One Cut of the Dead (2017) review – Meta-horror mastery from Japan

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Shin’ichirô Ueda’s brilliant 2017 zombie horror movie One Cut of the Dead. This is an older movie so I will make this review pretty short.

One of the greatest zombie horror movies of all time?

Am I exaggerating with that statement? I don’t think I am. After all, this movie made over $30,000,000 on a budget of $25,000, so people definitely seem to agree with me. One Cut of the Dead is brilliant. It follows a group of filmmakers who are producing a zombie horror movie at an abandoned World War II facility, finding themselves in a fight for their lives when they are attacked by real zombies.

“To say even a single sentence more would be to give away too much. Don’t watch the trailer, don’t read a single thing, go in blind.”

To say even a single sentence more would be to give away too much. Don’t watch the trailer, don’t read a single thing, go in blind. All I can tell you is that this movie is not at all what you might expect. In fact, to say it is simply a zombie movie would be to understate the intelligence and scope of this film. It is so much more.

And for that, I am grateful, because I am not a huge fan of all things zombie. Don’t get me wrong, of course. It would be a lie to say that One Cut of the Dead doesn’t feature some of the more familiar zombie tropes. Undead creatures ambling around, throwing up on people, biting off limbs, etc. But this film is so much more than that.

You have to stick with it

It should probably be pointed out that things don’t start off in a particularly compelling way, here. In fact, as far as zombie movies go, if you consider One Cut of the Dead by its opening, you will be sorely disappointed. It’s basic zombie horror fare with overacting, dodgy effects, and no scares.

“The final third of the movie is just one spectacular moment after another. One clever little touch piled on top of another… You will just be enjoying the ride.”

Sure, it is all done in one, tremendously skilful, single-take shot. But it is all quite formulaic and familiar. It is when you get past that first part that it unveils itself to be so much more.

Again, a little more patience is needed because the second act slows things down a little bit, setting things up and building to what is, quite simply, one of the most brilliant final thirds of a horror movie that you will ever see.

One Cut of the Dead is charming, hilarious, brilliantly acted, well-scripted, incredibly clever, extremely meta, and, even, quite touching, at times. I predicted exactly what was going to happen, but it was so well done that it didn’t matter.

The final third of the movie is just one spectacular moment after another. One clever little touch piled on top of another, and then piled on top of another again. It’s so satisfying and enjoyable that you will barely even care that the movie has transformed into something completely different. You will just be enjoying the ride.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.