This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like #MANHOLE being covered here wouldn’t exist.

In these modern times, almost any horror movie scenario could be solved if the victim had a charged cell phone on them. Lots of people are connected to the internet from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed. It’s hard to imagine anyone leaving their phone behind for even a few minutes or hours. To get around this aspect of life in the 2020s, characters in some movies will watch their phones die, or have them taken by a captor. But the situational thriller #MANHOLE doesn’t avoid phones. Instead, this movie asks this fascinating question: What if you had a fully charged smartphone, and were still helpless to escape your fate?

Yûto Nakajima (Pink and Gray, Suikyû Yankees) plays Shunsuke Kawamura, a Japanese businessman who’s having a boozy night out with some coworkers. They’re celebrating Shunsuke’s wedding, but the groom-to-be just wants to escape the bar and go for a walk. Then, in a terrifying turn, Shunsuke drunkenly falls right into an open manhole, slamming into the ground below.

With an injured leg, a broken escape ladder, and seemingly no one around for miles, Shunsuke has to figure out how to escape. Luckily, he has his smartphone. He’s able to text, call, and use apps, all from about 40 feet underground. Plus, he has plenty of battery. This makes you put yourself in Shunsuke’s shoes — what would you do with your phone to save yourself from the bottom of a manhole?

Well, as you might guess from its’ hash-taggy title, Shunsuke turns to the internet to help get him out of a hole. (The film’s poster even features hashtags: #DeepDown, #NoWayOut, and #HelpMe). Even a few years ago, the idea of instant internet virality would’ve made Shunsukes’ efforts seem laughable. But these days, citizens of the internet can be quite helpful — and lightning fast — when it comes to solving a mystery or researching. #MANHOLE is in part a social commentary on how swiftly the internet will rally around a cause they deem worthy.

Single-location films can grow stale, but #MANHOLE is captivating throughout. With direction from Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Kikuchi, Misjudgment Countermeasure Office), Nakajima gives an engrossing performance as he talks tearfully through the phone. Other times he descends into fits of frustration as he tries to guide people to his location. Nakajima is known for his music career — he’s in the band Hey! Say! JUMP — as well as his role in the Japanese remake of the TV show “Suits.”

Though most of the other characters in this movie communicate with Shunsuke through a phone screen, he’s constantly chatting with an ex-girlfriend, Mai Kudô, played by actress Nao (Samurai Marathon, My Daddy). Talking to her frantic ex in a lofty tone, Mai seems totally in control, and Nao’s tightly-controlled emotions elevate her performance. In addition, music by Takuma Watanabe gives the scenes of Shunsuke texting friends or messaging commenters a dramatic flair.

With a runtime of about 100 minutes, #MANHOLE has startling moments and plenty of twists and turns that keep the story flowing. #MANHOLE will make its Canadian premiere at Fantasia Film Festival on July 31, 2023.

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Remy Millisky

Remy Millisky is a content writer and editor at a quarterly magazine. They have previously written travel articles, email & social media content, short stories, and more. Remy released their first book “An Immaculate Mind” in 2021. They also specialize in art and makeup.

Latest posts by Remy Millisky (see all)

• [Movie Review] PERPETRATOR - August 29, 2023
• [Fantasia 2023 Review] #MANHOLE - July 31, 2023
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