Ever since “The Exorcist” (1973) little children have proven their ability to scare us. In the Japanese horror industry, titles like Hideo Nakata's “Dark Water” (2002) or Takashi Shimizu's “Ju-On” (2002) picked up that trend and turned it into a success model. The Short Film “Payment” by Kazuyuki Miyabe features a single mother, who is missing her daughter. As the dorm's janitory comes under suspicion, the case seems closed. But the ending holds up some breathtaking revelations.
Payment screened at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival
Satomi (Fusuako Urabe) is a mother awaiting the return of her young daughter, Yumi, who has gone missing. When the police investigation runs into difficulties, she grows suspicious of the apartment building's secretive janitor. One day, Satomi happens upon the janitor at the garbage collection area who then proceeds to inform her of something no one else would know except Satomi and her daughter. Facts are gradually uncovered leaving one final disturbing truth.
Although this is only Kazuyuki Miyabe's second film, the Nihon University graduate has been in the spotlight for quite some time making himself a name in the commercial branch. In 2020, he was chosen to the “Filmmaker 100 in 2020” which selects 100 people who have demonstrated unmistakable creativity. Sounds promising, eh? It is little to no surprise that “Payment” exceeds the levels of a typical independent production.
Written, shot, directed, and edited all by himself, the multi-talented director presents a hyper stylistic cinematic ride riddled with eerie sounds creating a grim and disturbing atmosphere known from true-crime series. The cinematography is very character focused and shows us many frontal shots. In that confrontational manner, the strong and pure performance of the actors is underlined. Combined with smooth editing, the overall presentation results in a psychologized film that easily manipulates the viewer's perception. Miyabe is able to play with the audience and keeps high tension during the whole runtime. Especially the night shots radiate a strong sense of horror, including scenes of surveillance camera footage. The highly sophisticated technical execution is met by the skills of the two leading award-winning actors Fusako Urabe (“Bashing” 2005) and Daisuke Kuroda (“Three Stories of Love” 2015), who deliver a frightening performance.
During the movie, the personas begin to crumble just like the old paint from the dormitory railings, in which the story takes place. Who is innocent and who is not? Impuissance and pure evil can be seen in the eyes of the characters. At the same time, “Payment” questions the definition of good end evil by turning tables and opens the discussion about gender stereotypes, too.
The true magic of the short reveals itself not only inside the diegetic boundaries of the plot but also in the mind of the viewer, which makes it a very lasting experience and makes you want to rewatch right away. The only letdown is the shallow roles of the policemen. A longer script may bear the opportunity for a more developed characterization on their side and create an even deeper impact.
