10 Alternative Films For Valentine's Day
4. Audition
When a lonely widower attempts to begin dating, he uses a filmmaker friend to “audition” prospective girlfriends and eventually settles for Asami (Eihi Shiina), unaware she has a past that’s best described as “complicated.” If you think this is going to be a psychodrama of the Fatal Attraction variety, however, guess again – Glenn Close never put needles in Michael Douglas’s eyes or displayed a penchant for amputation.
It’s a simple story, but in the hands of director Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) the material becomes more than just another psychodrama, full of stark images, unexpected surprises and incredibly dark story turns. This is not a movie that Hollywood that will be remaking with Reese Witherspoon in the lead.
When first shown in Japan, Audition caused walkouts, with one outraged female viewer telling the director – to his face – that he was a very sick person. Don’t be fooled by the deliberate pacing because this is a picture that, like all the best horror movies, creeps up on you. If you only watch one of Miike 90+ films, make it this one.