TOMIE: REPLAY is the third instalment of this manga-based series about a girl who keeps coming back from the dead. The first film, TOMIE, was very much a unique, weird movie with an atmosphere all its own, while the lamentable shot-on-video sequel, TOMIE: ANOTHER FACE, isn't even worth mentioning. The good news is that TOMIE: REPLAY is on much stronger ground, similar in many aspects to the first film but with a more involved storyline.
The horror in this film is far more visceral, with plenty of disturbing imagery. There are body parts galore, as well as scenes of violent murder and just plain weird stuff going on (the opening sequence, in which doctors performing a Caesarian discover a woman's head instead of a baby, is difficult to forget). There are more cast members here, from mad doctors to dedicated daughters and the usual rote of young menfolk who find themselves obsessed with the spectral Tomie.
The pacing is slow and the tone subdued for the most part, and if you're looking for well-developed ghost sequences a la RING or THE GRUDGE, then you've come to the wrong place. If, however, you're in the mood for a one-of-a-kind cult oddity then the Tomie series might just be for you.
The horror in this film is far more visceral, with plenty of disturbing imagery. There are body parts galore, as well as scenes of violent murder and just plain weird stuff going on (the opening sequence, in which doctors performing a Caesarian discover a woman's head instead of a baby, is difficult to forget). There are more cast members here, from mad doctors to dedicated daughters and the usual rote of young menfolk who find themselves obsessed with the spectral Tomie.
The pacing is slow and the tone subdued for the most part, and if you're looking for well-developed ghost sequences a la RING or THE GRUDGE, then you've come to the wrong place. If, however, you're in the mood for a one-of-a-kind cult oddity then the Tomie series might just be for you.