Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc

Amongst this month’s spooky slate, Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, stands out for a few reasons, one being that it's an anime. 

As with the Demon Slayer movies, it progresses the story established by Tatsuki Fujimoto's original manga and MAPPA's TV anime from 2022. You might need some idea what's going on, but most of the story is given enough context by writer Hiroshi Seko and director Tatsuya Yoshihara to make it intelligible. Let's see what else the film has to offer.

In an alternate 1990s, the Soviet Union still exists, while Devils are a recognized public nuisance. There's a Devil for everything humanity fears, no matter how silly, but even they fear the Chainsaw Devil, who can devour them and their thing out of existence. This Devil's usual form is a puppy-thing named Pochita. Nowadays, the Chainsaw Devil exists as series protagonist Denji's heart, which gives him the ability to become the titular demonic superhero. Denji now slays Devils for the Government and that's where we find him when the movie starts.

One day, Denji gets to spend movie time with his supervisor, Makima. He's ready to go steady with her, who openly considered him her "pet" when she recruited him. But along comes Reze, a barista who's seemingly appreciates Denji for Denji. He reciprocates her affections, even if he worries about "cheating" on Makima. Unbeknownst to Denji, Reze is out for his heart (i.e. Pochita) and can morph into the destructive Devil Hybrid Bomb Girl. Denji and his co-workers have to work together to defuse this situation. 

While the first episode explicitly spells out Denji’s upbringing, the film gives us enough context to understand him. He may be rude & loud, but he's also extremely insecure and longs for human affection. During their "date," Denji and Makima sit stone-faced during five movie screenings, which leads him to wonder if he has a heart. It's only during the sixth that all doubts dissipate, both for him and perhaps for Makima (though the film hints at her truly villainous nature). After Reze betrays him, Denji snaps and, upon finally morphing into Chainsaw Man, has an extremely poignant breakdown. Still, he can't help but find himself charmed by the women who want to use and abuse him. Overall, he's a pretty relatable protagonist, and it's easy to see why he's a new modern favorite.

Once we realize who Reze is, she's finally ready to play the part of full-tilt villainess. Thing is, she plays it so well that not even Denji's Devil Hunter colleagues are fooled. For another thing, we get a few hints, some more overt than others, that her femme fatale act is just an act. She coldly strangles a serial killer with an epic leglock, while Denji's carefree personality takes her by surprise more than once. She may have strung Denji along, but you can't help but hope there's some truth to her. Let's just say she and Black Widow would find a lot of common ground if they ever met.

Who else do we have? We get a decent subplot involving Aki Hayakawa and the Angel Devil, two of Denji's colleagues. The former is doomed to die, while the latter longs for the sweet release of death. They make for a rather interesting odd couple. Denji's devilish roommate, Power, is sidelined in the first few minutes for reasons, but her bombastic personality leaves quite an impact. His new devilish partner, Beam the Shark Fiend, makes up for Power's absence with his own brand of craziness. Another set of Denji's colleagues, Kobeni Higashiyama and the Violence Fiend, only show up for a single scene, which is also the film's funniest. And if you're looking for a reason to catch this on the biggest screen possible, the colossal Typhoon Devil, Reze's accomplice, is more than enough.

Its blend of 2D and 3D animation is just as memorable as the show's, especially with its brighter color palette. A few times, the blood is rendered in just about any color but red - an approach Zom 100's anime also took - but the violence is still messy. It takes an hour before the action starts, but Denji's dynamic morph makes it worth the wait. The resulting fight scenes show off several nifty powers, both from the Devil Hunters and the Devil Villains. A few lines, unfortunately, are drowned out by the Typhoon Devil's apocalyptic winds, but they probably would still be in real life.

Much more comprehensible is Kensuke Ushio's score, which includes several exciting battle tracks, but also includes a hauntingly beautiful piano piece during Denji and Reze's nighttime school date. Kenshi Yonezu wrote and performed the opening and closing credit songs, Iris Out and Jane Doe, which wonderfully encapsulate Denji's complicated love life. The score and songs probably won't make the Oscar shortlists, but I think they're worth a listen for the music branch. I'm not joking.

So, yes, go check out Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc. It's great for date night, but it's also suitable for a lonely matinee. It's not only gruesome, but it's surprisingly moving, even if you haven't followed Denji from the start. The only downside is the lack of Pochita's presence; yes, I know there's a reason, but he's too cuddly to ignore. It's a minor problem for a pretty great movie. What else can I say?