When a young girl, named Junko (Akiko Yada), discovers she has pyrokinesis, the power to ignite and control flames with her mind, she is forced to live a life of relative solitude. When a co-worker, Tada (Hideaki Ito), asks her to a party and introduces her to his sister she begins to feel less distant. But her happiness is short-lived as Tada’s sister is raped and murdered walking home from the party.
Feeling somewhat responsible and knowing how much Tada’s sister meant to him, Junko attempts to punish the attacker, Kogure (Hidenori Tokuyama), by burning him alive with her powers. Tada stops her before she can kill him and, in the process, leaves a trail of evidence that is soon picked up by two police investigators. Fearing that she will endanger Tada, she quits her job and decides to deal out justice in her own way. Soon she is contacted by a mysterious man who also has ESP-type powers, who complicates things even more.
Pyrokinesis is a Japanese thriller that is wonderfully complicated and so much more intriguing than a Hollywood interpretation of this story could ever have been. Although some might instantly think of Firestarter when the subject matter is mentioned, this is a far superior story and film. While it does get a little tricky to follow the plot in the third act, everything comes together and makes for a satisfying conclusion.
What I liked most about Pyrokinesis is that the characters were never completely “good” or entirely “bad”. Just like real people, everyone had different shades to their character and, as a result, seemed genuine. (Well, as genuine as people could be in a movie of this type.) While the script does ask the viewer to make leaps-of-faith that some might find hard to take, the interesting characterizations make it all worth it. Particularly good is the skeptical female police investigator, Ishizu (Kaori Momoi). She has some of the best lines in the film.
Also of note are the fantastic fire effects. Director Shusuke Kaneko is best known for reviving the Gamera monster movie series and working with a lot of effects shots. Here, the effects aren’t on such a grand scale, but are much more satisfying. I almost hesitate to say it, but the burning scenes border on beautiful.
If you’re looking for something a little different, Pyrokinesis is worth checking out. While it might appear to be a little slow moving for those used to Hollywood’s simplistic characterizations, give it a chance to build to its conclusion.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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