Re/Member is a 2022 Japanese horror film based on the manga Karada Sagashi, also known as Body Search. The movie, which premiered on Netflix in February 2023, follows a group of high school students who are caught in a deadly time loop.
Plot summary
The story begins with six students who are forced to participate in a supernatural scavenger hunt. Every night, they are sent to their high school and hunted by a vicious, blood-covered ghost girl known as "The Red Person". To break the curse and see another day, they must find the eight scattered body parts of a murdered student and place them in a coffin in the school's chapel.
Each night ends with the students being brutally murdered, only to wake up again at the start of the same day. Over time, the shared trauma brings the once-estranged group closer together as they work to survive and solve the mystery.
Based on a popular manga
The film is an adaptation of the manga Karada Sagashi, written by Welzard and illustrated by Katsutoshi Murase, which was published between 2014 and 2017. The manga's episodic nature led to some of the film's noted pacing issues, as it attempts to balance gory horror with the dramatic and comedic elements of the teenagers' relationships.
Critical reception
Reviews for the film were mixed.
- Praised elements: Critics and audiences generally appreciated the time-loop concept, the gory practical effects, and the central mystery. Many saw it as a solid entry in the teen horror subgenre, comparing it to films like Happy Death Day.
- Criticized elements: A common point of criticism was the film's inconsistent tone, which frequently shifts between brutal horror and more lighthearted, dramatic scenes. Some viewers found the plot to be illogical or silly, particularly during the climax.
The sequel
A sequel to the film, Re/Member: The Last Night, is in production