Our take
Horror novels scare readers through the power of their imaginations, but sometimes, adapting these words straight on screen limits the fear factor. That’s what happened with Lumberjack the Monster. While the film crescendos nicely into the intense graphic violence director Takashi Miike is known for, the introduction is a bit shaky, alternating between the cops and protagonist Akira Ninomiya without a neat balance, and having to reveal key points of the mystery only through dialogue. The film does still retain some of novelist Mayusuke Kurai’s contemplations about the consequences of clinical psychopaths placed in critical roles, but Lumberjack the Monster feels a tad too uneven.
Synopsis
After Akira Ninomiya miraculously survives a brutal attack by an unknown assailant wearing a "monster mask," he becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge.
Storyline
After surviving a brutal attack from a masked axe murderer, lawyer Akira Ninomiya is made aware of a neuro chip implanted in his brain, making him obsessed with finding the attacker and getting his revenge.
TLDR
Lumberjacks deserved better.
What stands out
The film is more boggling than scary, to be honest.