User reviews

I loved parts of it and absolutely despised other parts of it.

The film accomplishes leaving the audience member with a sense of escape from eternal solitude and despair. This is an amazing thing to make others feel. Sadly, there is alot of random annoying things in the film too.

Watch it if you are interested.

Tag is a difficult movie to rate. The soundtrack is beautiful, the CGI is...shall we say, it could use improvement? The acting to me is good, but I can see if some consider it "over the top".

It's a very Japanese movie with Japanese humour, so many Western people might not understand it or frown upon it.

It's also a very "Sono" movie. Sion Sono (I think as far as I remember, he comes from the pinka aiga genre and his wife is a former JAV star) made many movies about patriarchy and the whole "men vs women" thing. Love Exposure, Cold Fish, Guilty of Romance...all with pretty despicable male characters and often with the empowerment of women.

Tag makes it clear early on that it's a very female movie. Up until the final part, there isn't a single male character (if we don't count a literal "pig") in the film. Then, as we cross into the "real" world, we see nothing but male characters (and not in a flattering light).

I see Tag as a metaphor. Men control women, they oversexualize them (if you watch closely, all the school girls seem to be clearly older than regular school girls) and show them as objects. So we can see the final scene as a freeing of male shackles, aimed at (Japanese) women?

I never would have seen this movie or known of it's existence without my kids. My daughter showed me a clip from the first 10 minutes, and I was hooked, because I had to know what was going on. From then on, it was silly and juvenile but every now and then very unexpected things would happen. I'm not sure if this is deemed a horror or sci-fi, but the Japanese film industry sure is different, and occasional worth diving into. I'm glad I watched it, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

If you like to look at hot girls running, this is a movie for you, as that makes up about 80 % of the movie, there's also a lot of pillow fighting, but also a lot of gore and violence. There is a plot in between of all that, but it doesn't make that much sense and I don't think it is supposed to. There is also a "twist" and some kind of a gender issue message at the end, but honestly I am not sure. I'd say if you're going to watch this movie - just turn off your mind and enjoy the scenery.

This movie has a very promising premise, but fell short of my expectation. As a horror, it is not at all scary, leaving no fear in the aftertaste. As a psychological thriller, it lacks suspense and a logical plot development as well as world building. As a moral lesson, it could have done much better with more subtlety. The only thing I like about it is the aforementioned opening scene and the wedding scene where tension is built up quite well. A very ambitious hot pot, but not at all tasty.

If nothing else, Sion Sono possesses an admirable work ethic. Depending on how one counts such things (and despite the often sprawling length of his films), he's averaged at least one major theatrical release per year since catching the attention of international cinephiles and horror nerds with 2001's Suicide Club. That's on top of an ambitious schedule of television shows, short films and little-seen mystery projects. Even so, 2015 was a banner year. Over a twelve-month period, the director cranked out five full-length features in a bewildering variety of genres and styles, finally rivaling the mad profligacy of Takashi Miike, Sono's countryman and peer in overcranked eccentricity.

Tag, the first of these films semi-available to Western viewers, is an ambitious if modestly budgeted exercise in surrealist dream-horror. Sono's film takes inspiration and its Japanese title, "Riaru Onigokko" ("Real Tag"), from a popular science fiction thriller by teen-lit superstar Yusuke Yamada. Given that the novel in question recently spawned not only a successful screen adaptation but an entire, ongoing film franchise, it might seem strange that a celebrated art-house iconoclast would so soon choose to pay it another visit. In scripting his own version, however, Sono deviates significantly from Yamada's text, twisting the straightforward tale of a young man hunted by mysterious forces into a fragmentary, gore-soaked and frequently comical deconstruction of female identity in contemporary media and society.

The story concerns a teenager named Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) and her attempts to navigate the inconstant landscape of what I hesitate to call her reality. We're given little opportunity to know Mitsuko, as Tag provides us no access to her past or inner life. Instead she's a blank and rather sleepy slate, and we drop into her ordinary schoolgirl's day in stereotypical media res. When the relative calm of a brief opening idyll explodes in grisly mayhem, we understand no more than Mitsuko herself, and from there we tumble with her, bouncing repeatedly from confusion to carnage and back again. Nothing we encounter coheres for more than a moment or two, not even Mitsuko's paper-thin sense of self.

As our hapless heroine's trip down the razor-lined rabbit hole progresses, even her name and face become subject to revision. Though Triendl's Mitsuko remains central, three actresses eventually step in and out of the lead role. Mariko Shinoda plays the character as bride- to-be "Keiko", while Erina Mano appears as a determined young athlete named "Izumi", each quite strong and distinct in her portrayal. It's worth noting here that much of Tag's runtime is populated exclusively by women. This lends a distinctly political edge to the film's constant threat of apocalyptic violence, especially when combined with the polymorphous protagonist's adaptive blankness. For those who might need a bit more prompting, a hilariously bizarre third-act reversal makes Sono's intentions crystal clear.

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for bugged-out existential thrillers in which the fundamental nature of reality is called into question, so I found Tag's shifting, looping, self-sabotaging storyline quite intriguing. Better yet, Sono corrals his penchant for long-winded digression this time out, confining himself to a careening, 85-minute sprint. This allows the film's disruptions and mysteries to retain their charge from beginning to end, despite the fact that "making sense" isn't high on the agenda. Many will doubtless feel cheated by the elliptical resolution, but as far as I'm concerned, the thrill of the ride more than justifies the price of admission.

I discovered this film from a Humour site who posted a sample video of this film. It made me curious to watch this film because of the cute chick plus the gory scene in the trailer.

The story is kind of deep. I think, It's trying to make its audience a mind blown effect. But it isn't. I'm unsatisfied with the dialogue trying to give a meaningful line. I think the novel version tells a lot than the movie version.

Regarding the special effects, instead of scrutinizing the not so bad and not so good gory scenes, just okay, I just laugh it out. I don't know if there's something wrong with me, but I really find those scenes funny.

After watching this film, It made me more curious and I want to read the original story of the novel this film was based.

Thank you.

The folk who say this is a work of art house genius just want to look really, really clever. Its rubbish pure and simple and films like this have been conning audiences for years, the suggestion being that only the clever people will 'get it' so who wants to say they don't 'get it'. Art house auteurs have been pulling this con for a long time. Avoid this drivel.

With an opening sequence that tops 'Suicide Club" in shock value, aesthetics and eeriness, "Tag" targets a gore-hungry audience, but goes deeper with the many philosophical and psychological themes of determinism, power, fear, reality and identity.

"Tag" tackles greater issues than most films and does so well with a brisk pace that takes the viewer along the joyride (or hellride depending on how you see it) and makes him/her identify with the lead character's distress. The three leads who play the same persona are very well cast and effective in edging us into our seats. Their acting is grounded while the rest of the movie is often over the top at parts.

The daring premise, edgy editing, themes and tones are strong, yet Sono falls slightly short of his best work by making a clearly uneven piece at times with some easy thrills and instances with little coherence or content sneaking in. He proves showy, self-indulgent, eager to please the crowd and even uses questionable short-cuts instead of going deeper into the surreal, suspenseful and sublime narrative.

We are left with many questions like many of Sono's films, but in this case, we also understand that perhaps he could have asked himself more questions in the making in order to overcome some unwanted extraneous confusion and loss of focus. This is especially troublesome as it clocks less than 90 mins (uncharacteristic for long-winded Sono - see 237 mins "Love Exposure" as extreme example) and still shows some filler farce instead of sure hit fire-power.

Some superficial moments over subtlety and substance holds this film back, but the brute force and fantastic screen-writing and directing defy denying this fresh film its place into the pantheon of path-breaking provocative piece of cinema.

Despite its minor and more blatant flaws, this film holds well to a metaphorical mirror and is not in search of identity like its main character. It is disconnected beyond its useful purpose, but parades around arguably able to arouse sympathy and separately speak volume on our psychological individual and societal brink of breakdown.

Try to be spontaneous. Accept the surreal and tolerate the slapstick and silliness.

Japan 2015 | 85 mins | FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | DCP | Japanese (English subtitles)

Let's start saying that I will not deny Mr Sono his desire to push boundaries and be original. Just 5 minutes into the movie and we have like 200 million women that have been cut in half but some weird wind. Women, yes, because well, you will notice quite soon that men are not ones to be seen around a lot in this movie.

But the problem is that he just seems to want to be original for the sake of it, and doing so, ends repeating himself quite a bit. Leaving out all his religious symbols and passion for underwear, that come up in all of his movies (or at least in all I have seen), he ends just being a marvelous director in terms of camera-work, scenery, original shots, etc etc, and horrible in the plot department. I enjoy looking at his movies, but from a distance, and like for 5 minutes, when I notice there is no plot to hold the visuals.

But where in Tokyo Tribe, for example, he had a more or less original plot and crazy idea (a story told by actors "rapping"; I'm generous here by calling their singing rapping, but it's part of the movie...) here we just have random situations that are hold together by... well, nothing. We have poor Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) just running around from one place to the other while something (I think he is winking his eye at Sam Raimi here; or just plainly copying) at first, teachers later, and well, weird things further on (I'll let you see it if you are interested) try to kill her. Poor Reina Triendl is not very expressive in this movie, but well, she has not much to work on. I see Mr. Sono telling her: LOOK SCARED! SCARED! JUST LOOK SCARED AND RUN!

If this review makes no sense to you, the movie will make less. Sono, as Miike Takashi before he went mainstream, tries to be original and ends like the drunkard that loses himself in his own story by leaving everyone else scratching their heads. Original, yes; makes no sense, you betcha.

.The twenty or so was the most fantastic opening of the film and something I have never seen as surprising, with lovely, funny and gory being open mouthed. The running, screaming calls all the time and gradually, the film gets rather tiresome. It is still interesting and Sion Sono can never be like other film makers, his great other films are Suicide Club (2001) Love Exposure (2008) and Guilty of Romance (2011).

Good premise, tho I've seen this plot in other movies, can't name them cause I'd spoil too much, so I'll try to explain why I disliked it without giving the idea away.

If you're heavily into Asian horror movies, especially those with a Japan touch on them, it could just happen that you'll enjoy this. But as it moves forward it starts to look like a dream, where your feet are running yet you go nowhere, time starts to stand still and everything else catches you from behind. Slowly and surely it drags itself for too long, getting harder to watch, or just to keep you eyes opened to be honest.

It will happen that this movie actually ends at some point, but when you'll realize what this is all about, the idea outside the idea of the movie, the seed from where it all began, well, this is a split road right here. Either go full in or go back.

Cheers!

This movie is hard to explain and also hard to watch. You could make a strong case for it being very incoherent, but you could also argue the opposite. And it's not that one or the other would be right overall. What you can say about this, is that it completely messes with your head (avoiding other words here,to keep it family friendly).

But the completely over the top and also very violent content will either appeal or appall you as a viewer. The very weird story, that I couldn't really explain even if I tried to, has the same thing going for or against it, depending on your point of view. If you want and can wrap your head around things happening (you can't just watch it and do other stuff, the movie needs your overall, full and undivided attention), then you will be entertained - if you are into that sort of strange storytelling that is

You hold your breath and keep hoping things will get better, but they don't. It doesn't go away... until finally, it's over...

Totally non-sensical the whole way through. It's hard to imagine a plot that makes any less sense - really. Kudos to them for that, I suppose...

Tag boasts lots of moments to laugh at, as well as some moments that are quite thrilling. For horror/gore fans, there's plenty here for you to like, and the body count is higher than a lot of action movies. This is a fun and thrill filled ride, with a twist that actually makes you think. Though there are some issues with the CGI looking rather cheap, I would say the rest of the movie is pretty polished, in terms of story, pacing, and excitement.

At first, I though it is a movie of typical misogyny, typical men's sensuality. However, I begin to confuse, is it really ironic or misogyny? The conflicts between misogyny and femininity.

Other than kill yourself, why not try to kill the man. A typical metaphor that to save the world, a woman have to sacrifice herself, while is opposite to our hero(specifically male hero, not heroin).

Women encircle and intercept women and also lots of misogyny and typical male stares. It is an almost pure women world, however, in the control of a man.

At the same time, unexpectedly, women help women to fight the world purely without any man's help, even if, it is at the expense of killing a man. And interestingly, males are either ugly, pig and old, or handsome with poisonous, seduce a woman or just a tool to fight against the world successfully.

I'm rate this movie 6/10 and decided to rate Dragon Head (2003) at 1/10

effectiveness scene: 8/10 (sometime boring enough to make my wife yawn out loud, but even the boring yawn scene is counted at the end, next time ... but next time, I'd love if it shorter and more brief than it was.)

Mindblowing: opening 12/10, 2nd act 3/10, 3rd act 6.3/10, peak 7.5/10, ending(resolution) 4/10

This movie distinguish from other japan movies lead cast by teenage, which always wasted time with ineffectiveness/meaningless scene. (Such as Dragon Head, Battle Royal even 20th Century Boy, which finally I came to realize that those movie made from comic book is just a step stone for a young actor/actress, these industry not meant to make it great.) Like everyone said the film opening was fantastic, amaze, wonderful, ... (sorry I can't tell how it's great in words) But prepare your mind not to set high hope at the end... but yet, every scene counted, even boring sequence after the opening.

I watched this film with my best friend. It was weird from the beginning and until the end I can say that I lost some brain cells trying to understand what was happening. Everything was so surreal like I was trapped in a dream or something and it reminded me of other japanese movies with similar surreal concepts. In some parts my friend and I couldn't stop laughing cause it was so surreal that it ended up being funny instead of scary (or it might be just us who find everything funny lol) I really want to see it again but I'm too lazy to go through that roller coaster of confusion I went through the first time I watched it. Anyways, I recommend it to everyone who likes films that f up with your mind. It might seem stupid and with no sense at all but that's the whole point and charm of it.