The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) review – Miike’s musical madness

Welcome to Knockout Horror. A few years back, we reviewed one of my all-time favourite horror movies – Audition. Well, today Takashi Miike is back as we take a look at the weird and wonderful – The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Is It Actually a J-Horror?

I suppose, when people think of J-Horror, their mind immediately wanders to movies like Ringu, Dark Water, and Ju-On: The Grudge. The truth of the matter is, however, J-Horror comes in all shapes and sizes. Some J-Horror movies are slow-burning, supernatural stories, while others are utterly insane productions that make you wonder just what the hell you have been watching.

Takashi Miike’s The Happiness of the Katakuris is one such movie. Now, to be perfectly honest, this movie only exists on the fringes of horror. There are horror elements, but to pigeonhole it as that would be to do it a great disservice.

“Miike, when allowed to unleash his pure, unadulterated, lunatic brand of filmmaking madness, makes directors like Cronenberg and Lynch look modest and tame.”

Focusing on a loving family who decide to open, and run, a bed and breakfast together, only to experience catastrophe after catastrophe as their guests keep mysteriously dying. Classifying this movie at all is an incredibly difficult task.

It’s absolutely crazy in that very specific Japanese way

To recognise that Audition is one of Miike’s more calm and considered movies is to recognise that this guy is absolutely nuts. Miike, when allowed to unleash his pure, unadulterated, lunatic brand of filmmaking madness, makes directors like Cronenberg and Lynch look modest and tame.

Sure, Miike loves to tackle taboo subjects and puts a lot of effort into disgusting his viewers. But given free reign, he can also leave them with their mouths agape wondering what the hell they just watched.

“It is a wild mix of several disparate genres that range from horror, to comedy, to crime mystery, to domestic drama, and all the way back to outlandish horror musical.”

That is The Happiness of the Katakuris in a nutshell. It is a wild mix of several disparate genres that range from horror, to comedy, to crime mystery, to domestic drama, and all the way back to outlandish horror musical. It is utterly mental and, with all of that being said, bloody brilliant. Never has a movie left me so confused but so happy at the same time.

From scenes featuring an old man throwing logs at a crow, to claymation sequences depicting absolutely ludicrous shenanigans, right through to musical numbers encouraging the audience to join in at home. There isn’t a single second of downtime in The Happiness of the Katakuris and it is a wonderful journey because of that.

But is it actually a good movie?

Technically, this is probably not a great movie. It is great in as much as silly movies like Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood are great. Just mindless, silly, easy-to-love films that make you feel happy.

“It’s simply a really enjoyable movie that makes you forget about all of its problems.”

But there is a strong argument to be made that much of what you see here simply doesn’t work all that well. The Happiness of the Katakuris is a smorgasbord of different things that really don’t go together.

It doesn’t lean into the horror enough. Characters are one-dimensional and very underdeveloped. The mystery at the heart of the film is never really expanded on or satisfactorily concluded. No single element is particularly noteworthy. The entire events are a collection of coincidences. Nothing links together in a meaningful way, and the comedy can be at odds with some of the other elements in play.

But, none of that really matters. It’s simply a really enjoyable movie that makes you forget about all of its problems.

Go into it with your expectations correctly set

You really have to go into The Happiness of the Katakuris knowing, full well, what to expect. In an Asian horror world that is dominated by slow-moving South Korean ghost stories and a complete lack of ironic zaniness, it feels wildly out of place.

Hell, it would have felt out of place on release back in 2001. It is easy to forget that Japanese filmmaking is quite different to that of their neighbours. Japanese directors are never afraid of the ridiculous and silly. Even in horror.

Takashi Miike is at the top of the list when it comes to directors willing to try something crazy. If you go into this expecting it to be an utterly nuts movie with a ton of charm, you will have a great time. Expecting a single ounce of seriousness will leave you feeling disappointed. This is a very specific brand of Japanese entertainment that, those who are fans of, will absolutely adore.

It is surprisingly tame, for Miike, as well. There is limited nudity, the humour isn’t completely distasteful, the violence is limited, and the slapstick humour will keep you laughing throughout. That’s without mentioning how catchy the songs are, as well. All performed by an experienced and committed cast featuring legendary actors Kenji Sawada, Tetsurô Tanba, and Ken’ichi Endô.

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.