Directed by the esteemed Kyoichi Komoto, ‘CODE-D: The House of the 8 Women’ is a science fiction feature taking place in the near future when the surviving population of Japan is divided into ranks and sent out to live in what can be described as internment camps. A women-only group of such people finds themselves in trouble when a male arrives from the outside. As friendships are tested and animosity rises, intrigue and betrayal soon begins to tear the group apart.
‘CODE-D: The House of the 8 Women’ succeeds wholly due to both the potent writing and directing on display. Ako Suizu’s writing brings the complex characters that make up the story come alive with effortless creativity. The character interactions at display are not only believable but follow an emotional trajectory from friendship and camaraderie to animosity and jealousy. Komoto understands the underlying tension between the characters well. He not only gives every woman a chance to shine and his success lies in the fact that he is so adept at challenging and disintegrating these characters after building them up perfectly at the start.
Probably the most gorgeous thing about the whole production is its cinematography. From its rain soaked teal blue scenes to the warm yellow interior, the colours in the film really make the story come alive. The lighting in every scene is perfect as well with night shots looking as crisp and lively as those shot during the day. Every scene of this film looks organic and can make any big budget film give a run for its money. The minimal score in most scenes really gives the dialogue weight, allowing the audience to invest wholly into the characters.
Ultimately a quest to determine the purpose of life, Kyoichi Komoto’s ‘CODE-D: The House of the 8 Women’ is a potent science fiction story that is not only moving, but also unique in equal measure. The central idea has rarely been done before and Komoto directs the tale with an eye that easily makes its mark on the audience. Anchored by great performances and featuring creative set design, ‘CODE-D: The House of the 8 Women’ is a thoughtful and heavy science fiction tale that is a mark above the rest and will find great acclaim amongst audiences looking for something profound and meaningful.
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