Shinya Tsukamoto Takayuki Shida
Editing by	Shinya Tsukamoto Yuzi Kuroki
Distributed by	Movie-Eye Entertainment Inc.
Release date(s)	December 20, 2008
Running time	102 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Nightmare Detective 2 ( 悪夢探偵2, Akumu Tantei 2^?) is a 2008 Japanese horror film and sequel, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, to the 2007 film Nightmare Detective, starring Ryuhei Matsuda as Kyoichi Kaganuma.

Plot

Still haunted by his unwanted abilities, which allows him to enter other people’s dreams, and memories of his mother dying when he was a child, Kyoichi Kagenuma (Ryuhei Matsuda) contemplates suicide while slowly drowns in his world of misery. Yukie Mashiro (Yui Miura), having heard rumours about Kagenuma's extraordinary abilities, visits his home to beg for his help.

She tells him she suffers from nightly nightmares that are getting scarier. The murderous ghost in the dreams has already killed two of her friends and she's afraid she's the next to die. She believes that only Kagenuma could save her. Kagenuma ignores her pleas for help. Yukie, refusing to give up, returns every day to change his mind.

Kagenuma finally decides to take on Yukie's case to understand the circumstances of his mother's death. It, however, demands from Kagenuma more than he expected to give while it leads him into the darkest corners of dreamscape.

Cast

• Ryuhei Matsuda- Kyoichi Kagenuma
• Yui Miura- Yukie Mashiro
• Wako Andô- Mutsumi
• Miwako Ichikawa- Itsuko Kagenuma
• Hanae Kan- Yuko Kikugawa
• Toshiyuki Kitami- Tetsuji Kikugawa
• Hatsune Matsushima- Akiko
• Ken Mitsuishi- Takio Kagenuma
• Shungiku Uchida- Kiriko

Production

The character of Lt. Keiko Kirishima was meant to return in the sequel, but Hitomi declined to reprise her role^[1].

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews.

Twitchfilm reviewer Ard Fijn gave it a positive review saying: "Shinya Tsukamoto has made a very impressive film with some strong statements about loss and grief, and has wrapped this in a fantasy horror mystery thriller. People expecting a regular entry from one of those four genres are in for either a rude awakening or a pleasant surprise. For me "Nightmare Detective 2" was a pleasant surprise, but many people I spoke with after the viewing were less enamored by the convoluted story."^[2]

Japancinema reviewed the film positively, stating: "Nightmare Detective 2 can actually be viewed as a stand alone film, however, watching the original first is always advisable. One big hurdle for viewers to overcome is the fact that this film is jam-packed with ambiguity from start to finish but I urge you not to be driven to frustration. The first film had a visceral brutality to it, as this one on the other hand, can be described as a slow ride into silent darkness.^[3]" and suggested that a third film would be welcolmed^[3].

Rowthree.com gave the film 4 out of a possible 5 and also commented that he would embrace a third movie, "I for one truly hope that Tsukamoto and Matsuda will return one final time and wrap the story up in a trilogy. I am sure we will be left with as many questions as answers when everything is done but with a character so compelling and Tsukamoto’s unique vision into dreams I for one welcome the challenge of revisiting the Nightmare Detective again.^[4]"

References

1. ^ CinemaCafe.net Nightmare Detective Ⅱ article
2. ^ http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2009/02/iffr-2009-nightmare-detective-2-review.php
3. ^ ^{a b} http://japancinema.net/2010/08/04/nightmare-detective-2-review/
4. ^ http://www.rowthree.com/2010/10/01/review-nightmare-detective-2/

External Links

• Nightmare Detective 2 at the Internet Movie Database
• Review by 7tmd.com