‘#Manhole’ Review – Satiric Thriller Offers Plenty Of Nasty Surprises [Fantasia Fest 2023]

For those of you who are claustrophobic, #Manhole might just be the film to put you over the edge. The film starts off lightheartedly enough. On the eve of his wedding, a man named Kawamura (Yuto Nakajima) is thrown a surprise party. Of course, the groom-to-be parties a little too hard, and after his friends leave, he finds himself down in a manhole. Seeing how his phone is down there with him, he decides to use a social media platform called Pecker and creates a fake profile calling himself Manhole Girl. When a celebrity shares this message, it goes viral. Internet sleuths are trying to find Kawamura, all the while he tries to piece together what happened.

There is something really engaging about #Manhole that manages to get its hooks firmly in you and not let go. Director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri is a master at ramping up tension and, most importantly, sustaining it throughout the film’s runtime. Seeing how a good 90% of the movie takes place in a single location, it takes a lot more care and attention to maintain both engagement and excitement. Thankfully, one is never bored by the story, due in part to the layers it provides the audience.

While this is another “trapped in a small place” premise, the addition of the social media and Internet sleuth elements makes this movie a true standout. Horror and thrillers using social media is nothing new, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that talks specifically about armchair detectives, mob justice via the Internet, and how gender plays a role in drumming up interest in cases. Kumakiri manages to smartly play with all these themes in a way that feels authentic in the scariest ways possible. This is the film’s biggest strength, and it plays its damning indictment of social media razor close and scrapes the bone clean. The best example of this is a clout chasing influencer that goes on the hunt for Manhole girl. The scene does heavy lifting by reenforcing its center thesis on Internet culture but provides tension (will he find Kawamura), and it’s also darkly funny. Yes, there is a black as pitch sense of humor that is well placed and adds to the overall uncomfortable vibe the film gives off. Information is slowly dripped out, and this helps keep the audience engaged throughout.

The visual language of this film is stunning. You can tell that every single shot is extremely well thought out and adds a lot of overall quality. You can’t help but put yourself in the position of Kawamura and how utterly terrifying the situation is.

The movie’s biggest flaw is that more isn’t always better in terms of twists. As clever as the film is from a narrative and satirical standpoint, the over-the-top plot twists are likely to alienate some viewers. The screenplay writes itself into several corners, and if you think about it critically, some vital story elements don’t make sense. This is tough because it feels like the premise is so well executed. Then it goes completely off the rails heading into the third act. It’s a hurdle to be sure, and if you can get over it, the film offers up more positives to help somehow pull itself up.

Despite a messy third act, you cannot deny how impressive #Manhole is. It’s a tall order to add something new to both the claustrophobia genre and the social media genre, but it manages to do both. This feels like a spiritual companion to Old Boy without ever feeling like a cheap knock-off. Tense as hell and offers up plenty of nasty surprises, #Manhole is the real deal.

#Manhole had its Canadian Premiere at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival.

Director: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri

Writer: Michitaka Okada

Rated: NR

Runtime: 97m