“Helldriver” is a Japanese horror film from 2010, characterised by the insane ideas of director Yoshihiro Nishimura. The film presents a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies and an unusual heroine named Kika Amemiya.
The story begins with a comet hitting Japan and turning people into bloodthirsty zombies. Kika’s mother, Rikka, becomes infected by the comet and the only way to stop her is to cut her into several pieces. Kika is trained as a zombie hunter and is given a prosthetic leg armed with machine guns in place of her right leg.
The most striking and iconic scenes in the film involve absurdly exaggerated violence and splatter effects. For example, there is a scene in which Kika kicks zombies through the air with her mechanised leg, cutting her opponents into bloody pieces. Another memorable scene shows Kika fighting her way through a horde of zombies with a chainsaw sword, creating fountains of blood.
Another crazy aspect of the film is the introduction of “zombie oil”, which is extracted from the zombies and used as an alternative energy source. The idea that bloodthirsty zombies can serve as an energy source adds an extra absurdity to the film.
Despite its crazy ideas and the exaggerated level of violence, “Helldriver” also offers a portion of humour. The film deliberately plays with the clichés of the zombie genre and does not take itself too seriously. The dialogue is often absurd and the characters exaggerated, which gives the film a humorous touch.
Overall, “Helldriver” is an eccentric horror film that stands out for its crazy ideas, exaggerated violence and a bizarre story. Fans of the splatter genre will certainly be thrilled by the most striking scenes, such as the bloody fight sequences and the absurdly brutal zombie dismemberment.
