Film review: Tag – Japanese schoolgirls meet extreme violence in exploitation fantasy
Shockingly gory adaptation of novel Real Onigokko might have good intentions, but ends up being sadistic and misogynistic
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 20 January, 2016, 5:00pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 20 January, 2016, 5:00pm
Related topics
Opening with a busload of schoolgirls being violently sheared in half by a malevolent wind, Sion Sono’s Tag certainly gets off to a promising start. But the provocative Japanese auteur soon finds himself wallowing in lurid exploitation and unpleasant misogyny.
After making his name with a string of crossover arthouse successes including Love Exposure, Cold Fish and Himizu, Sono has fast become as prolific as fellow countryman Takashi Miike. Tag is just one of six films Sono completed during 2015, and has enjoyed a healthy run on the midnight festival circuit, but from the outset its sleazy tone is off-putting even by late-night horror standards.
READ MORE: Film review: Virgin Psychics – Sion Sono’s unapologetically bawdy sex comedy fails to engage
Following the opening slaughter, timid schoolgirl Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is relentlessly pursued by an unseen murderous force. Arriving at a high school she doesn’t recognise, she is soon on the run again, this time from gun-toting teachers.
With each fresh encounter, Mitsuko’s appearance changes, and it soon becomes apparent external powers may be at the controls. Most disturbing of all, however, is the fact Sono presents his adaptation of Yusuke Yamada’s novel Real Onigokko as a pro-feminist tale of empowerment, when it’s really anything but that.
Tag opens on January 21
Most Popular
Viewed
- 1
![The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.]( "The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.")
- 2
![A Chinese tourist frolics with a cabaret performer at ZAG, a gay bar in Thailand’s southern tourist destination of Phuket. Photo: AFP]( "A Chinese tourist frolics with a cabaret performer at ZAG, a gay bar in Thailand’s southern tourist destination of Phuket. Photo: AFP")
- 3
![High-profile couples such as French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are proof the older woman/younger man couple can work, but they remain a rarity in Hong Kong and Asia – unlike sugar daddies]( "High-profile couples such as French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are proof the older woman/younger man couple can work, but they remain a rarity in Hong Kong and Asia – unlike sugar daddies")
- 4
![Domestic helpers protesting for higher wages outside the Harbour Building in Central in August. Fifteen representatives from two of the most active helpers’ groups asked for a 24.7 per cent increase in their monthly wage to HK$5,500. Photo: Winson Wong]( "Domestic helpers protesting for higher wages outside the Harbour Building in Central in August. Fifteen representatives from two of the most active helpers’ groups asked for a 24.7 per cent increase in their monthly wage to HK$5,500. Photo: Winson Wong")
- 5
![Chinese actress Fan Bingbing’s disappearance since her tax evasion scandal in July poses some difficult questions for the luxury brands she endorses. Photo: EPA]( "Chinese actress Fan Bingbing’s disappearance since her tax evasion scandal in July poses some difficult questions for the luxury brands she endorses. Photo: EPA")
Shared
- 1
![The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.]( "The piano duo of Jennifer Rüth (left) and Ming, known as the Queenz of Piano, who will perform their dynamic acrobatic musical show, mixing classical, pop and rock music in Hong Kong on November 17.")
- 2
![A Chinese tourist frolics with a cabaret performer at ZAG, a gay bar in Thailand’s southern tourist destination of Phuket. Photo: AFP]( "A Chinese tourist frolics with a cabaret performer at ZAG, a gay bar in Thailand’s southern tourist destination of Phuket. Photo: AFP")
- 3
![The American Psychological Association says patients who have come close to death during a heart attack should enlist the support of friends, family, and work colleagues.]( "The American Psychological Association says patients who have come close to death during a heart attack should enlist the support of friends, family, and work colleagues.")
- 4
![Marfan syndrome sufferer Lai Sai-yu (left), 16 – who has undergone heart surgery at the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road to improve her condition – with her father, Lai Chi-leung, who was told soon after her birth that she may not live long. Photo: Ali Ghorbani]( "Marfan syndrome sufferer Lai Sai-yu (left), 16 – who has undergone heart surgery at the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road to improve her condition – with her father, Lai Chi-leung, who was told soon after her birth that she may not live long. Photo: Ali Ghorbani")
- 5
![Domestic helpers protesting for higher wages outside the Harbour Building in Central in August. Fifteen representatives from two of the most active helpers’ groups asked for a 24.7 per cent increase in their monthly wage to HK$5,500. Photo: Winson Wong]( "Domestic helpers protesting for higher wages outside the Harbour Building in Central in August. Fifteen representatives from two of the most active helpers’ groups asked for a 24.7 per cent increase in their monthly wage to HK$5,500. Photo: Winson Wong")
Commented
- 1
![A police officer cordons off the scene outside One Harbourfront, after Typhoon Mangkhut blew out least 100 window panels in 20-storey grade A office tower in Hung Hom. Photo: Felix Wong]( "A police officer cordons off the scene outside One Harbourfront, after Typhoon Mangkhut blew out least 100 window panels in 20-storey grade A office tower in Hung Hom. Photo: Felix Wong")
- 2
![People cross the Lok Ma Chau border station from Shenzhen into Hong Kong on September 4. Photo: Roy Issa]( "People cross the Lok Ma Chau border station from Shenzhen into Hong Kong on September 4. Photo: Roy Issa")
- 3
![Consorts of the Qianglong Emperor take centre stage in the Chinese drama The Story of Yanxi Palace. Photo: Handout]( "Consorts of the Qianglong Emperor take centre stage in the Chinese drama The Story of Yanxi Palace. Photo: Handout")
- 4
![An array of Chinese passports that were endorsed with fake and doctored stamps by Canadian immigration consultant Xun Wang. Wang's tactics helped rich migrants maintain the illusion of their presence in Canada when they were actually living and working in China. Photo: CBSA]( "An array of Chinese passports that were endorsed with fake and doctored stamps by Canadian immigration consultant Xun Wang. Wang's tactics helped rich migrants maintain the illusion of their presence in Canada when they were actually living and working in China. Photo: CBSA")
- 5
![Illustration: Craig Stephens]( "Illustration: Craig Stephens")
You may also like
Wearable monitors can help your heart if you know your device
In partnership with: Hong Kong Adventist Hospital
Stratford: How London's Olympics district became its most exciting residential area
Brought to you by JLL
Comments: