THE INVASIAN: 2LDK (2003)

 

 

Roommates Rana (Maho Nonami) and Nozomi (Eiko Koike) are actresses competing for the same role in an upcoming film. Nozomi is a softspoken and polite stage actress and this part will be her big film debut. Rana is a loud and opinionated former child star who ain’t freakin’ naïve about the film business. She needs this part to set up the rest of her career. Whichever studio exec thought that these two should share an apartment is either an idiot or a sadist. Petty squabbles over energy drinks and shampoo escalate into full blown war. Did I mention that their apartment is full of sharp objects? It’s snobs versus slobs and the only winner can be… the audience.

I recommend director Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s other horror film called Siren (2006). It’s not great, but it’s a creepy little timewaster. I’ve been looking for his haunted middle school film called Hanako of the Toilet (1998). What? Don’t be weird okay! You need to get your mind out of the gutter and into the toilet! Both of this film’s leading ladies have gone on to amazing careers in both television and film with nearly 200 credits between the two of them.

What’s the deal with roommates? [taps on microphone] Hey, is this thing on? Unearthed Films brought this little obscurity out of the budget Asian horror DVD pile. I’ve always been a fan of this film, but I rarely hear people talking about it. The little details that ratchet up the tension, the inventive camerawork, the pitch-black humor, the excellent script, and the bonkers escalating violence make 2LDK worth checking out. I say give it a look!