This Martial Arts Horror Film Comes From a Metal Gear Solid Director

Horror and martial arts action are two genres that don’t mix often enough. The clash between the two comes in the way they handle power. Most horror media places its protagonist in a nightmarish situation with all the odds stacked against them, robbing them of most of their agency against a threat that would easily defeat them. Most martial arts movies follow powerful heroes who can fight their way through almost anything. That imbalance is just one of the elements that makes Versus so compelling.

Enjoying things ironically is a fun way to pass the time, but it’ll rarely summon the kind of emotions art exists to evoke. The modern blockbuster culture is so bent on drawing the biggest possible audience that studios often demand an ironic lens on everything. Anything that doesn’t fit comfortably into a very boring person’s idea of traditional storytelling tends to get an ironic lampshade. This unfortunate reliance on sarcasm and faux satire restricts the potential impact of genre cinema, which could be so powerful.

What is Versus about?

Versus follows a unique mythology in which the Earth features 666 locations through which one can directly access the gates of Hell. One such portal, specifically the 444th, occupies an otherwise nondescript forest in Japan. That forest suddenly plays host to a brutal battle when a pair of prisoners escape their incarceration, only to encounter a gang of Yakuza criminals kidnapping a young lady. Prisoner KSC2-303 starts an argument, leading to a fight that leaves one of the gangsters dead. Moments later, that deceased victim rises to his feet and attacks his former allies as a dangerous zombie. As KSC2-303 and the kidnapped woman sprint off into the forest, the Yakuza members realize that all those who die near the 444th gate will awaken and attack. This would be bad enough, but the area has also been the go-to body dump for the local Yakuza operation. With the Yakuza on their heels, KSC2-303 and his reluctant new charge must face armies of the undead in order to escape the haunted forest and survive. The basic premise isn’t too bizarre, but the execution turns it into a live-action anime movie, even though it’s an entirely original script.

Who directed Versus?

Versus was the feature debut of director/co-writer Ryuhei Kitamura, who immediately became a fascinating figure in Japan’s thriving cult cinema niche. Kitamura gained attention after directing a few short films, leading him to independently finance Versus and hire a cast of first-time actors, many of whom would work with him consistently. Versus cost $10,000 to make, and the tiny budget shows. It’s a bizarre showcase for Kitamura’s talent as a director. As a singular film, Versus hits a lot of genres. Its action set pieces are classic martial arts movie material, focusing on the unflappably cool Tak Sakaguchi as a hero who is one part Neo and one part generic surly shōnen anime protagonist. Conversely, the zombies alternate between Dawn of the Dead horror and Shaun of the Dead slapstick. The bizarre plot ropes in magic, time travel, reincarnation, and inexplicable superpowers while never giving a single character a name. It’s a bizarre epic that leans into its hilarious low-budget effects without ever feeling silly or self-aware. Modern action movies would find a lot of fun in this level of unironic enjoyment.

After Kitamura made Versus, he earned his way into more prestigious projects. He adapted the manga Azumi and Sky High into compelling action movies. In 2003, Kitamura made his first and only foray into the world of gaming when he directed the cutscenes for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Hideo Kojima, a longtime fan of Japanese action cinema, asked Kitamura to redo some of the original game’s cutscene in his iconic style, leading some to criticize their new overblown effects. The following year, Kitamura made his mark on the Godzilla film franchise with the beloved 50th anniversary project, Final Wars. That entry remains one of the most impressive celebrations of the King of the Monsters and one of his most charming cinematic offerings. In 2007, Kitamura made his Hollywood debut with The Midnight Meat Train, one of the finest titles in the genre. In recent years, Kitamura has suggested a potential sequel to Versus, possibly even made in America, but nothing has emerged from that effort yet.

Where can you watch Versus?

Versus is, unfortunately, not available to stream for free anywhere at the moment. Interested viewers can rent the film for $1.99 from the Google Play Store or Amazon Prime Video.

Versus is a time capsule that is well worth opening. It feels like the same kind of creative energy that animates beloved cult filmmakers like Takashi Miike and Takeshi Kitano. Even Hideo Kojima feels like a kindred spirit to Kitamura. Versus is the start of his bizarre career, but it’s also a love letter to a kind of nerd that can never get enough of this type of thing. Versus makes its intentions clear, and it attracted a devoted audience.

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