FILM REVIEW: New Group (2025)

New Group - New Release Review

Director: Yûta Shimotsu

Starring: Anna Yamada, Yuzu Aoki, Arisa Sasaki, Pierre Taki

Written by: Yûta Shimotsu, Momoko Sahara

Produced by: Tsuyoshi Kobayashi

Cinematography by: Tetsu Nshioka

Original Score by: Nobuhiro Tateno

Synopsis:

High school student Ai sees her world collapse when a strange cult-like mentality gradually turns people around her into mindless followers who can transform simple gymnastics routines into a nightmarish dance of death.

Thoughts:

The writer and director of 'Best Wishes to All' returns for yet another highly original and satirical look at Japanese society through the lens of horror and absurd comedy and yet again he nails it.

Yuzu Aoki stars as Yu, a new student arrival who has just been transferred from another school abroad. Yu is a bit of an introvert and just wants to get on with school life without drama, a bit like Ai (Anna Yamada) and the two seem to gravitate towards each other. Their end game is the same but their personalities are different. Yu is fiercer, a free thinker and more independent while Ai is timid and doesn't want to interfere, even when she sees another girl getting bullied. During a routine class, Yu notices there's a fellow student on all fours outside on the sports field. A little while later two other people have joined and a formation is beginning to take shape to the bewilderment of the rest of the school. Faculty have gathered and demanded no photos be taken. Students are confused. Soon, the school principal gets invovled and it looks like he is actually instigating the formations. Yes, plural, as in there are more growing around the school and they are "swallowing" up anyone else in their way.

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Shimotsu's previous film 'Best Wishes to All' explored sensational ideas surrounding happiness, capitalism and the class system and was a much darker and gloomier piece overall. With 'New Group' he has a similar approach but this time taps into conformity and brainwashing and leans a little into cosmic horror. The threat here is inexplicable however it is teased early on that there may be an alien presence.

Much of the film focuses on Ai and her journey from an anxiety ridden, shy, conformist to rebellious free thinking leader. Ironically for someone who hasn't found her voice and doesn't want to be "seen" she rises to the occasion and much of that is due to the arrival and her connection with Yu.

There are a few moments in the film that are hard to take too seriously but the idea behind these sequences are extremely unnerving and quite frankly terrifying. With everything that is going on in society around the world; the abuse of social media platforms, the worrying growth of AI, the manipulation by the billionaire-controlled media, cult-like power hungry politicians in control, economies spiralling, there is a lot to be afraid of and Shimotsu addresses this is a unique way through high school group mentality and more specifically the dynamic between students and teachers. Although the horror does eventually grow beyond the borders of the schoolyard.

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There's something intensely haunting about seeing a group of school kids arrange themselves into a specific formation, chanting together with only one thing on their mind; to move forward and attack.

Whilst 'New Group' doesn't quite live up to his previous feature film, emotionally, visually or from a storytelling stand point, the ideas that are satirised are closer to the bone and all held together but two very good lead performances. Although the premise initially seems a bit silly, the truth is that due to some deplorably moronic sections of society and the modern day obsession with trends, it wouldn't be too shocking if this type of unsettling behavior did ever become a reality.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Gavin Logan

'New Group' is available to stream on Shudder on November 6th