“As the Gods Will” is a 2014 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike. The film is based on the manga of the same name by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akeji Fujimura and tells a story full of unpredictable events and crazy ideas.
The plot of the film revolves around Shun Takahata, an average high school student who suddenly finds himself in a deadly game. A mysterious doll called “Daruma-san” appears at his school and asks the students to participate in a series of deadly games. Those who fail or do not react quickly enough are killed in a gruesome manner. In order to survive, the students must overcome various challenges ranging from giant cat heads, exploding octopuses to a deadly toy robot.
The film presents the viewer with a variety of absurd and crazy ideas. One of them is the concept of living toys that are deadly traps and hunt the students. Among them, for example, is a giant teddy bear that proves to be extremely dangerous. Another abstract idea is the representation of a giant marble-playing deity that challenges the students. The deity plays the game with a giant game board on which the students act as tokens and have to fight for their survival. These scenes create a surreal atmosphere and enhance the unpredictable nature of the film.
In addition, the film shows a series of unusual and bloody deaths in which the students die in various ways. From exploding heads to deadly obstacles in the form of giant puzzles, the creativity of the death scenarios is remarkable, if disturbing.
