Short film: Bakemono (2021)

  • Written and Directed by Sumire Takematsu and Jorge Lucas
  • Stars Claudia Fabella, Shio Muramatsu, Daisuke Suzuki
  • Run Time: 9:34
  • Link: https://youtu.be/LxNCdlcUmcg

Summary

A Japanese family sits down to eat dinner. The daughter doesn’t want to eat, so the mother explains that uneaten food can attract Bakemono, or evil spirits. There’s a yearly thing where children throw beans outside to banish the evil spirits. This little girl, Ayumi, refuses and actually takes pity on the spirits. “They never did anything to me!” She shouts.

What could go wrong?

Commentary

It looks good, the acting is good, and the characters and reactions seem realistic. I don’t know about the bean-throwing procedure, but it seems like something children would do. Parents everywhere get crabby when children don’t eat, so that’s pretty universal. The makeup effects are fine, but fairly minimal, and the outcome is unsettling.