Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at a J-Horror from 2023 called #Manhole. Directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, this movie is, obviously, a few years old but it seems to only be hitting Western streaming services now so I figured we should take a quick look.

#Manhole follows the story of a young man, Shunsuke (Yûto Nakajima), who, on the day before his wedding, falls down an uncovered manhole while on a night out with friends. Desperate for help, he reaches out to social media for assistance.

What Happened to J-Horror

Watching this movie really made me wonder what happened to J-Horror. So much so, in fact, that I started a whole new section of the site just to talk about it. After all, at one point, Japan was knocking out some of the best, and scariest, horror movies in the entire world. They have all but vanished now. Giving way to other Asian nations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Korea. If you have been wondering the same thing, check out my thoughts on What Happened to J-Horror.

Does #Manhole manage to capture some of the glory days of J-Horror? Well, to be perfectly honest, no. This is a movie that I couldn’t have imagined releasing during Japan’s horror heyday. It’s just too far separated from the ghost stories and psychological horror movies that made the country so renowned within the genre.

A screenshot from Japanese horror movie #Manhole (2023)

#Manhole is a much lighter affair. At its heart, in fact, it is more of a thriller mystery than an actual traditional horror movie. With that being said, those of you who enjoy single location horror should be suitably pleased. The vast majority of the events of the movie take place inside of a manhole after Shunsuke managed to fall in. Shunsuke has a phone and access to social media. Something which he utilises in his attempt to escape.

Which Begs The Question…

Naturally, the entire plot of this movie will have you immediately screaming at your television. Why the hell doesn’t he simply phone the police and get himself out of there? Well, the truth is, he does do that, among other things. The movie ties itself in knots to try and avoid resorting to the most obvious solution. Making virtually no sense in the process and taking a number of dramatic storytelling leaps to convince the viewer that this scenario is anything other than entirely unplausible.

It’s a bit frustrating, really. There is, obviously, an ultimate goal in having Shunsuke stuck down here and the movie does go in a rather unexpected direction. But it is impossible to escape the feeling that the whole thing is just kind of farcical. This is a pretty poorly written movie, if I am being honest. Frustratingly so, in fact. There is a vague attempt to tie things up at the end but it still makes no sense and takes numerous leaps of logic to actually have any kind of buy in, into the plot.

On The Plus Side

If you can push aside just how ridiculous the whole thing is. #Manhole can be quite enjoyable. Something I have noticed with Japanese horror, as of late, is that it seems to be leaning into plots and styles that you would find in an anime. #Manhole is no different. Even the use of language and shot types, here, are reminiscent of a Shonen anime series. If that is something you enjoy, you will likely appreciate a lot of what this movie has to offer. Especially some of the more comedic scenes. #Manhole elicits a few laughs on more than one occasion.

I did appreciate the switch up in the story. I was starting to get very bored of the “Shunsuke tries to get out, fails, speaks to someone on the phone, tries to get out, fails” cycle that the movie was following. Again, the revelations make no sense at all but they are welcome. Especially if you can suspend disbelief for an hour or so. Writer, Michitaka Okada, absolutely nailed the online comments, as well. This is exactly how the world’s web denizens would react to this situation.

The story’s secrets unravel at a pretty considered pace. Making the second half of the movie a lot more enjoyable than the first as you are constantly being drip fed new bits of information. Again, you will roll your eyes frequently. Especially when the movie struggles to tie up many of its loose ends. But, if you can turn your brain off for a little, it can be a pretty fun movie.

Worth Mentioning

Again, I can’t emphasise this enough, the plot is ridiculous and makes no sense. Even if you enjoy the movie, that fact will be at the forefront of your mind. The first half of the film can be extremely boring. There is a heavy reliance on milking the severity of Shunsuke’s situation to create drama. Something which is very hit or miss as it is almost impossible to actually convince yourself that he is truly trapped.

There are a ton of plot inconsistencies, continuity issues, leaps of logic, and points that are simply not exposed on at all which can be very frustrating. It also lacks in tension as it is almost impossible to build Shunsuke’s predicament into anything legitimately concerning or worrying.

As a fan of J-horror of old. I found it a bit jarring how juvenile the dialogue was. I got the distinct sense that this movie was aimed at teens, despite the cast being in their thirties. #Manhole feels extremely slow for much of its length, as well. The plot is very back-ended so the front half feels rather empty. Some will definitely tire, very quickly, of the location, as well.

Should You Watch #Manhole?

#Manhole is an okay movie. The plot is absolutely ludicrous and you are forced to jump through tons of hoops to actually buy into what is taking place. It’s also quite slow and a bit boring, at points. It can be quite a fun movie, though, and I enjoyed the direction the story went in later on. Don’t expect too much and you may just enjoy it.