A classic Japanese true crime story, Village of Doom is a chilling reenactment of the infamous Tsuyama Massacre, a revenge killing spree that occurred on the night of 21 May 1938 in the rural village of Kamo near Tsuyama in Okayama Prefecture. Mutsuo Toi, an emotionally distraught 21-year-old man who had been ostracized by his fellow villagers, went on a violent killing spree that took the lives of 30 people, including his own grandmother. Before finally killing himself, Toi visited his revenge upon the village using a shotgun, Japanese sword and axe. It remains the deadliest mass murder spree in Japanese history.

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Video Quality

Village of Doom debuts on Blu-Ray domestically via Unearthed Films with a 1080p master in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio derived from a source of unknown origins. We may not know how recent this master is, but we can confirm it holds up pretty well, especially considering the scarce nature of the feature previously. That’s not to say this is a sterling presentation, but it largely looks pretty great. The transfer avoids most instances of wear and tear. There are not huge splotches or appalling damage, but fleeting nicks and scratches occasionally appear.

The transfer seemingly does not have much in the way of filtering or DNR applied which allows it to present with an organic appearance. Most of the film resolves well in this respect, but there are some minor moments when the grain field becomes a bit more gritty. The film struggles the most in the darker moments. Fine detail typically does not disappoint as you observe intricate facets of the clothing and production design without hindrance. The transfer exhibits deep color saturation throughout with the the vegetation on the hill and certain lighting choices making the biggest impression. Unearthed Films has put forth a good effort here.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in Japanese. As with the video side of things, you never really get the sense that there is much wear and tear at play. Dialogue is clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film. The score maintains a favorable fidelity with no serious instances of distortion to ruin the experience. The film does not place too much emphasis on weighty moments, but the final act of the movie does come alive during the onslaught. Unearthed Films has done an agreeable job of presenting this film in the best quality possible. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Asian film experts Arne Venema and Mike Leeder deliver an entertaining and deeply informative commentary track in which they discuss the real-life history behind the film, where Japan was culturally at the time of release, the careers of the talent involved, how this compares with the real-life story, and so much more that adds a lot of context to this feature.

Dark Asia with Megan: Case #57 Japan’s Darkest Night, Tsuyama Massacre: A 15-minute true crime program that takes a deep dive into the real-life story depicted in the film.

Promotional Gallery: A three-minute gallery of stills and marketing materials is provided.

Theatrical Trailer: This disc provides the nearly minute-and-a-half-long trailer for Village of Doom.

Final Thoughts

Village of Doom is a deeply upsetting film that viscerally captures the disturbing crimes that were committed in Japan several decades ago. The film is not quite as brutal as some genre films, but it does not pull any punches when things come to a head in the third act. The performances are pretty solid, but the pacing does feel a bit sluggish at times as you continuously experience our lead character adding to his emotional turmoil. It is not an easy watch if you are particularly squeamish, but it will make an impact on those who choose to embark upon it. Unearthed Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a pretty strong A/V presentation and some great special features. If the subject intrigues you and you think you can stomach it, you should seek it out. Recommended

Village of Doom will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 22, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Unearthed Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.