Death Note [2017] Genre: Psychological Thriller Director: Adam Wingard Actors: Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe One of the topics that seems to be coming up a lot recently in debate is the disconnect between fans and critics. With films such as DC's Suicide Squad being panned by critics but loved by fans, some have started to question whether or not you should base whether you see a film or not off a critic's review. However, every now and then you get a film where both the critics and the regular movie-goer come together and unite in their opinion of a film. Unfortunately for Netflix, their new release, Death Note, has united them, but not in the way they would've wanted. Criticism for this new adaptation of the popular manga and anime series (which found devout fans from both Japanese and western audiences) has been widespread, with most fans and critics considering it poor. But is there anything to be praised about the film? The film's main premise concerns around Light Turner (Wolff), an intelligent teenager who finds the notebook after it was dropped to the human world by the death god Ryuk (Dafoe). The notebook causes anyone who has their name in it written to die in whatever way Light wishes. He makes the decision to clear the world of all evil using the notebook. Capturing the style and genre of the original was always important. The genre of the original series is an interesting question. Some could argue that it is a horror series, but the lack of general horror conventions in it could go against this. Other labels such as a detective/crime series or psychological thriller have also been put on it. The film has the same sort of ambiguity on genre. While the start of the film does edge more towards horror, with all the usual tropes of a jumpscares and pathetic fallacy used, this focus shifts away and focuses on the detective elements which made the original so good, using them as a pivotal point for the film. One of the principle relationships in the series is between Light Yagami, an incredibly intelligent teenager who finds and L, an equally intelligent detective who is set on hunting down the killer. This results in an almost cat-and-mouse like game where each side is attempting to discover the identity of the other so they can either kill or capture them. The film, in my opinion, also explores this relationship quite well, although its limited length perhaps restricts how far they can take this. The original anime series was directed/animated in quite an odd way, with very quick cuts between one shot to the next. At points, Wingard does employ this same technique, but it doesn't have that same feel to it, almost forced in to appease fans rather than done with purpose or care. And, this, perhaps is this version of Death Note's greatest flaw, a lack of care for what made the original so great. Criticising an adaptation that claims to only be loosely based on the original is difficult, as one could argue that the director is making an original film. However, when using an almost identical concept to the original, it is essential you acknowledge and take into account the ingredients that made that original so brilliant. Wingard seems to take an admirable shot at doing this for the first half of the film, giving an interesting take on the relationships between Light and multiple other characters. However, any interesting dynamics seem to go out the window in the second half, with out-of-character decisions and poor dialogue plaguing the script. While entertaining and fun to watch, the ingredients that Wingard decides to use don't really make a good film. An example of this are the music choices that Wingard goes for, with soft rock used repeatedly throughout the film. This would be only slightly distracting if it was purely in the background, but the usage of it in a slow motion death scene in the climax of the film made it impossible to take seriously and is certainly a very odd, and not particularly wise, artistic choice. The acting is another area that has garnered much criticism , in particular Wolff's performance in the film. Personally, I wasn't too disappointed with his performance here, with only a few scenes really standing out as unconvincing and most putting forward Light's personality well. Margaret Qualley and LaKeith Stanfield also give relatively convincing performances in their roles for the majority of the film, with Stanfield in particular getting right the mannerisms of L throughout the film. However, the largest amount of praise has to go to Willem Dafoe. Despite not physically appearing on screen, his haunting voice throughout the film provides an extra edge of horror to Ryuk's character, as he goads Light into killing throughout the film, even adding in a bit of humour to his tone at points also. Is Death Note a good adaptation of the original series? No, it isn't. Wingard blatantly ignores what made the original so good, changing it to a generic formula that we see from most Hollywood blockbusters nowadays. Is Death Note an entertaining film? I would tentatively say yes. While the story flows poorly, with some really gaping plot holes in areas, the film entertains both in a 'so bad it's good' way but also, with some genuinely tense scenes and entertaining lines in the first half of the film, in a genuinely entertaining way. Death Note, while flawed, is a mildly entertaining thriller, with some admirable performances by Stanfield and Dafoe, and while it will probably be seen as one of the weaker Netflix originals, it is a relatively entertaining thriller, if you have some time on your hands. Rating: 4/10
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InfoBlog for A Level Film Studies. Consists of critical analysis of films from different time periods and genres. Archives
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