Yoroi: Samurai Zombie | 2008
Yoroi: Samurai Zombie
Yoroi: Samurai Zombie (Japanese: 鎧サムライゾンビ, Hepburn: Yoroi: Samurai zonbi) is a 2008 Japanese comic horror film directed by Taka Sakaguchi and written by Ryuhei Kitamura. They previously collaborated on "Versus." The story revolves around a family taken hostage by kidnappers who become prey to undead samurai in a haunted graveyard.
Four family members (Shigeo, Yasko, Asami, and Ryota) accidentally hit a man in white clothing (Aihara) during a road trip. However, when he stands up with a gun, another man, Jiro, shoots Aihara. Jiro and his crazy girlfriend, Risa, hijack the family’s car while threatening the father with a gun.
When a tire goes flat, Jiro tells Shigeo that they are in the land of the undead and forces him to seek help. Shigeo discovers a haunted graveyard and begins to dig. During this, he finds a blade and ultimately chooses to behead himself, causing blood to spout like a fountain from an ancient tomb.
At some point later, a strange samurai warrior emerges from the tomb and begins hunting the family and their kidnappers. The fugitives try to hide in an abandoned building, but more horrors and surprises await them there.
The film had its world premiere at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival as part of the World Fantastic Cinema section. It was released theatrically in Japan on February 14, 2009, by Xanadu. It was also screened at the New York Asian Film Festival in June 2009. The film was released on DVD in 2009 under the title "Samurai Zombie," with English and Chinese subtitles included.
David Canfield (Twitch Film) described the film as a rare combination of humor, atmosphere, and thoughtful themes. Garrett Jones (Dread Central) mentioned it as "a very entertaining piece that occasionally feels unstable in its Eastern splatter." Ben Bursy (Brutal As Hell) wrote that while it is "never a new Battle Royale or Audition," Samurai Zombie is certainly one of the stronger films among modern Japanese horror. James Mudge (Beyond Hollywood) described the film as "a step above the typical Japanese splatter film."
