[Fantasia ’23] ‘#Manhole’ review: Single location thriller from Japan filled with twists

Single location thrillers have become increasingly popular in recent years, but #Manhole seems like an especially hard sell. On the eve of his wedding, Shunsuke Kawamura (Yuto Nakajima) falls down the titular hole. While trying to figure out how to get out, he faces a number of obstacles, including his own past.

Setting an entire movie in a dimly lit manhole that is 1.5 diameters in circumference is a risky proposition. The plot does a few things to keep things from getting stale. For starters, the lighting is excellent. The moon shines in essentially spotlighting Shunsuke. It is dark enough to heighten the inherent terror of the situation but not so much that the audience has trouble making out what is going on.

There is also the constant slew of challenges. It starts off with a bloody leg injury and escalates over the course of #Manhole. Rain, paranoia, and even deadly foam all harass Shunsuke. Most importantly, #Manhole goes in the opposite direction of similar stories and has the main character not only keep his cell phone, but have constant contact with the outside world. As the title implies, Shunsuke uses the film’s version of Twitter (hilariously named Pecker) to try to get help.

The main focus is about a man being trapped, but the film has something more to say. In a clever touch, Shunsuke creates an account under the name “Manhole Girl” since there is no better way to reach guys on social media than to be a damsel in distress. Naturally, it works and internet sleuths work to save Manhole Girl.

It is a scorching commentary about the internet that is accurate and funny. They guys climb over themselves to help out Manhole Girl with one livestreamer even driving out to her supposed location to save her. The notifications that start to fill the scream as #Manhole progresses take away from the claustrophobic feel, but it does add another layer.

A major twist towards the second half will end up dividing audiences. That being said, there is no denying that it comes out of nowhere. At this point, #Manhole moves away from the escape the room aspect and becomes more brutal. It also begins to rely more on twists to advance the story. It is a striking change that almost undermines what has previously transpired. There are enough questions to keep audiences guessing until the shocking final moments, however.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place from July 20 – August 9. Fantasia, news, tickets, and films can be found HERE