If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Inju - The Geisha Killer, alternatively known as Inju: The Beast in the Shadow, is based on a Japanese novel by Edogawa Rampo. It tells about a French crime author who admires and has based much of his work on the expertise and skill of a Japanese colleague, named Shundei Oe, a known recluse who has never been seen in public. But now our main character is about to travel to Japan and it just might be that he gets a chance to meet his idol.What makes this film work is its cohesion. No single element in it stands out, nothing in it is all that extraordinary. But neither does it have any weak elements in it. It is a proficient mystery thriller done right. The two main actors, Benoît Magimel and Lika Minamoto, are both talented and likable in their roles. The Japanese setting is utilized well enough. The score is nice, the pacing is nice and the twists are genuinely thrilling, though I did see the final twists coming a bit early, but that simply gave me the joy of discovery.Then again, I can sort of see why this film hasn't received all that much praise. It doesn't stand out. It is merely good in an average way, which makes it forgettable. I'm personally a big fan of Japanese culture, which certainly made me more favourable to this film, allowing me to accept it from the start. But, otherwise, I probably would have thought it to be a bit lazy and not that inspired.It's still a good film. Definitely worth seeing if you're into thrillers and especially if you like Japan as a setting as well. Don't expect any miracles, just lay back and enjoy a decent mystery story with an erotic undertone.

if it not becomes boring.a French writer in Japan. in search of a ghost. a meeting. adventures. and a confuse chain of events. the story is beautiful and the cast is nice. but not Benoit Magimel or Lika Minamoto can save the film. it remains a mixture of Hollywood crumbs and Oriental atmosphere. drawing of thriller with few drops of erotic scenes. and the end can impress at first view. like a magic of clown. but it is not really credible and seems be a kind of Pulp Fiction copy. full of good intentions, its ambitions are too great. it is not really a sin. but the game with delicate ingredients for a story with beautiful air but without a real subject is not base for success. only for a sparkle.

It's not about the story (or the twist therein). It's not about the technical realization of the movie (there is a standard here). But it's about the actors. Not that they are bad actors. But for a movie that has nothing much going for it (you should see where this is going from the get go), you need Actors who can carry this through. Unfortunately there is nothing to remind them by.If you lower your standards, you might enjoy this a little bit. But since the actors and the story don't give you anything to look for in this movie, you could watch better and other movies instead. A french thriller in Japan, that is not successful.

(brief report from the Toronto International Film festival) Despite the teaser on Internet, "Inju" turns out to be a somewhat mainstream mystery thriller except for maybe a little bit of kinky stuff that ranges from pretty standard to outrageously hilarious. If you have seen enough mystery thrillers, you'll probably guess the final twist before the end, although how soon you get it depends on how much of a veteran of this genre you are.The plot has some elements of interest. Top Japanese thriller writer Shundei Oe who leans heavily on the dark side has steadfastly refused to review his identity, showing on his books only an ominously drawn self-portrait. A keen follower of Oe's work, French newcomer Alex Fayard surpasses his idol with his own work which, when translated into Japanese, breaks Oe's sale record, the first time any author has done it in 10 years. As a promotion gimmick, he is invited to go to Japan to meet Oe, even though the publishers still haven't quite figured out how to find this mysterious author. Then as always, a woman comes into all these, a bewitching and seductive geisha who get entangled with both authors.As mentioned, this is a somewhat mainstream thriller, without playing up the pseudo psychological side – a wise choice, making the movie simple and enjoyable rather than tediously pretentious. Event-driven and clue-seeking under a formulaic structure, the movie takes the audience down a predictable path of mild thrills and occasional laughs (many quite unintentional). The ending twist will not exactly extract a gasp from a seasoned thriller audience. There is no need to rush to the cinemas. A DVD will do nicely.