Two scientists watch old black-and-white footage of secret experiments done on subjects brains; the stated aim of which are to alter their consciousness and allow them to see things beyond this world. The footage ends with three subjects witnessing a blinding white light. The scientits’ daughters also witness the white light which gives the youngest, Kaori, unnatural powers of perception. As an adult Kaori (Mina Fujii), becomes aware that her sister Mayuki (Yuri Nakamura) has gone missing. Mayuki, after attempting suicide on the anniversary of their father’s death, has in fact been taken by their mother, Etsuko (Nagisa Katahira), who is continuing to experiment on kidnapped individuals.
Written and directed by Hiroshi Takahashi, “Kyofu: The Sylvian Experiments”, blends conspiracy thriller with supernatural elements. The theme of secretive, unethical experiments recalls the most horrific of Japan’s wartime crimes, and the sequences of skulls being drilled into or cut open are not for the squeamish. The majority of the film concerns Kaori’s search for her sister and the peculiar effects of the various experiments, such as extra-sensory perception, outer-body experiences, and premonitions. Unfortunately, the film’s conclusion lets down any interesting parts of the narrative, wrapping things up in a cliched ending that undermines everything that has gone before. There are a few effective moments of horror, particularly with the immaculate pregnancy of one of the subjects towards the end of the film, but besides this and the surgery scenes, there are few real frights. The main cast do a great job with their characters, but unfortunately we don’t get enough insight into their relationship to form a genuine connection with them.
“The Sylvian Experiments” questions the notion of existence after death, or the possibility of a world that exists outside our conscious perception. This could have provided a great thematic through line for the drama, but instead we see a string of missed opportunities. The film has ghostly figures appearing and characters being aware of things, but none of these really touch on the central premise of whether or not there is a realm beyond this world. The mystery of what happened to Mayuki could have continued longer before giving the audience a full explanation of what is happening. There could have been more explanation of the girls’ feelings towards their father’s death, or their mother. Instead things are left decidedly vague. The final twist is weak and not really foreshadowed by anything that precedes it; in essence undoing everything and leaving us with an underwhelming final image. Overall, the film is a rather lacklustre affair that fails to deliver on an intriguing premise, instead playing it safe with familiar tropes and shallow characterisation.
