Audition (Japan)

One of the most disturbing (and, therefore, one of my favorite) films I've ever seen is Japan's Audition. Directed by Takashi Miike, this horror film caught me completely off-guard. I hadn't heard anything about it prior to watching it and that made it even better. I'll give you the plot without going into too much detail in case you plan on seeing it (highly advisable!).

It's the story of a man named Aoyama who is searching for a new wife. One of his best friends, being in the film industry, suggests Aoyama "audition" women to fill the role under the pretense that they're casting a new movie. His interest is sparked by a beautiful, shy woman named Asami and they quickly fall in love. However, after finding out that the audition was faked Asami leaves Aoyama and the story follows his every move as he tries to regain her trust and win her heart once more. Mission accomplished, they marry but the next morning he awakens to find her gone. His search for her is where the movie truly begins for us fans of Asian Horror when what Aoyama finds is not what any of us had expected. From that point forward the film is like a grisly accident on the 405 freeway where you know you shouldn't slow down to look, and yet you do. A warning to the faint of heart: the graphic images may stay with you for a long, long time.

Possibly director Miike's attempt to shake his finger at men who, even today, search for that stereotypical docile, subservient Asian wife, this film makes all of us who are single question if we're going deep enough when screening our potential mates. Like me, it may even cause you to stop dating for a few months.