This Japanese psychological horror film was directed by Genki Kawamura, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kentaro Hirase, and it is based on the video game of the same name. A young man is on the subway going to work when his girlfriend calls to tell him she is pregnant and needs his help deciding whether to keep the baby. He decides to get off his train to meet her but finds himself trapped in the station tunnels, unable to exit until he has completed a challenge.
I really liked the set up and the first half of this high concept adaptation. The simple setting and repetition had a chilling nightmarish quality. Kazunari Ninomiya was good as the increasingly desperate father-to-be and Yamato Kochi quietly creepy as an older guy he passes on each loop.
It would have made an excellent short or 30 to 45 minute TV show episode, but there is not enough material to sustain a feature length film. In order to pad the story out, two more characters are introduced to little effect. One is a small boy, in a heavy handed allusion to the man’s predicament.
So, a good idea that runs out of steam.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10