Watch Doppelganger For Free

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

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 one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa movies at first sight always seem like some typical genre pieces but then he does something totally unexpected with its story and approach, with as a result that his movies are often something really special and unique to watch. Also often quite weird though, as is also the case with "Dopperugengâ".But unlike most of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's movies, this one doesn't take itself very seriously. It's also more of a comedy than anything else really. And this is what makes the movie such a perfectly watchable and entertaining one, even though at times you will most likely have no idea what is going on with its story.The movie has a pretty odd but yet intriguing main premise of an inventor, who is slowly starting to loose it and a doppelganger of him starts to appear, who seems to help him out with all of his problems. This is pretty most what the movie its first half is all about. In its second half things start to take an even more weird turn. I definitely liked the movie its more slower but stylish first half better than its insane second one but still overall it all remained good and entertaining enough to keep me watching and interested till the end.The entire movie sound weird but fact is that it's all done incredibly well. It's all nicely directed and told and also uses some good old fashioned trickery and true creativity, instead of some overly present CGI effects.All of the actors are really likable in their roles. Kôji Yakusho is an actor that works quite often together with Kiyoshi Kurosawa and he is also one of my favorite, still working, Japanese actors, who every now and then also pops up in a big Hollywood production.An unusual but unique and likable movie. Definitely not Kiyoshi Kurosawa's best or most interesting and provoking movie though.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Wimpy, weary, stressed-out workaholic research scientist Michio Hayasaki (superbly played by Koji Yakusho) ain't having a good time of it: he's totally fried and exhausted by his job because he can't make that necessary breakthrough to perfect a spiffy new automated wheelchair he's designing for some big company. Worse yet, if Michio doesn't produce some solid results pronto his overbearing greedy jerk of a boss is going to cut his funds. Things get even more complicated when Michio's exact double suddenly materializes in the flesh. Whereas Michio is seriously meek, responsible and unassertive, his doppelganger is pure bad news: brash, crude, aggressive and blithely irresponsible, a toxic product of Michio's repressed id who cheerfully proceeds to further mess up Michio's already wildly unstable life.Director/co-screenwriter Kiyoshi Kurosawa offers up a deliciously clever and incisive seriocomic thriller which works beautifully as a marvelously off-beat and original meditation on the duality of human nature, keenly exploring how all of us have both positive and negative traits existent in our personalities which we must come to terms with or otherwise denial can (and, most frightfully, inevitably will) get the best of us. The film starts out on a deceptively dark and disturbing note, eventually giving way to a more playful and farcical sensibility that's always entertaining and often wickedly funny. Better yet, Michio's journey of self-discovery ultimately proves to be quite helpful and uplifting, concluding things with a very touching and heartening finale that's a joy to behold. Koji Yashuko delivers an outstanding performance in a most difficult and demanding role, endowing Michio with a certain hangdog appeal and even investing his ne'er-do-well double with an irresistibly rascally charm. The supporting cast likewise makes the grade, while the state-of-the-art digital effects which allow Michio and his double to interact on screen together are both splendid and seamless. A fiendishly sharp and smart delight that's well worth checking out.

One of these days, I'll see one of these so-called "horror" films that Kiyoshi Kurosawa directs. This and "Bright Future" are the only two I've seen thus far and both were completely unexpected. Don't let the American box art deceive you: it's not a "frightening" film. However, it's fantastic. And truly bizarre. Assigning this film a genre is a ridiculous exercise. It shifts seamlessly between moments of high emotional drama, absurdist comedy, and violence. And underneath it all is an interesting exploration of the concept of self: The reconciliation of who one wants to be, who one is trying to avoid becoming, and who one is. As the credits rolled, I laughed, impressed. Don't go into the film with expectations. Just try it.

Doppleganger is a smart film and I think that people are selling it short by looking at the negatives like "lack of CG FX". Money doesn't make the best films. If you're looking for only horror films, this may not be for you, but to slander Doppleganger for bad marketing, too, is not the film's fault. Not every Asia Extreme film is going to be a horror-masterpiece. There has to be room for flexibility within the genres and this movie is one of those. It's a thriller, without the blood. You can't blame the film for that. And judging a movie by the box is just plain dumb. With that aside, yes, I did pop in the DVD assuming it would be horror, but the film impressed me nonetheless. It's actually more of a sci-fi psychological thriller. It reminded me of the cult classic 80's films like 'The Reanimator' except without the same "gore/slasher" aspects. To begin with the acting is amazing, but that's not even the best part. The director is really on top of his game.What's amazing about these Asian directors like Kurosawa is that they're more versed in American cinema than the idiots directing for the big American studios these days. If you look at the way the story unfolds, and the movement of the camera, and music choice, not to mention the awesome split screen (which I thought was really advantageous to this movie) you can tell that Kurosawa has to have seen some classic DePalma movies like "Blowout" and "Body Double" (Blowout, 1980 -- Tarantino loved it...and was the reason he used Travolta in Pulp Fiction). It's also feels like there's a shadow of Cronenberg as well, and those robots look like "Johnny 5" from Short Circuit.What you have to understand is that this film is looking at the idea of the doppleganger as a metaphor. A lot of people have trouble understanding the fact that these types of movies are psychological and often contain the unexplainable. Like in fight club with Brad Pitt's character, the doppleganger is not really real. He exercises control over Hayasaki because Hayasaki lacks the will to believe in himself and his science.The movie really dissects the idea of what it means that we have a 'will' in the first place. That's what's going on in the 2nd scene where they're trying to adjust the controls. The intern kid is a weak person, without a strong will and he cannot control the robot device. The movie is ultimately about control. And Hayasaki's lack of control is what creates the doppleganger in the first place. The ending isn't really that ambiguous, either. I don't know why anyone would think it's ambiguous. I won't spoil it, though.Anyway, here's the point. If you like psychological thrillers, you're a fan of cult psychological thrillers and science films, and you want to see a movie that is totally engaging, has some cool robot scenes and a solid plot, Doppleganger is a great film.