Welcome to Knockout Horror. Following up on my recent article on What Happened to J-Horror. I decided to cover a bunch of my favourite Japanese horror movies. As well as some that I had missed. A few years back, we reviewed one of my all time favourites – Audition. Well, today, Takashi Miike is back as we take a look at The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Is It 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.

A screenshot from comedy horror musical J-Horror The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)

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.

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.

Absolutely Crazy

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 movie making 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.

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 Good?

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. 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.

Know What To Expect

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 movie making 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.

Should You Watch The Happiness of the Katakuris?

If you go into it knowing what to expect, you should definitely watch The Happiness of the Katakuris. This is Takashi Miike at his most unhinged and it is brilliant. Absolutely zany, completely weird, hilarious, full of catchy songs and genuinely charming. This movie shouldn’t work but it does. Definitely one of a kind.